Promising from North... and don’t write off Hook
THE Ospreys may be heading into the Guinness PRO14 campaign on the back of successive warm-up defeats, but head coach Allen Clarke won’t be too discouraged following their 31-14 loss to English champions Saracens at the Honourable Artillery Company in central London.
The four-time league winners played with plenty of adventure, particularly in the opening period, only to come up against one of the best defences in the game.
They trailed 21-7 at half-time and despite a try two minutes after the restart from hooker Scott Otten - one of 15 changes at the interval - Sarries pulled away in the second period.
We look at the talking points to emerge from the Ospreys’ City visit. ing off his wing looking for work and was one of the few to knock holes in Saracens’ impressive defensive line.
It was also his burst and off-load that set Sam Cross on his way for the Ospreys’ first-half try.
The Ospreys will be well aware that North will have a lot of international commitments over the next 14 months, but at the age 26, if he can remain injury-free, they are getting a world-class player in his prime.
As for the other new backline signings, scrum-half Aled Davies was lively, although he will be disappointed with how the third Saracens try was scored, while Scott Williams made a couple of half breaks but also threw a couple of loose passes. Granted there is always rust to shake off in pre-season, but on a number of occasions the Ospreys had promising attacking opportunities in the home 22, only for the line-out to go awry.
Edinburgh, visitors to the Liberty next Friday, have one of the best setpiece games in the Guinness PRO14, a strong scrum and clever line-out forwards.
Clarke will be well aware that some fine-tuning is needed over the next week or so. that touch of class.
As part of the second-half side against Saracens, Hook produced some lovely touches, smart passes and a couple of trademark jinks which suggest he still has something to offer his home region.
Hook can give the Ospreys options at full-back, fly-half and centre, where he could find himself operating regularly if Scott Williams and Owen Watkin find themselves on international duty for large chunks of the campaign. THE twice kings of the continent saw their crown slip last season.
They just about squeezed through a pool containing the Ospreys and Clermont - who hammered them at Allianz Park - and then lost to Leinster in Dublin in the quarter-finals.
Their recruitment has been relatively low-key in comparison to some of their English rivals, but they still boast an enviable squad.
Against the Ospreys they fielded 15 internationals and are yet to introduce the likes of the Vunipola brothers, fellow England Test stars Owen Farrell and George Kruis, Springbok great Schalk Burger and Wales and British & Irish Lions full-back Liam Williams.
Aussie juggernaut Will Skelton, who stands at 6ft 8in and tips the scales at more than 20 stone, was one of the standout performers at the HAC, while England centre Alex Lozowski and French international hooker Christopher Tolofua were others to catch the eye.