BOOTH KEEN TO LAND MORGAN
THE Ospreys have addressed reports linking them to Jac Morgan and confirmed they are interested in signing the Scarlets’ highly-rated back-rower.
The former Wales Under-20s captain is out of contract at the end of the season.
Currently sidelined by injury, he is said to be set to leave Parc y Scarlets and sign for their arch rivals.
Now the Liberty Stadium side have confirmed an interest in a player who is rated one of Welsh rugby’s top prospects.
Head coach Toby Booth said: “We know Jac’s a quality player.
“We have vested an interest in him, for sure, as I’m sure have a number of people.
“It’s probably an example of wanting to make the squad more robust, especially when we have to deliver so much to international programmes.”
Morgan showed his quality earlier this season with a 30-tackle display against Connacht which involved a number of turnovers.
He followed that up by competing impressively against England international Sam Underhill when the Scarlets played Bath in the Heineken Champions Cup at The Rec.
Strong over the ball and a player who prides himself on his defence, he has ‘future Wales international’ stamped all over him.
The Scarlets will not want to say farewell to Morgan, but they have Josh Macleod (circled, left), James Davies and Dan Davis as opensides, while the Ospreys have just one specialist No. 7 in their front-line squad in Justin Tipuric – and he is likely to be on Wales duty for long periods of time.
Any move for Morgan would be part of a wider squad-strengthening programme in Swansea, with Tomas Francis arriving from Exeter.
Booth insisted, though, that there’s nothing to report at this point.
“We are in the realms of assessing what we have internally,” he added. “We’ve had six months to do that. “Part of the remit of what we are trying to do is develop our squad, so we have to assess what we have and whether they are going to help move us forward.
“If not – as you saw with Tomas Francis – then greater strength in depth or greater capability across the piece breeds greater competition for places and drives people forward.
“We’re assessing that.”