Toby Booth: Ospreys coach admits difficult day after exit news

Ospreys co-ordinated the announcement on Friday and described it as a long-term coaching strategy, with Booth insisting it was the right move and time for all parties.

But after transforming the Ospreys since coming in four years ago, an obvious question was did he want to go?

Booth again insisted the timing was right and in line with his own wishes.

“The announcement you’ve seen is accurate,” said Booth.

“You wrestle with decisions. You don’t invest four years of yourself, and this will be the fifth year, into any project, with any view of going.

“You know how committed I am to the whole thing, the Ospreys, my people, my players and the environment.

“The legacy part of any coach’s tenure is measured in different ways.

“For me, it’s what we’ve done with the people. For where we’ve come from the era of poor performance where things were not clear, were inconsistent, had cynicism and [players having] a look over their shoulder all the time.

“Compared to where they are now, where players are supporting each other, challenging each other to be better in a protected environment that looks like high performance.

“If it all finished tomorrow, I would have done what I needed to do.”

Such is the manner in which Booth has helped transform the organisation, questions will be raised about the news of his exit and the head coach understands why they are being asked.

When asked whether it was a mutual decision, Booth replied: “I’ve answered the question already.

“I understand why it is asked and that people are looking for angles and reasons.

“I’ve given my reasons and they are the reasons.

“How you get to those reasons is not helpful I don’t think because the outcome is still the outcome.”