By Simon Thomas
Toby Booth believes the Ospreys can do what no Welsh region has done for six years – make the United Rugby Championship play-offs.
Booth’s young team are currently on target to achieve that goal of a top-eight finish.
They are in seventh spot, with eight rounds of league matches to come, starting with Friday’s crucial trip to fifth-placed Edinburgh.
No Welsh team has made the BKT URC play-offs since the Scarlets back in 2018.
But the Ospreys are firmly in the mix and on a real run of form following five successive wins in all competitions.
“We are not going to get carried away,” said Booth.
“I worry about the mindset, the nuts and bolts and bits and pieces, but what we are saying is ‘Why not? Why not?’
“Instead of going ‘Umm, no’, it’s ‘Yeah, why not?’
“If these youngsters are going to give me energy as an old man, then I have got to back what they believe.
“If they believe in it, I’ve got to believe it, so why not?”
GARYN PHILLIPS IS BACK IN BLACK✍️
The young prop has picked up 19 appearances since joining the Ospreys academy in 20/21 and has represented Wales at u20 level on two occasions.
Read the full story here ➡️https://t.co/wtJqC1r7FD pic.twitter.com/LKBiR8GJx8
— Ospreys (@ospreys) February 27, 2024
The Ospreys have won nine of their 14 matches in the URC and the Challenge Cup so far this season.
It’s a record that’s all the more impressive given their reduced squad numbers and crippling injury list.
“Everyone knows with the 20-plus injuries how difficult it has been, but we will just keep going, we are not going to use it as an excuse,” said Booth.
“Whoever is on that pitch, it comes with an expectation of standard and effort. We talk about that a lot and these boys are delivering that.”
The long list of absentees has seen a number of youngsters thrown in at the deep end, but they have been swimming rather than sinking.
That was again evident from the dramatic 19-17 victory over Ulster in Swansea last time out.
It was 20-year-old Player of the Match Dan Edwards who landed the nerveless last-gasp drop goal to snatch the spoils, while the fly-half also took a key role in the breakaway try for centre Keiran Williams.
Flanker Harri Deaves, 22, was another rookie to shine brightly, while much-talked about teenager Morgan Morse was a force of nature alongside him in the back row.
https://twitter.com/ospreys/status/1762441179797340648?s=20
Prop Ben Warren, 23, came off the bench to hold his own in the scrum against World Cup winner Steven Kitshoff, while another front row sub Lewis Lloyd, 20, also played his part, nailing the pressure lineout throw which paved the way for Edwards’ winning drop goal.
With lock James Fender, scrum-half Luke Davies and back three duo Max Nagy and Iestyn Hopkins having also demonstrated much youthful promise this season, the future looks bright for the region.
“The beauty of working with young players is they don’t know any different,” said Booth.
“That blind faith and that effort – if they are coached well and developed well – brings around performances like we have seen.
“You are not always going to be perfect, but you move on very quickly because these guys haven’t got the scar tissue.
“What they lack in experience and knowledge, they make up for in different ways.
“As they transition further down the line, they will be smarter, they will be cleverer, they will be more skilled and if they can maintain their hunger and desire they become very special players.
“We have got the first lot through, the likes of Morgan Morris, Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan. It’s then a case of what’s the next lot?
“We develop the people, develop the understanding and the core of the Ospreys squad then grows.
“It’s about having an environment where the young players feel they can step up and they are doing just that.”
Ospreys are the Welsh team that are truly building something special. There’s a buzz around Cardiff but they’ve only won 3 games all season. Ospreys have 8 wins from 13 games in all competitions. Great stuff considering their injury list.
Toby Booth is doing a fantastic job.
— Jamie Phillips (@JNPhillips4) January 22, 2024
Reflecting on the win over Ulster, Booth added: “It wasn’t our cleanest performance by far, but we found a way and the boys should take massive credit. I am really pleased for them.
“It was very similar to the Challenge Cup game against the Lions in Johannesburg. This team doesn’t know when it’s beaten. The character they have shown repeatedly is very impressive.”
There is also light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the injury list.
Seasoned Wales internationals Justin Tipuric and Alex Cuthbert returned against Ulster, while Morgan Morris, Owen Williams and Rhys Davies could be back available for the Edinburgh game.
“Come the end of the Six Nations, we will hopefully have a lot of people to choose from and that will be a refreshing change,” said Booth.
“You never know, we might have some selection dilemmas!”
It would appear that Dan McFarland is set to leave Ulster following Sunday’s defeat to the Ospreys
This is a rare event in Irish rugby where a provincial coach departs mid season, and marks the end of a rollercoaster era up north pic.twitter.com/jk6b5o1DSo
— CaolanSRugby (@CaolanSRugby) February 20, 2024