Ospreys Depth Ranking & Preview – URC 2026-27
While they enjoyed a relatively strong season in terms of performance, it’s fair to say the Ospreys have not had the most stable year. Facing two back-to-back extinction threats as the WRU look to rebuild Welsh Rugby, the Ospreys have nonetheless managed to fend off the obvious baggage that comes with such a situation to claim the Welsh Shield and put in an admirable, if not extraordinary, showing.
This year will be an even greater trial by fire, as the loss of two of Welsh Rugby’s few world-class talents in Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will leave the Neath-Swansea squad with a serious rebuild on their hands. Jack Walsh’s departure also depletes their secondary leadership options, with Sam Parry and Owen Watkin now commanding a new-look Ospreys side at a new-look St. Helens ground. Still, given their less-than-desirable circumstances, they’ve recruited well to give themselves a line-of-sight at the playoffs.
Loosehead Prop: Gareth Thomas, Steffan Thomas, Garyn Phillips, Cam Jones
The Ospreys generally place much more emphasis on their front-row than the other Welsh regions. It helps, then, that their props are some of the best in Wales. Gareth Thomas has struggled in recent campaigns, but is a seasoned Wales international with a fully loaded skillset, while his cousin Steffan really upped his game at scrumtime last season. Garyn Phillips and Cam Jones offer a bit more around the park, and could potentially develop into great internationals. 8.5/10
Hooker: Sam Parry, Lewis Lloyd, Efan Daniel, Ethan Lewis
Losing Lake is tough both on and off the pitch. Parry has generally done well in his absence, and his new captaincy shows his value to the team, though the younger duo of Lloyd and Daniel will want to up their game. Lloyd has looked promising so far, but the Ospreys’ lineout left much to be desired last season, so they’ve got some work to do here. 6.5/10
Tighthead Prop: Tom Botha, Ben Warren, Rhys Henry, Kian Hire, Math Iorwerth-Scott
For how poor Wales’ tighthead stocks have been in recent years, it’s wild that the Ospreys’ only capped tighthead has only just broken through. While the other regions like their props to do more work around the field, the Ospreys’ props, like veteran Botha and underrated Rhys Henry, are destructive scrummagers who earn far more scrum penalties than their rivals’ counterparts. Warren is more of an around the park option, but hasn’t looked out of place against international opposition, while Hire and Iorwerth-Scott look primed for breakthroughs at some point. 8.5/10
Locks: Rhys Davies, Ryan Smith, Huw Owen-Sutton, Lewis Jones, Ben Roberts
The lock stocks have taken a real hit, with Adam Beard and James Fender departing over the past two seasons. Luckily, Ryan Smith has really settled in over the past year, and has formed a solid partnership with Rhys Davies. But while James Ratti can cover the second row, there’s a considerable experience gulf after that, which could be an issue if Davies earns more Wales honours. 7/10
Back Row: Harri Deaves, Ross Moriarty, Liam Wright, James Ratti, Morgan Morris, Morgan Morse, Gwilym Evans
Jac Morgan may be irreplaceable, but the signing of Liam Wright should help lessen the blow to what is comfortably one of the Ospreys’ strongest areas. The Australian brings a similar workrate on both sides of the ball, offering an extra lineout option and leadership, and should become a staple of the backrow. Deaves also really upped his game last season, and should offer strong competition for the 7 jersey, while Morris and Morse give them depth at 8 too. With none of them being active in the Wales setup at the moment (despite being good enough), they should be available all season; a big boost relative to their opponents. 9/10
Scrum-Half: Reuben Morgan-Williams, Kieran Hardy, Luke Davies, Harri Williams
RMW and Hardy being two of the best scrum-halves in Wales is sort of a double-edged sword; while strong, they are both active in the Wales setup and while Davies is decent, a more powerful third option might have helped. Still, for the majority of the season, the Ospreys have two well-rounded threats who are just as comfortably sniping for opportunities as they are unlocking defences for their teammates. 7.5/10
Fly-Half: Dan Edwards, Lawson Creighton, Harri Wilde
Dan Edwards is one of the stronger fly-halves in the URC, but with Jack Walsh predominantly playing fullback, depth in the position has been an issue. Hopefully Creighton and Wilde will take the pressure off when Edwards is on international duty, though the former isn’t typically a goal-kicker. They play a more up-tempo game than the region’s other fly-halves, and Creighton should make a good substitute for Walsh’s playmaking if deployed at fullback. 7/10
Centre: Kieran Williams, Owen Watkin, Laleki Foketi, Evardi Boshoff
Foketi is a great signing who buffs what was otherwise a fairly shallow position for the Ospreys, though it’ll be interesting to see where he plays if Watkin is captain. Williams is a powerful carrying threat, and Boshoff’s defensive work makes him a good substitute for Watkin, so there’s plenty of options available here. Dan John can also cover as a playmaker, though they may not need him unless there are injuries. 8/10
Wing: Keelan Giles, Marika Koroibete, Harri Houston, Luke Morgan
Tom Rogers may want to play fullback, but Koroibete offers a great replacement for Dan Kasende if so. His powers haven’t waned as much as one might expect for a 34 year old winger, and his power game should compliment Keelan Giles’ agility well. Their secondary options are less destructive, but have covered well in the past, so this season should be no different. 8.5/10
Fullback: Tom Rogers, Dan John, Iestyn Hopkins
If he chooses to commit to the 15 jersey, Rogers should help give the Ospreys a very effective aerial game, with his international-level skillset setting him apart from the other options. Dan John is more of a utility back, but will benefit from more gametime while Iestyn Hopkins enjoyed a breakthrough season last year and offers another option out wide. It’s probably between Rogers and Creighton, depending on how the Ospreys want to play, but they should have plenty of options. 8/10
Overall Score: 79
For the Ospreys, playoffs are a real possibility, but they’ll need to manage consistency throughout the season. They’ve lost the bulk of their leadership within the group, and you feel as though some badly-timed injuries could be costly to their structure, but Mark Jones has done an incredible job of balancing the ship with his signings. If not for the threat posed by the WRU, there would be a real sense of optimism across the board, as this is genuinely a dangerous team.
Strongest Team: G Thomas, Parry, Botha, Davies, Smith, Wright, Deaves, Morris, Morgan-Williams, Edwards, Giles, Williams, Watkin, Koroibete, Rogers
Lloyd, S Thomas, Warren, Ratti, Morse, Hardy, Creighton, Foketi
Glawio Rugby 