The Spice Of Life
New Ospreys signing Jason Spice is enjoying his first taste of Northern Hemisphere rugby – it’s the cricket that’s proving the stumbling block!
The former Wellington scrum-half arrived in Wales with a reputation as a handy cricketer – based on several performances for the New Zealand Youth team and Northern Districts in the mid-1990s – but he’s starting to wish he’d left his whites at home.
“I’m not sure where all the cricket talk came from, but they seemed to be expecting big things when I got here,” says the 29-year-old spin bowler and lower-order batsman who once played alongside Glamorgan star Matthew Maynard.
“I haven’t played for about 10 years and I’m really struggling. I’ve had a couple of games and I’m very rusty, so I’ll have to do a few nets.”
The former Wellington skipper – described in his Hurricanes Super 12 profile as a “stroppy little bugger” – is looking forward to tackling rugby in Britain.
“I’d done seven straight years with Wellington, and I needed a change,” he said. “This team is a solid unit, and it’s going in the right direction, so it made my decision easier.”
Spice, who will be going head-to-head with Wales tourist Andy Williams for ownership of the No 9 jersey this season, said former Swansea coach and current Wellington boss John Plumtree was behind his move north.
“John’s been really helpful – I had to leave my contract early and he was really good about it. It gives you some comfort that there are coaches out there who are willing to put the player first and not themselves.”
Spice – who was a crowd favourite in Wellington for his sniping runs and desire to win – said the Ospreys were looking good at training, but the real test would come at game-time.
“It’s like the old saying – some guys train like Tarzan and play like Jane,” he said. “You can chuck around all the weights you like, but it’s how you perform out on the paddock that really matters.
“We’ll see on the day, but there are a lot of very good players at this club. Things are looking good for the future of Welsh rugby.”
