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Bradley Davies addresses Cardiff Blues rumours

Bradley Davies /Getty

Bradley Davies has shrugged off weekend reports linking him to the Cardiff Blues, reaffirming his commitment to the Ospreys ahead of the new season.

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Currently enjoying his belated break after Wales’s games against South Africa and Argentina last month, the second row will report back for pre-season duty later this summer to prepare for his third season with the region and, following speculation over the last 48 hours, Davies said:

“I’m not sure where this has come from. I’ve no intention of leaving the Ospreys, it’s not something that’s even entered my mind.”

Davies has featured regularly for both the Ospreys and Wales over the last year, starting 21 times in the Guinness PRO14 and Champions Cup, as well as playing in every Six Nations game this spring before playing twice on tour last month, his physicality and durability making him one of the first names on the team sheet for region and country in 2017/18.

His fine form was recognised in May when he picked up the Coaches’ Player of the Year at the Ospreys end of season dinner.

“I think it’s been said I’m too old” laughed Davies.

“Obviously I’ve had strong ties with the Blues as I spent the biggest chunk of my career there and have a lot of lifetime friends at the club, but I’m just focused on, and excited about, what we are trying to build here at the Ospreys, working with a great coach in Allen Clarke.

“Hopefully he can keep this old man going for years to come.”

Head coach Allen Clarke added:

“Bradley has been fantastic since I joined the Ospreys so it’s great to hear him talking about his commitment to the region. He is a leader who offers a lot to the environment on and off the field, he’s an important figure for us and I’m looking forward to seeing him help drive us forward this season.”

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G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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