Alun Wyn Jones and Morgan Morris deservedly dominated the headlines after the Ospreys’ derby win over the Dragons, with Jack Walsh commanding plenty of column inches, as well, albeit for reasons he may not have wanted.
Jones and Morris were outstanding in their side’s 37-18 success, while Walsh is still recovering from the buffeting he took at the hands of certain opposition players who were on a mission to put him under pressure. He ended up being roughed up via heavy-duty and illegal hits from Lloyd Fairbrother, Ross Moriarty and Sio Tomkinson and left the field looking more than a shade dazed on 43 minutes.
Keiran Williams, Sam Parry, Nicky Smith and Dan Lydiate were among others who shone up their reputations in the derby at the Swansea.com Stadium.
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One effort went a shade under the radar, however.
It saw a cameo towards the end from Harri Deaves, who put in a number of crashing hits and achieved a turnover after coming on as a final-quarter replacement. As impact substitutions go, it was quite the performance from the former Wales U20s international. You can read about how he broke onto the scene here.
At 21, the openside from Pontyclun is one of the reasons why the Ospreys have hope for the future despite the cutbacks that are taking place across the board in Welsh rugby.
He confirmed himself as one to watch with a startling show in adversity against Leinster in Dublin last season, making 25 tackles and putting in 11 carries for 40 metres and also bagging a turnover or two. The hosts’ Harry Byrne was named as the official man of the match in that game, but the true player of the day was the young Ospreys No. 7.
Deaves is easy to spot with his yellow headgear that he wears at the behest of his gran, May, who wanted to be able to spot him on the pitch, but the thinking is he has so many involvements in games that she would have no bother picking him out even without the brightly coloured scrum hat.
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Justin Tipuric is on record as saying the youngster has the potential to win “many, many caps" and the Ospreys captain offered further praise of Deaves after his latest effort.
“Harri’s a very good prospect,” said the Ospreys’ man in the blue hat about the kid in the yellow hat.
“He has a very bright future, that’s for sure. He’s one of those hard-working players who can go as far as he wants.”
Of course, Welsh rugby has a glut of talented young No. 7s — Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell and Taine Basham among them.
Once, fly-half was the position schoolboys in Wales wanted to play; now openside seems the glamour role, with Martyn Williams, Sam Warburton and Tipuric himself iconic players to have worn the jersey for Wales and acted as role models for emerging players to look up to.
Morgan, Reffell and Basham are three more to have rolled off the conveyor belt.
But keep an eye on Deaves.
His tally of Ospreys appearances may only just have crept into double figures, and he may have to be patient, but he is a player with a lot of promise.
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