Morgan’s new deal a boost for Wales

By PETER JACKSON

Jac Morgan has rejected a fistful of Anglo-French offers and signed a long-term deal to stay in Wales.

The Ospreys’ success in keeping their multi-dimensional back rower may not exactly turn the tide sweeping other Welsh internationals elsewhere but it strikes a rousing blow for the regions despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them.

With so many prospective new employers knocking on Morgan’s door, Ospreys had been in danger of losing him hot on the heels of Joe Hawkins’ demoralising exit to Exeter.

During the most troubled of all Welsh seasons, Morgan shone like a beacon of hope, filling all three back row positions for his country and scoring four tries in successive Tests – as many as the rest of the pack put together over nine matches. It amounted to spectacular vindication of his de- r vindication of his de- cision to give up a motor mechanic apprenticeship in his native Brynamman on the off-chance of making rugby his career, a prospect not enhanced by his release from the Scarlets’ academy.

Wales joy as Morgan sticks with Ospreys

“We’re delighted to have secured Jac’s future,” an Ospreys’ source told The Rugby Paper. “It’s a real boost for us and for Wales. With a bit of luck we’ll be keeping everyone we’ve wanted to keep.”

Whether that includes Nicky Smith, currently the stand-out prop in Wales despite his strange omission from even a non-playing role in the Six Nations squad, remains to be seen. At least half the English Premiership are said to be bidding for his services.

Officially, Ospreys say they are ‘reasonably hopeful’ of keeping Smith but with the game’s financial crisis biting as deep in Wales as anywhere, it may be wishful thinking

They do not expect Gareth Anscombe to stay on a reduced contract with sources adamant that, contrary to the player’s denial of The Rugby Paper’s report, ‘he was offered a deal for next season’.

Another of the brightest and best from Wales’ next generation, Teddy Williams, is now expected to stay at Cardiff rather than follow team-mates Jarrod Evans, Dillon Lewis and Max Llewellyn into the Premiership.

Keeping the 22-yearold lock at the Arms Park will be a coup for Cardiff given their crippling financial strictures. Williams, promoted to Wales’ Six Nations squad for last month’s finale in Paris, will surely win his cap during the pre-World Cup matches and so emulate his late father, Owain.

Meanwhile, an on-going Welsh Rugby Union investigation into Hawkins’ transfer exposes the 20-year-old centre to a growing danger of being declared ineligible under the contentious 25-cap rule.

Hawkins is still 20 short of the figure which had been reduced from 60 as part of the compromise that averted the entire Wales squad withdrawing their labour before the England match.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter says he ‘expects’ Hawkins to play in the World Cup but then only a few weeks ago the same Baxter said there was ‘no truth’ to reports of signing the Welshman.

The timing of his move to Exeter threatens to leave the WRU’s Professional Game Board between the proverbial rock and a hard place; either enforcing their own rule or ignoring it.