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Training clip excites fans as Welsh prospect bosses it in front of Wales coach

· Ben James · 2026-08-16T12:10:01+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Training clip excites fans as Welsh prospect bosses it in front of Wales coach The 21-year-old looked mightily impressive in a clip posted on social media Back when the Ospreys were reaching knockout stages under Toby Booth a few years ago, they were doing so on the foundations laid by being able to essentially field two different packs. Having a couple of front-rows that they could chop and change meant that, no matter what happened, they were always in the arm wrestle. However, as players come and go, that depth faded a little. Tomas Francis left in 2023, with Nicky Smith heading over the border the following year. Gareth Thomas and Tom Botha remained, but those stocks needed replenishing. In fairness to Mark Jones' side, producing hefty forwards has never been too much of an issue for the Ospreys. Steffan Thomas and Ben Warren have all come on leaps and bounds in recent years, while Rhys Henry and Cam Jones both spent time with Wales in the summer. Beyond them, the depth looks to be getting healthier - with one clip on social media getting Ospreys' supporters very excited. Posted on their Instagram following a joint-training session with Bristol Bears, the sight of 21-year-old Kian Hire - yet to start a senior match for the club - driving through Max Lahiff admittedly isn't exactly a massive sample size. JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more It's just one scrum, no matter how dominant it looked as Lahiff - who was only training with Steve Borthwick's England squad a matter of months ago - was sent backwards at a rate of knots. But, given Hire was only playing back-row a matter of years ago, it's hard to deny a promising sight - especially given Wales' relative tighthead struggles. Just as pleasing was the sight of Paul James, Wales' new scrum coach, in the clip. It was James, the former Wales loosehead, who convinced Hire to move to tighthead while he was a coach with the Ospreys' academy - with that switch actually chronicled in the BBC's Ruck Stars documentary. "I was in the back-row, but the coaches see something in me as a tighthead," Hire said at the time. Back then in 2022, James told Hire that was where they felt he could make an impact. Hugh Gustafson added that he was a player with a "bit of an edge". "Tighthead prop is a physically demanding position, but I believe I have what it takes," added Hire. "It's a tough position. You need a bit of physicality about you, but I think I'm alright." Earlier this year, Hire - who has made nine appearances off the bench for the Ospreys - signed a new deal with the club. Head coach Jones said they have "extremely high hopes" for the young prop in an Ospreys jersey, having also worked with another former Wales front-row in Duncan Jones. The mid Walian also tipped him for a Test breakthrough down the line. “I’ve already seen him come on leaps and bounds since I joined the Ospreys and if he can continue in that vein going forward, he will become an important player on both the club and international scene," he added. Speaking about his new deal, Hire said: “This club means a lot to me so I’m really happy to continue my career here. The Ospreys have produced so many international front rowers and to wear the same jersey as some of those great names has always been an honour. “I’ve improved a lot since I made my debut thanks to the coaches and the other tightheads around me. The next step for me is to keep pushing on and challenging for a more regular place in the team.” Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news