'Ospreys on a Crusade to excel like Carter and co'

Mar 27 2008 by Simon Thomas, Western Mail

THE soaraway Ospreys have been hailed as Wales’ answer to Super 14 giants the Canterbury Crusaders.

That’s the verdict of Saracens’ Kiwi star Glen Jackson, who is well placed to compare the two teams having played against both of them.

Jackson was on the receiving end of an Ospreys onslaught last weekend when the star-studded Welsh outfit ran riot at the Millennium Stadium.

The former Waikato Chiefs fly-half was hugely impressed with the performance from Lyn Jones’ men, who cruised to a 30-3 EDF Cup semi-final victory with Grand Slam heroes Shane Williams and Gavin Henson taking centre stage.

Jackson has hailed the Welsh glamour side as one of the best teams he has ever played against, both in Europe and New Zealand.

And he’s gone as far as to liken them to the Crusaders, who feature All Black greats Daniel Carter and Richie McCaw in their ranks.

Jackson’s Sarries had no answer to the Ospreys, who had no fewer than 13 members of the Wales’ Grand Slammers on duty, not to mention New Zealanders Justin Marshall, Marty Holah and Filo Tiatia.

“They went into the game on a high following the Grand Slam,” said Jackson.

“But, that aside, I still think they are one of the best teams I have played against – both here and in New Zealand.

“They are very well-drilled and they have excellent players across the pitch.

“I would liken them very much to the Canterbury Crusaders. “You play up against a very well-organised wall all day – and then, when you make a mistake, they take full advantage.”

It’s praise indeed from Jackson when you consider the track record of the Crusaders, who won five Super 12 titles between 1998 and 2005 and also landed the inaugural Super 14 crown in 2006.

In this season’s Super 14, they boast a 100 per cent record after six games and hold an eight-point lead over their closest challengers – South African side the Sharks.

In addition to Carter and McCaw, the Crusaders feature a host of other All Blacks, including the likes of Ali Williams, Reuben Thorne and Leon Macdonald.

But the Ospreys are even more laden with internationals, having no fewer than 22 on their books.

And that Test class is now showing as the season enters its pivotal final straight and they go in search of a cup double in the EDF and Heineken competitions.

Their Millennium mauling of Sarries has earned them a repeat of last year’s EDF final against Leicester at Twickenham on April 12.

They will be out for revenge in that showdown having lost 41-35 to the Tigers in a high-scoring thriller 11 months ago.

But first they face a Vicarage Road rematch with Saracens in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup on April 6.

Jackson – the Professional Rugby Players’ Association player of the year in 2007 – is well aware that Sarries have a huge job on their hands to turn things round in such a short space of time.

“The Ospreys are a very sharp unit,” said the 32-year-old.

“They had a hunger and intensity level that was much higher than I think we’ve been used to seeing in the Guinness Premiership.

“We made mistakes, which made it easier for them, but you still have to give them a lot of credit for a good performance.

“But the beauty of rugby is that we are playing them in two weeks, which gives us a chance to put things right.

“We have got a lot of homework to do in looking at how we played against them – what went wrong and how best to combat them in a couple of weeks.”

Saracens return to Guinness Premiership action on Sunday when they entertain bottom club Leeds.

The Ospreys are also back on league duty with Ulster the visitors to the Liberty Stadium tomorrow evening.

Wales lock Ian Gough returns after taking a break last weekend, with Scotland wing Nikki Walker also back in a 26-man squad after recovering from an ankle strain.

Ospreys fans will be able to pay tribute to their Grand Slam stars with the Six Nations trophy to be displayed to the crowd ahead of the game, the first stop on a tour of the four regions between now and the end of the season.

Managing director Roger Blyth said, “To record a Grand Slam is quite an achievement and everybody at the Ospreys is proud of the considerable part our players had in Wales’ success in this season’s Six Nations.

“This is our first home fixture following the Six Nations so I’m sure our fans will want to say a big well done the players, not just for what they have done with Wales, but for continuing their success last weekend with the Ospreys in the EDF Energy Cup.

“I’m sure the presence of the silverware will prove an inspiration to both the squad and the crowd before we take on Ulster.”

Ospreys (from): L Byrne, J Vaughton, G Henson, S Williams, N Walker, A Bishop, S Parker, J Spratt, S Connor, J Hook, J Marshall, R Webb; D Jones, P James, C Griffiths, A Jones, H Bennett, R Hibbard, AW Jones, I Evans, I Gough, J Thomas, F Tiatia, B Lewis, M Holah, T Smith.