Davies urges Ospreys to reclaim their place at top of Celtic league

BRADLEY Davies has challenged Ospreys to retake their place as Welsh rugby’s standard bearers after a poor campaign.

The Swansea-based region have not won any silverware since 2012 and are currently on the lookout for a new head coach following the sacking of Steve Tandy in January.

“When I played for Cardiff Blues the Ospreys were always streets ahead of us and every other region for that matter,” Davies told TRP. “They played at the top end of Europe and had a great squad of players while they also won the league on a number of occasions.

“The lead-up to an Ospreys game was like a Test week and we need to get back to those standards.

“I understand the fans’ frustration because they expect us to win and rightly so. We haven’t performed for the last two seasons, but we can get that back. If we can finish the season on a high I think we can get back to where we belong next season.”

Ospreys are working under the guidance of interim boss Allen Clarke and look set to miss out on qualification for next season’s Champions Cup.

Davies, who spent two seasons at Wasps, insists the PRO14 has improved drastically since his early days with the Blues.

The 62-cap Wales lock believes this has coincided with Ospreys’ struggles.

Davies said: “When I first played in this league there were always a few weekends where you were almost guaranteed a four or five pointer.

“I went to Wasps and I thought the Premiership was streets ahead, but since I’ve come back I think the PRO14 is on a par with it. The physicality in the league is massive and every side has improved, including the two Italian teams.

“The English boys won’t admit it, but there’s not much between the two leagues these days. There’s no hiding place and every game is a tough one.”