Giles agrees new deal ahead of Ospreys’ bow
KEELAN Giles has penned a fresh deal with the Ospreys that will keep him in Welsh rugby beyond the next World Cup.
The gifted youngster with the penchant for scoring spectacular tries had been the subject of significant interest from France after his superlative performances in last term’s European Challenge Cup.
But the Ospreys have kept the wolves at bay by negotiating a threeyear package that ensures Giles will remain their player at least until 2020.
The scorer of 14 tries in 19 games during an extraordinary debut campaign for the Ospreys, Giles could probably have named his price with most clubs in European rugby, but he is happy in his home region and believes staying put will best help him advance his game.
“I’m really grateful to the Ospreys for the faith they’ve shown in me with this new contract,” said the 19-yearold. “The last 12 months have been incredible for me. If you’d asked me this time last year I could never have imagined it would have gone like it did.
“It’s been brilliant, but I know that I can’t start thinking I’ve made it. There’s a lot of work still ahead of me to make sure my development last season isn’t wasted but I know I’m in the best environment to make sure I reach my full potential.”
Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy said: “This is great news to start the season off.
“Credit has to go to the development arm of the business for the work they’ve done with another young, local talent. Keelan also has to take credit for his application, hard work and the level of detail he goes into with his learning, leaving nothing to chance in his personal progression.”
Giles is included in the Ospreys side for their season-opener at home to Zebre today.
Lions flanker Justin Tipuric goes straight into the Ospreys starting lineup, while there’s a return to competitive action for the Ospreys of James Hook, six years after he left for Perpignan.
He lines up at fly-half for the first time for his home region since operat- ing there against Leinster in September, 2009. Cory Allen makes his bow at inside centre after his switch from Cardiff Blues.
Tandy said: “It’s great to be back into Guinness PRO14 action again.“There’s a buzz around the environment and everyone is excited about the weekend.
“Kicking off at the Liberty on a Saturday afternoon is great for us. When you look at what is a pretty testing schedule in the first six rounds, it’s crucial we get off to a positive start and being at home with our supporters behind us is important.
“With pre-season out of the way, we’ve had plenty to work on over recent weeks and the line-up is starting to have a more familiar look to it with players starting to come back in and more due to return over the next few weeks.
“We achieved a play-off spot last season off the back of an excellent first two-thirds of the year.
“The challenge has to be to build on that, make sure we carry form throughout the season and look for continued improvement and growth, ensuring we are where want to be at the tail end, involved in big play-off fixtures.”
Jeff Hassler, Sam Parry and Ben John return after long-term injuries.
Reuben Morgan-Williams will make his competitive Ospreys debut if he comes off the bench, while Sam Davies is also among the replacements.