Ospreys boss Jones hopes Morgan and Lake return

Head coach Mark Jones says he hopes the departing Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan will return to Ospreys one day after the Wales captains announced they will move to Gloucester next season.

It is an uncertain time in the domestic game in Wales, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) proposing to cut one of its four men's professional sides.

Hooker Lake and flanker Morgan, who were out of contract with Ospreys after this season, have decided to commit their immediate domestic futures in England.

"We're going to miss them," said Jones.

"The best thing the players and staff can do here around Dewi, Jac or anyone who takes up another opportunity is to make the most of this season.

"Make it a memorable one and give them the memories that will last a long time."

Welsh rugby's governing body has said it proposes to grant three licences for men's professional clubs.

There will be one in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west, which could result in a survival fight between Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets in Llanelli.

Ospreys owners, Y11 Sport & Media, have also been linked with taking over WRU-owned Cardiff, which is another way the governing body could get its wish of losing a side.

Jones is hopeful Ospreys will be around in a couple of years for Morgan and Lake to come back to.

"This is just a moment in time, the guys [Lake and Morgan] are going for a period of time," said Jones.

"The Ospreys will be here waiting for them when they decide to come back and it'll be in a good place.

"The guys that are sitting in the room alongside them will make sure that environment is strong while they go off on their adventures."

The WRU has stated it wishes to achieve a resolution on the number of sides before the end of the year, with a tender process possible if no resolution occurs by January.

"I'm waiting, like everybody, for the end of the month, when the WRU are going to put forward whether there's been a consensual agreement internally or whether it will go to tender, which I think was their language," said Jones.

"I'm just waiting to hear what the outcome of those discussions and what the next stages are."

Jones stressed Lake and Morgan leaving Ospreys was because of the current uncertainty engulfing Welsh rugby.

"This is not a reflection of the Ospreys, of their love for the team, team-mates, staff or supporters," said Jones.

"This is a professional decision based on their futures as rugby players. There's so much uncertainty around the Ospreys as a team and Welsh rugby in general.

"At certain points in the season, you have to make a career decision based on the facts you have in front of you. The fact is at the moment the future has not yet been clarified.

"They've had a lot to think about in a short space of time. An awful lot of people saying an awful lot of things.

"They can only base that decision on what they actually know. It'll be our loss and Gloucester's gain in the short-term.

"It will also prove to be an opportunity for others to step up and show what they can do in those positions."

Jones is confident there will be some positive news about players staying in Wales, with Ospreys duo Morgan Morse and Harri Deaves signing new deals this week.

"I'm confident we'll have some more positive news around our players," said Jones.

"We've made a huge focus on our retention. That's been the strategy to make sure we secure the players we're allowed to.

"The WRU are allowing us to secure certain players of a national interest,

"They're securing those contracts, so we've been targeting those players initially and Jac and Dewi were part of that.

"We're comfortable with where discussions are and hopeful we'll have some good news in the coming weeks around our re-signings of our key talent."