Ospreys confident Allen will prove to be shrewd signing
CORY Allen headed down the M4 to Llandarcy for his first day of Ospreys training this week, with his new employers believing they have signed a player with a point to prove.
After six years with his home side Cardiff Blues, the 24-year-old centre has opted for a fresh start at the four-times league champions, hoping to build on an encouraging summer expedition with Robin McBryde’s rookie Wales squad.
Allen had drifted into the international wilderness after a hamstring injury ended his 2015 Rugby World Cup prematurely.
A serious ankle injury further hampered his progress, then in the second half of last season he found himself out of favour at the Arms Park and ended up linking up with the Wales sevens squad for the HSBC world series.
It therefore came as a surprise when Allen was selected for the two-Test tour against Tonga and Samoa, but it was an opportunity he grabbed impressively, albeit on the wing.
He crossed for a hat-trick of tries in the warm-up game against RGC 1404, then produced strong displays as a half-time replacement for Alex Cuthbert against Tonga in Auckland and in the hard-earned victory over Samoa in Apia.
In a close season where all the Welsh sides have been limited in their recruitment, Allen could prove to be a shrewd acquisition by the Ospreys.
Backs coach Gruff Rees certainly thinks so.
“We have had some great feedback from the Wales coaches in terms of what Cory delivered on tour, both in terms of training and in the games,” said Rees.
“With Cory, he sat with myself and he sat with Steve (Tandy) and we spoke with him about what is his motivation, what are you going to add to the Ospreys?
“It was not just about looking at a guy who was going to fit in with the things that we do.
“We needed to know that his motivation and his ambition was in the right place, and seeing how he played with Wales, that excites me and it excites me around how captivated he is about coming in and wanting to get on with his work here.
“He has something to prove and I think he has done that around the wing spot with Wales, which shows his potential as an athlete, and that is something we can tap into as well.”
With prodigal son James Hook having returned home following spells at Perpignan and Gloucester; former Wales Under-20s centre Owen Watkin back to fitness after a season-long absence and Ashley Beck, Kieron Fonotia, Ben John and emerging talents Kieran Williams and Joe Thomas on the books, the Ospreys possess plenty of midfield options as they look to put the disappointment of the final months of last season firmly behind them.
Tandy’s side were in irresistible form at the turn of the year, but the wheels came off badly in the second half of the campaign, with a European Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Stade Français followed by a stumble into the play-offs where they were seen off by Munster at Thomond Park.
“It was deeply disappointing for us and everyone associated with the region,” admitted Rees. “We have been duty-bound to look at all aspects of our game and where we fell down and we have done that as coaches.
“For us to lose two derby games (Cardiff Blues and Scarlets) is unusual for us. I certainly have never lost two derby games in a season and it does hurt, but you take it on the chin and you look to improve.”
While there is plenty of international quality behind in the Ospreys back-line, there is also a batch of highly-rated young threequarters coming off the production line, notably Watkin, Keelan Giles, Joe Thomas and Kieran Williams.
“It is about bringing them through at the right rate and with the right people around them,” said Rees.
“Keelan has had an extraordinary 12 to 18 months and we have got to keep nurturing, developing and exploring how we are going to push his game to the next level.
“There are a couple of physical things we have got to work with to maximise him because we didn’t always get that chance to do that last year because of necessity.
“I want to push the footballing ability of these boys, but it’s about not going too fast with them.
“I think we can see these guys thrive, some in the short term, while some might take a little bit longer.”
The Ospreys play their first preseason game against Leicester Tigers in Bridgend on Friday, August 11.