Captain Tipuric hails new start

JUSTIN Tipuric plans to take the Ospreys back to the top after being appointed skipper.

The Wales openside is looking to right the wrongs of last season when an underwhelming campaign saw the Liberty Stadium outfit miss out on Champions Cup qualification.

But with a new coaching group of Allen Clarke, Shaun Edwards, and Matt Sherratt in place, new captain Tipuric is confident his home region can return to their former heights.

“Last year was very disappointing and being honest it was the toughest season I’ve been involved in with the Ospreys,” Tipuric said.

“But Allen has put his own stamp on things through pre-season and brought in a few coaches who have tweaked our defence and our attack.

“The aim is to compete at the top level once again and we’ve had a few squad adjustments so we’ve just got to be a bit cleverer this year.

“We haven’t got the biggest squad compared to other top teams, but our goal is to qualify for the Champions Cup and make the PRO14 playoffs. If we make the play-offs, anything can happen.”

With Alun Wyn Jones set to lead Wales at the World Cup, he will take a back seat at regional level this year with Tipuric named in the full-time role as Ospreys captain.

Tipuric added: “I’ve got big boots to fill following in Alun Wyn’s footsteps because he’s one of the best captains in the world. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ve been captain for 27 games for the Ospreys over the years while I’ve also captained Wales Under-20.”