Gareth Anscombe has come through the mental and well as the physical tests and is ready for his competitive comeback, according to Ospreys coach Toby Booth. The Wales fly-half will line up at No.10 for the Ospreys in their opening United Rugby Championship clash when they make a derby trip to Rodney Parade to face the Dragons on Sunday. Anscombe, Tomas Francis and promising young flanker Jac Morgan will all make their competitive Ospreys debuts.

By Rob Carbon Tomas Francis was the biggest arrival in Welsh rugby this summer in every sense of the word. He is now looking forward to getting his Ospreys career underway and is impressed with how his new team have performed under coach Toby Booth. The Ospreys almost went out of existence in 2019 when a merger with bitter rivals Scarlets was proposed.

Gareth Anscombe has paid heartfelt thanks to those who have helped his recovery after coming through his first rugby match for just over two years. The Wales international played 37 minutes for the Ospreys in their pre-season friendly at Northampton on Friday night before he was withdrawn as the region said they had always planned. Afterwards, the 30-year-old outside-half – who many feared would not resume a top level career – paid tribute to those who have assisted his recovery from a serious knee injury, that has involved overcoming several setbacks.

By Alex Bywater  Gareth Anscombe is set to end 761 days of injury troubles when he makes his Ospreys debut against Northampton Saints on Friday. Wales fly-half Anscombe hasn’t played since August 2019 when he suffered a serious knee injury facing England in a Rugby World Cup warm-up clash at Twickenham. Anscombe, 30, missed that year’s tournament as a result and has spent more than two years on the sidelines while recovering.

As the song says, the road is long with many a winding turn that leads us to who knows where. Two former Ospreys teammates are at the peak of their respective sports this summer, but no-one could have predicted the road that took them there, as Owen Morgan reports. In May 2014 two promising rugby players from Swansea were amongst seven young hopefuls handed development contracts with the Ospreys. The two 18-year-olds were making their first steps towards their dreams of becoming professional sportsmen and representing their country at the highest international level in their sport. However, just a year later Adam Beard and Harrison Walsh – who had also played together for Swansea schoolboys – were to take very different paths towards their sporting dreams.

Adam Beard believes getting dropped from the national squad last autumn was a blessing in disguise and insists he can fill the boots of injured Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones. The Ospreys lock – who was called into the British and Irish Lions squad on Saturday night for their tour to South Africa following Jones’ shoulder dislocation – was a regular starter for Wales during the latter part of the Warren Gatland era. But he was then dropped by Wayne Pivac and sent back to the Ospreys after a dip in form.

Former Wales Under 20s Grand Slam winner Joe Thomas is hoping his American adventure can earn him a second crack of the whip in Welsh rugby. The 25-year-old has become the first Welshman to play in the MLR where he plies his trade for Houston SaberCats in Texas. And the Morriston RFC product has found a new lease of life in the States, where he believes rugby will develop into a major sport.

Michael Collins is confident the Ospreys can challenge for silverware over the next couple of seasons and believes he’s the man to unleash their potent back division. The 27-year-old centre currently plies his trade for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and will join the Ospreys next season, having enjoyed a brief stint at the Scarlets in 2016. Wales coach Wayne Pivac is a big fan of the Welsh-qualified utility back, but Collins insists his full focus is on performing for the Ospreys.

Ospreys hooker Scott Otten has retired from professional rugby on medical advice. The 26-year-old Swansea-born forward – who has been with the Ospreys for a decade – suffered a serious neck injury against the Dragons in January. “For me, retirement from rugby has come way too early,” said Otten.

Dragons wing Rio Dyer says speed tips from former Olympic sprinter Darren Campbell is the reason behind his stunning end-of-season finish. The former Wales Under-20 back has been in scintillating form for the men from Rodney Parade in the last two weeks with his remarkable pace standing out. Dyer has now revealed the secret behind his speed.

The Covid-19 pandemic has struck many rugby clubs across Wales, but few players in the professional game have been as deeply affected as Wales and Ospreys star Bradley Davies. Speaking about his illness for the first time, Davies has admitted monitoring his own oxygen levels due to breathing problems, left him fearful about his long-term health, as he tells Alex Bywater. Bradley Davies has revealed he feels lucky to be alive after a serious scare with Covid-19 left him checking his own oxygen levels. The Wales international, a Test-hardened 66-cap veteran, has admitted he felt “scared” by the impact of the virus on his health just a few weeks ago.

Toby Booth believes the Ospreys have signed another leader with the recruitment of New Zealander Michael Collins. The 27-year-old – who is eligible for Wales through his grandfather – will move to the Liberty Stadium this summer from the Highlanders on a two-year deal. The New Zealand Under-20 three-quarter, who can play centre or full back, played in the Blues side that defeated the British and Irish Lions in 2017.