In a recent press engagement, Ospreys head coach Mark Jones addressed the troubling backlash faced by Luke Morgan following a contentious incident in the United Rugby Championship match against the Sharks. The episode, which left Sharks' Ethan Hooker injured, has since spiraled into a wave of online abuse targeting Morgan and his family.
The incident occurred when Morgan, in a desperate bid to narrow the score during the match, made a significant tackle on Hooker, who unfortunately sustained a dislocated shoulder. This injury could sideline the Sharks' winger for the remainder of the season and possibly affect his participation in the upcoming Springboks' Test campaign.
"I am not online for that particular reason. I don’t like how things can transpire online, so I am not on it," Jones revealed, expressing his disdain for the toxic side of social media. "I have heard and I have been sent stuff that he has had to deal with, as well as his family. It’s a disgrace if people are going to target sportsmen around incidents like that on a sports field to make it personal over an event on the field."
"Luke Morgan is a competitive guy. He’s chasing back as hard as he can for his team in what was a tight game,"
Jones defended his player. "He’s done his absolute utmost to do what we ask players to do, which is not give up until the ball is grounded. Ethan Hooker is a great player and unfortunately he got injured in that incident, but there’s no malice in that challenge."
Despite the furore, Morgan took to social media to explain his actions, stating his commitment to playing within the rules, although he later deleted the posts and made his account private. "He’s a pretty resilient guy. He’s played professional rugby at the highest level," Jones added. "But I can imagine that as resilient as you are, you don’t want to be having to deal with that on behalf of your family; you just want to get on with the sport you love."
The incident also stirred controversy around the tactics employed during the game, with accusations that the Ospreys 'cheated' to counter the Sharks' scrum superiority. This came into focus especially after the match saw a shift to uncontested scrums following injuries to Ospreys' props. "We at the Ospreys pride ourselves on our integrity. We are pretty disappointed if people are suggesting that we didn’t adhere to everything that we should be doing on game day," Jones clarified, addressing the allegations head-on.
As the rugby community reflects on these events, the narrative extends beyond just the scoreboard, probing the spirit of the game and the pressures that spill over from the pitch to personal lives.
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In a recent press engagement, Ospreys head coach Mark Jones addressed the troubling backlash faced by Luke Morgan following a contentious incident in the United Rugby Championship match against the Sharks. The episode, which left Sharks' Ethan Hooker injured, has since spiraled into a wave of online abuse targeting Morgan and his family.
The incident occurred when Morgan, in a desperate bid to narrow the score during the match, made a significant tackle on Hooker, who unfortunately sustained a dislocated shoulder. This injury could sideline the Sharks' winger for the remainder of the season and possibly affect his participation in the upcoming Springboks' Test campaign.
"I am not online for that particular reason. I don’t like how things can transpire online, so I am not on it," Jones revealed, expressing his disdain for the toxic side of social media. "I have heard and I have been sent stuff that he has had to deal with, as well as his family. It’s a disgrace if people are going to target sportsmen around incidents like that on a sports field to make it personal over an event on the field."
"Luke Morgan is a competitive guy. He’s chasing back as hard as he can for his team in what was a tight game,"
Jones defended his player. "He’s done his absolute utmost to do what we ask players to do, which is not give up until the ball is grounded. Ethan Hooker is a great player and unfortunately he got injured in that incident, but there’s no malice in that challenge."Despite the furore, Morgan took to social media to explain his actions, stating his commitment to playing within the rules, although he later deleted the posts and made his account private. "He’s a pretty resilient guy. He’s played professional rugby at the highest level," Jones added. "But I can imagine that as resilient as you are, you don’t want to be having to deal with that on behalf of your family; you just want to get on with the sport you love."
The incident also stirred controversy around the tactics employed during the game, with accusations that the Ospreys 'cheated' to counter the Sharks' scrum superiority. This came into focus especially after the match saw a shift to uncontested scrums following injuries to Ospreys' props. "We at the Ospreys pride ourselves on our integrity. We are pretty disappointed if people are suggesting that we didn’t adhere to everything that we should be doing on game day," Jones clarified, addressing the allegations head-on.
As the rugby community reflects on these events, the narrative extends beyond just the scoreboard, probing the spirit of the game and the pressures that spill over from the pitch to personal lives.