In 2014, Will Taylor started for Wasps in front of 82,000 people against Harlequins at Twickenham.  Three years later he was selling vegetables on the streets of London and collecting empty glasses in his friend’s nightclub. They say life’s a rollercoaster but the 29-year-old from Swansea wouldn’t have expected there to be quite as many sharp turns.

Dan Lydiate has heralded the resurgence of the Ospreys and the region’s signing of Wales prop Tomas Francis. Under the guidance of head coach Toby Booth, the Swansea-based region have improved steadily over the course of a season hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Over Christmas the Ospreys won two of their three festive derby clashes by beating Cardiff Blues and Dragons after a narrow loss to the Scarlets.

Ospreys coach Toby Booth believes Wales prop Tomas Francis can be the rock on which they rebuild their reputation. The region have confirmed the signing of Francis from Exeter Chiefs for next season after Francis opted to leave the European champions in order to continue his Wales career. After twice managing to persuade Welsh Rugby Union officials that extensions to his contract in England kept him within the 60-cap rule, Francis had his third attempt rejected.

The Ospreys are set to sign Wales under 20s captain Jac Morgan from the Scarlets. Morgan, 20, is out of contract at the end of this season, and the Ospreys have succeeded in luring him away from their bitter rivals.  The openside flanker is seen as one of the best prospects in the European game and has been identified by the Welsh management as a potential option for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. 

Ospreys captain Justin Tipuric has revealed his pride in his team for their “dominant” display in comfortably beating rivals Cardiff Blues. Tipuric’s side won 17-3 at the Cardiff City Stadium on New Year’s Day, while the Scarlets were also clear winners – 20-3 – at home to the Dragons in their derby – results which suggest the old familiar order is now being restored in Welsh regional rugby, with the Scarlets and Ospreys leading and the Blues and Dragons trailing behind. The Ospreys lay third in Conference A of the Guinness Pro 14, with the Dragons fourth. In Conference B, the Scarlets are second with the Blues back in 4th.

Keiran Williams used to be flattered to be called ‘Gibbsy’ by his team mates. These days, though, he is just plain ‘Keith’. The former Wales U20 centre earned the exalted status of being called his first nickname because he was likened in size and stature to the great Wales and British & Irish Lions ace Scott Gibbs. His pocket-rocket style mirrored that introduced by the explosive Gibbs into the midfield at Swansea, Wales, St Helens, Wales rugby league, the Ospreys and the Lions.

The comeback date for Gareth Anscombe will depend as much on his mind as his body, according to his Ospreys coach Toby Booth. Anscombe has not played rugby for 16 months after suffering a serious knee injury in a World Cup warm-up against England at Twickenham. Since then, it’s been a long road back for the Wales outside-half who has undergone two operations and setbacks to his timetable along the way.

The Ospreys are keen on beefing up their pack by adding some South African muscle to their back row. The Cheetahs may have ended their involvement with the Guinness Pro 14, but the Ospreys see recruitment potential in three of their forwards – Oupa Mohoje, Sintu Manjezi, and Junior Pokomela. Head coah Toby Booth wants to strengthen his squad for next season and has identified the back row as an area in need of improving.

Glenn Delaney spent years trying to snatch players away from the Scarlets but is now reaping the rewards from one of the best rugby academies in the UK. One of the graduates of the Scarlets school – Dan Jones – kicked 11 of their 16 points on Boxing Day as they beat neighbours the Ospreys in the festive derby which was switched to Llanelli. While coaching at London Irish, Delaney openly admits how the Exiles used to target the Scarlets academy for potential new recruits.

Toby Booth has admitted the Ospreys have given themselves a harder task by taking their Boxing Day derby clash against the Scarlets to the home of their opponents. With the Liberty Stadium pitch being relaid, Booth’s region did not have much choice in the matter but their head coach reckons the move to Parc Y Scarlets has forced a hardening of their mentality for what is always a testing fixture. “It doesn’t affect our preparation. In fact, it means we probably have to be even better. We are putting more pressure on ourselves by playing away, said Booth.

The Ospreys will face another tough away day task on Boxing Day – just a week after their stunning weekend comeback victory at Worcester Warriors. The region made it three successive victories for the first time since April 2019 as they came from 29-18 behind to win 38-29 in their European Challenge Cup tie at Sixways. Now, though, they are poised to lose home advantage for their crunch Boxing Day clash against the Scarlets with the game now set to be played in Llanelli.

The Ospreys are on the point of doing something they haven’t done for over 18 months – winning three matches in succession. Their captain, Dan Lydiate, admits last season “wasn’t pretty” but insists change has come under new head coach Toby Booth, as he tells Graham Thomas. Dan Lydiate has thrown his weight behind Toby Booth’s Ospreys revolution and believes the English coach has already unified the squad after the cracks of last season. The region’s captain – who took over from Justin Tipuric and led the Ospreys to a convincing win over Castres last week – reckons Booth is starting to make his mark after 10 matches in charge.