Coach Booth leaves Ospreys as Jones takes charge

Toby Booth (left) and Mark Jones worked together at Ospreys for 15 months

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has left his role with immediate effect with Mark Jones taking charge.

The decision has been made in a week when Ospreys host Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship (URC) local derby on Saturday.

Ospreys announced in September Booth would be leaving at the end of the 2024-25 season with defence coach Jones promoted to the top job.

The Welsh side, led by chief executive Lance Bradley, championed their succession planning with Booth in charge for a season before his departure but the change has now been made six months earlier than anticipated.

Ospreys have only managed three wins in nine matches this season and have slipped to 14th in the URC table, while Booth's side suffered a record European 59-15 defeat in the Challenge Cup away against Montpellier last Saturday.

After hosting Scarlets, Ospreys travel to play Cardiff on New Year's Day with further European fixtures against Newcastle and Pau in January.

Ospreys flanker Justin Tipuric is likely to continue playing this season before retiring and taking over as defence coach for the 2025-26 season.

This is the second coaching change in the Welsh professional game this season, Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan leaving in November with Filo Tiatia being installed in an interim role.

What the Ospreys say

An Ospreys statement read: "Ospreys Rugby can confirm Toby Booth has departed from his role as head coach with immediate effect.

"Toby joined the Ospreys as head coach in 2020. During his tenure, he led the team to significant achievements, including winning the URC Welsh Shield in both the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons. He also guided the Ospreys to the EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-finals and the URC play-offs in the 2023-24 season.

"Ospreys would like to thank Toby for his commitment and contributions to the club during his time in charge and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

"Mark Jones will assume the role of head coach with immediate effect, supported by the current coaching staff and management."

Booth's lasting legacy

Toby Booth led Ospreys to a league double against the Scarlets in 2023

Booth is a former London Irish director of rugby, while he also spent seven years as Bath first-team coach and had an assistant role with Harlequins.

He started at the Ospreys in the summer of 2020 when the Swansea-based team were in disarray and helped transform their fortunes.

The 2023-24 season was arguably his most successful, Ospreys reaching the URC play-offs by finishing in the top eight and recording a first European play-off victory on the way to the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

During the previous season, Booth oversaw a Champions Cup double over then French champions Montpellier before Ospreys were defeated by Saracens in the last 16.

Booth gave young players a chance as he had to cope during his time in charge with the loss of high-profile names like Alun Wyn Jones, Rhys Webb, George North, Tomas Francis, Nicky Smith, Gareth Anscombe and Alex Cuthbert.

He enjoyed a 70% success rate in Welsh derbies as he turned Ospreys into the best side in Wales for two of his four full seasons in charge.

Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake flourished under Booth during his time with the Welsh region.

Beginning of the end

The timing of the original announcement, a year before Booth's planned departure, was controversial.

It was a decision questioned by former Wales internationals Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies and Ellis Jenkins when Ospreys made a poor start to the season.

Ospreys lost their opening match against Dragons while the manner of last weekend's defeat against Montpellier was worrying.

Booth's Ospreys success was based on a defined power set-piece game but the side has lost that foundation in the last year having been beset by forward injuries, especially in the second row.

His departure means Jones is stepping into his first full head coach position at this level.

The former Wales wing has had coaching roles at Scarlets, New Zealand side Crusaders, Wales and Wales Under-20s before joining Ospreys in August 2023.