Owen Watkin says a top-eight finish is “non-negotiable” for the Ospreys this season, as he prepares to lead the side into Saturday’s United Rugby Championship opener against the Sharks alongside fellow co-captain Sam Parry.
The centre, leading the region in a competitive fixture for the first time, said the squad now has the depth to back up that ambition.
“We’ve got high ambitions, we want to be top eight comfortably and push on in Europe, but it all starts this weekend. We have to start well, we have to start fast, and getting a good result this weekend will build some nice momentum going into next weekend and on to the derby,” he said.
“We know we’ve got the squad that’s capable of really doing things this year, and I think we believe in that as well. It starts Saturday. It’s a big one for us.”
A forward and a back sharing the armband
Watkin sees the split captaincy as a practical advantage rather than a compromise.
“It’s great, especially because Sam is a forward and I’m a back. You have different perspectives on things, and you can really glue the forwards and backs together, which is good,” he said. “To have each other to lean on, it makes it a lot easier.”
He said decisions on the field are rarely down to one voice.
“During a game it always goes back to our leaders, whether it’s our turn to take points, our front row and scrummage, or our line-out leaders, if they feel like they can drive,” he said. “When you’re on the pitch it’s normally a group decision on what’s going to get us the best outcome as a team.”
‘A top bloke’ in the centres
Watkin lines up alongside new signing Lalakai Foketi, and is looking forward to the partnership.
“First and foremost, he’s a great bloke to have in the environment. The experience he brings, the way he is with youngsters, he’s just a top bloke,” he said.
“On the field, everyone’s seen how skilful he is, how powerful he is, so adding that sort of dynamic to our back line gives us a lot of choice. It’s exciting, I’m just looking forward to taking the field with him at the weekend.”
The squad has lost leaders in Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan, along with Jack Walsh, but Watkin believes what has arrived compensates.
“The boys we’ve brought in, Lalakai, Lawson Creighton, Liam Wright, Tom Rogers, we’ve gained a lot of experience,” he said.
“In the majority of positions now, we’ve got a number of players who can start, and the bonus we’ll have this year is that whoever we put in that jersey is capable and is going to do a really good job. We’ve got a good squad of boys who can really push each other.”
A first proper pre-season
For Watkin personally, the summer has been unusually complete.
“It’s my first pre-season in a long time, and it was a good opportunity for me to have six weeks off, get the body right and have a full pre-season,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed it, but the boys are just really, really hungry to get out there at the weekend and get the season rolling.”
His own targets follow from that.
“On a personal level, I’d like to play consistently week in, week out for the Ospreys. My ambition is to push myself back into the Wales squad,” he said.
What the Sharks will bring
The squad travelled overnight on Monday, with most of the preparation done before leaving Wales.
“It’s been good to get the squad together and really spend some quality time off the field as well. We’ve had great weather out here, so the boys are really enjoying spending a lot of time together,” he said.
He knows what is coming at Kings Park.
“We know they’re a big physical team and they’re going to come at us, so it’s really important we don’t wait and see what they’ve got, we go at them,” he said.
“They’re a big kicking team, they like to go to the air, and I think it’s those aerial battles that will be big, and then the scraps on the floor. It’s going to be a bit messy, it might be greasy, but I think we’re prepared for that. The tactics going into this game have been really spot on.”
Home, and a fresh start
Beyond the opening block of games, Watkin is looking ahead to the move to a redeveloped St Helen’s.
“We get shown every couple of weeks the plan and how it’s developing and what it’s going to look like, so the boys are really looking forward to this. We can really come home and make it a tough place to go,” he said.
“Everyone’s really looking forward to the fresh start, and we can create our own bit of history up there as well.”
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
OSPREYS: Four competitive debuts as Parry and Watkin lead side into Durban opener
The team news for Saturday’s opener.
OSPREYS: ‘You can’t go in with a survival attitude’: Jones sets the tone for Durban opener
The head coach on how his side must approach the Sharks.
OSPREYS: Parry and Watkin take the armband for a season of firsts
The pair named co-captains in the summer.
OSPREYS: ‘We lost some leadership’: why Jones turned to Australia after Lake and Morgan left
The summer recruitment that reshaped the squad.
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