Ospreys have to rebuild on and off the field
Ospreys have to rebuild on and off the field
'Legacy' has been a word that frequented Ospreys press conferences over the past three seasons. On Wednesday, it was announced that both Scott Johnson and Sean Holley would be leaving their respective roles at the Liberty Stadium. The pair, along with Chief Operations Officer Andrew Hore, set out on creating a culture - an identity - for the region but the result of which was inadvertent; their regime will be one affiliated with overspending an underachieving.
Just one Magners League (as it was then known) title was acquired, and despite luring the likes of Jerry Collins and Marty Holah, it failed to convert investment into sufficient success. A Heineken Cup quarter-final exit is a regional best record, and as the dust settles there is a tangible sense of an opportunity missed - one Welsh regions may never see again as all four face growing financial concern.
More damaging, however, was the identity complex; the 'Ospreylia' ideology forced upon the region's incumbents in paranoia of their legacy not being remembered. Hore inverted the Osprey message long before Swansea City's promotion to the Premier League highlighted the need for more bums on seats on match day. Contrast that to the recent exploits of Saracens, who are actively striving to promote their brand globally, and the shortcomings at the top are worrying. Is the current Saracens side more marketable than an Ospreys team that could name a starting XI full of internationals including world renowned ex-All Blacks?
The search for an identity became so desperate that a supposed overhaul took place at the start of this season. The fake tan and coloured boot ban for those yet to amass 50 caps for the region aimed to shed itself of the 'Galacticos' tag given to last season's squad. The irony, however, is that those labelled as such were bred in Johnson and Holley's environment, and a polar opposite approach barely masked the setup's deficiencies. Mike Phillips entered the Rugby World Cup as third-choice for his region, James Hook unfairly became the enemy for Holley's personal crusade to establish Dan Biggar; both are now shining again having been cleansed from the rot that had set in.
Fortunately, the Ospreys have the basic resources to rebuild. The current squad still homes several internationals and its production line will supplement where stockpiled signings had done so in recent past. Interim head coach Steve Tandy appears approachable and hugely committed, and whilst a young coach's exuberance can only take a team so far, you sense that the next time the Ospreys step onto the field the tension will disperse. Promoting the head coach of Bridgend Ravens may not have been the answer many were looking for, but the lavish approach under the previous regime has had lasting repercussions.
Buried under the debris of Mike Cuddy's reconstruction is a more difficult problem to solve: who replaces Shane Williams? Or even Tommy Bowe for that matter.
Wales' record try scorer will take up an ambassadorial role at the region at the end of the season, whilst Bowe is widely expected to return to Ireland. Whether it is Munster or former club Ulster, it is increasingly likely that the Ospreys will have two wide berths to fill this summer.
Hanno Dirksen is blossoming into a wing that capable of becoming first choice, despite the palpable sense of what is required to be a starter at the Liberty Stadium diminishing. His stunning individual try away to Edinburgh last Friday was a token of vindication for the time and resources spent on not only his acquisition but his development.
The other spot, though, is well and truly up for grabs. Nikki Walker is still at the club, although a return to Scotland would be amicable for both parties as Ospreys continue to streamline the wage bill where they can and Walker seeking to add to his 24 caps. Richard Fussell is being deployed at full-back despite beginning to show that he could be a finisher of some repute for the Dragons. Tom Prydie is currently on loan at Wasps until this season's end, but is still working his way back to full fitness and is yet to feature. Eli Walker is currently enjoying a spell in the first team and Kristian Phillips - of whom big things were expected, and still are in some places - seems to be still on the development carousel. Where others have used the Sevens circuit and Welsh Premiership to catapult them into top-flight rugby, Phillips is in danger of stagnation in all too familiar surroundings.
The region has yet to replace someone as significant as Shane, despite the end of the Galacticos era, but to find the closest resemblance to the diminutive wing you have to dig deeper. Luke Morgan may only have one substitute appearance in the LV Cup to his name, but his brace for Wales Under 20s against Scotland last week highlighted his try hunting instincts as well as his exceptional speed and deceptively powerful hand-off.
In his first season in the Premiership Morgan currently resides with 15 tries - five more than any other player and six more than Phillips, who has been a team-mate of his at Bridgend in recent months. Whilst it is perhaps premature to highlight his form at that level, none of Ospreys' current alternatives have been as impressive or prolific during their rugby apprenticeships.
Should Morgan progress to the next stage - Sevens exposure - then I suspect he will follow the likes of Alex Cuthbert and close friend Matthew Morgan; using the experience to propel him into the first team reckoning. Having watched his development at close quarters, Tandy is best placed to determine just how close he is to adding to his sole regional outing.
Without Heineken Cup rugby, and without a permanent appointment for the remainder of the season, Ospreys have the opportunity to rebuild away from the spotlight should they choose to. That really would be creating a new identity.
