Imagine having to wear Alun Wyn Jones’ jersey when he’s not around. That’s a big shirt to fill. But the young player making a pretty decent fist of it at the Ospreys at present is Rhys Davies. The former Wales U20 player is set wear No.5 against the Dragons on Saturday night and tells Graham Thomas how it feels for size. Rhys Davies is already being tipped as a successor to Alun Wyn Jones for the Ospreys and Wales but has revealed it was only a few years ago he struggled to get into his school XV. Admittedly, it was Millfield – one of the most famous sporting schools in the UK – but the young Ospreys second row had high hopes of following the likes of Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Chris Robshaw when he moved to Somerset on a scholarship at the age 16.

The Ospreys will be looking for a fourth straight victory when they take on Zebre at The Liberty Stadium on Saturday night. Toby Booth’s side have also managed to blood plenty of youngsters this season, including 20-year-old fly-half Josh Thomas, who is grateful for no less than four top quality No.10s who are guiding his progress as he tells Graham Thomas. Josh Thomas knows he’s at the perfect finishing school for a would-be Wales outside-half. After all, the Ospreys youngster currently has a quartet of high grade number tens guiding him that would be the envy of almost every rugby club in the UK and beyond.

Scott Williams believes the best thing to happen to George North this season was being dropped by Wayne Pivac. Ospreys centre Williams – a teammate of North’s for region and country – believes the Lions star has found his best form following that rejection by the Wales coach in autumn and also discovered a new lease of life by moving from wing to centre. Williams – whose own Wales career has been halted for the time being by back problems – has hailed the performance of North during Wales’ opening Six Nations victory over Ireland on Saturday.

Stephen Myler has been described as “fit as a butcher’s dog” and an extra coach on the field by the Ospreys chief who has just given the 36-year-old another year’s contract. Toby Booth has showered praise on the English outside-half, who has signed for a further season with the region even though he will be 37 this summer. Myler struck three conversions on Sunday as the Ospreys earned a 26-20 Guinness Pro 14 victory away at Connacht.

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.