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'Mindset is to be the No1 hooker': Ospreys sign Scott Baldwin

By PA
(Photo by Getty Images)

Ex-Wales hooker Scott Baldwin has re-signed for Ospreys after his departure from Worcester on compassionate grounds last week. The 33-year-old, who made 165 appearances in a decade-long first spell with the Welsh side before leaving in 2019, has signed a contract until the end of the 2022/23 season.

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“I am very grateful to the Ospreys for stepping in and offering me the chance to resume my career in Wales,” Baldwin told ospreysrugby.com. “The Ospreys is my home region and I have always been an Ospreys supporter. It is where I established myself and I still have good friends at the Ospreys.

“My mindset is to be the number one hooker at the Ospreys. I know no other way and everyone can see the changes at the region and how things have really started to move forward.”

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    Baldwin has been brought in as Ospreys are short in that position after Ifan Phillips’ career was ended by a motorbike crash in December which resulted in him having a leg amputated. “Everyone knows the tragic circumstances around Ifan Phillips that means the Ospreys require cover at hooker,” said head coach Toby Booth.

    “With Dewi Lake being called up to the Wales squad, we need strengthening in that position. Scott will bring a wealth of experience of international rugby and of playing in the English Premiership. He also knows what it means to represent his home region.”

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    It was February 1 when Baldwin, who arrived at Sixways last summer after helping Harlequins to Gallagher Premiership title glory, left Worcester with immediate effect due to a serious illness in his family and the Warriors supported his request to be released from his contract.

    “Our thoughts are with Scott and his family at this time,” said Steve Diamond, the lead rugby consultant at Worcester who is now in charge of the onfield rugby operation following the recent departure of head coach Jonathan Thomas.

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    “The last few months have been extremely challenging for Scott who has been travelling to and from South Wales. He has now reached the stage where he needs to spend more time in Wales and we fully understand the reasons why he has asked to be released from his contract.”

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    f
    fl 3 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “Why do you downplay his later career, post 50? He won a treble less than two years ago, with a club who played more games and won more games than any other team that managed the same feat. His crowning achievement - by his own admission.”

    He’s won many trebles in his career - why do you only care about one of them?

    I think its unsurprising that he’d feel more emotional about his recent achievements, but its less clear why you do.


    “Is it FA cups or League cups you’re forgetting in his English trophy haul? You haven’t made that clear…”

    It actually was clear, if you knew the number he had won of each, but I was ignoring the league cup, because Germany and Spain only have one cup competition so it isn’t possible to compare league cup performance with City to his performance with Bayern and Barcelona.


    “With Barcelona he won 14 trophies. With Bayern Munich he won 5 trophies. With City he has currently won 18 trophies…”

    I can count, but clearly you can’t divide! He was at Barca for 4 years, so that’s 3.5 trophies per year. He was at Bayern for 3 years, and actually won 7 trophies so that’s 2.3 trophies per year. He has been at City for 8 completed seasons so that’s 2.25 trophies per year. If in his 9th season (this one) he wins both the FA cup and the FIFA club world cup that will take his total to 20 for an average of 2.22 trophies per year.


    To be clear - you said that Pep had gotten better with age by every metric. In fact by most metrics he has gotten worse!

    182 Go to comments
    f
    fl 5 hours ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    “He made history beyond the age of 50. History.”

    He made history before the age of 50, why are you so keen to downplay Pep’s early career achievements? In 2009 he won the sextuple. No other manager in history had achieved that, and Pep hasn’t achieved it since, but here you are jizzing your pants over a couple of CL finals.


    “If continuing to break records and achieve trophies isn't a metric for success”

    Achieving trophies is a metric for success, and Pep wins fewer trophies as he gets older.


    “He's still competing for a major trophy this year. Should he get it, it would be 8 consecutive seasons with a major trophy. Then the world club cup in the summer.”

    You’re cherry picking some quite odd stats now. In Pep’s first 8 seasons as a manager he won 6 league titles, 2 CL titles, & 4 cup titles. In Pep’s last 8 seasons as a manager (including this one) he’s won 6 league titles, 1 CL title, & 2 (or possibly 3) cup titles. In his first 8 seasons he won the FIFA world club cup 3 times; in his last 8 seasons he’s won it 1 (or possibly soon to be 2) time(s). In his first 8 seasons he won the UEFA super cup 3 times; in his last 8 he won the UEFA super cup once. His record over the past 8 seasons has been amazing - but it is a step down from his record in his first 8 seasons, and winning the FA cup and FIFA club world cup this summer won’t change that.


    Pep is still a brilliant manager. He will probably remain a brilliant manager for many years to come, but you seem to want to forget how incredible he was when he first broke through. To be clear - you said that Pep had gotten better with age by every metric. That was false!

    182 Go to comments
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