ANGLO-WELSH CUP

THE Ospreys fell to defeat in their opening AngloWelsh sortie of the season, finding Wasps too powerful in Swansea on Friday night.

The English club fielded a number of first-teamers and also had a South African international in their ranks in Nizaam Carr as they ran out 36-12 winners.

Conditions were appalling and mistakes proliferated on both sides, while the decision-making of the hosts could have been better.

But a number of Ospreys youngsters took their chances to shine in adversity.

MARK ORDERS runs the rule over those who caught the eye. WILL JONES Considering he is only 18, the openside proved up for the physical challenge and shirked nothing in defence.

A notable passage of play saw him put in a thumping hit at one end of the field and then track 50 metres up the pitch to support a break out of defence and get to the very next breakdown.

Jones, a former European cadet judo champion, also achieved a notable turnover after another uncompromising tackle.

What he needs is to put miles on the clock and fill out physically. But he has a bite about him and was still putting in the hits when others were tiring late on. JAY BAKER The wing has been used at Guinness PRO14 level this term and it showed: he made at two breaks out of defence and helped hold up a Wasps attacker on the try-line.

The more he trains and works at regional level the sharper he will become and the exciting thing for the Ospreys is there is still scope for him to put on a yard of pace.

He is a broken-field runner who is adept at, well, breaking the field. Baker isn’t the finished article but he has something about him and is worth nurturing. REUBEN MORGAN-WILLIAMS The Wales Under-20s international had a lively first half, looking for opportunities and troubling the Wasps’ defence with his speed of thought and eye for the gap.

It was the youngster who started the Ospreys’ mini-recovery when he dummied his way over for a well-taken try.

But with the home line-out on the blink and Wasps making their power felt, at no stage thereafter was it easy for the diminutive Neath Port Talbot College product.

But he didn’t stop looking to make his mark. Behind a stronger pack, he could thrive. KIERAN WILLIAMS The youngster who is being compared to a young Scott Gibbs certainly looked the part early on, putting in an explosive run into the heart of the Wasps defence while some were still settling in their seats.

He is only small but he is known for having no reverse gear and he confirmed his appetite for carrying with a number of strong runs throughout the opening half.

There was also a highlight when he showed significant skill to work the ball out wide with a flick-pass while standing flat on the gainline. That moment underlined what those who have watched him closely at Neath have been saying, that Williams has soft skills to go with his relish for hitting the advantage-line. His midfield partner Tom Williams also let no one down. JOE TOMALIN-REEVES The long-haired Aberavon RFC player was part of a hard-working back row with Will Jones and No. 8 Morgan Morris of Swansea. He showed good awareness in awful conditions and frequently popped up where he needed to be, never more so than when he and Jay Baker managed to improbably hold up a Wasps ball carrier who had seemed certain to score. It has been quite some journey for JTR.

He was released from the Ospreys’ academy but refused to let his head drop and has since produced some consistently impressive rugby for the Wizards.

His effort against Wasps suggests the Ospreys were wise to have another look at him.