Jarvis relishing new challenge

The 25-year old tight head linked up with his new team-mates for the first time when the players reported back to Llandarcy Academy of Sport for pre-season training after more than six years with Bath, and he insists that the opening weeks of the season will be crucial for both him personally and for the region.

"There are plenty of world class players in this league and I'm looking forward to experiencing something different and testing myself" he said.

"I've got plenty of experience in the Premiership in England but this will be something new for me and I'm excited about it. Obviously there'll be a lot of our boys at the World Cup, and good luck to them, but we won't be worried about that.

"We have our own job to do. Hopefully we can get off to a good start, a winning start, so that by the time they come back, which hopefully won't be for a while, we've put the Ospreys in a strong position for the rest of the season."

It's been a whirlwind couple of months for Welsh qualified Jarvis since the end of last season that has seen him move to Opreylia, get married and enjoy his honeymoon, before getting his first pre-season with the region underway and he says that the welcome he's received at Llandarcy Academy of Sport has helped him settle in quickly.

"I've settled in well and I'm really enjoying it so far. The first day in was a bit tough, straight off my honeymoon and onto the sand dunes but I survived it and I'm enjoying myself.

"Pre-season is pre-season wherever you go, there will be slight changes and some things are being done differently here to what I've been used to at Bath, but wherever you are, it's about working hard so that you get the benefits later in the season.

"If you are enjoying the environment it's much easier to settle in somewhere and I've been made very welcome, so it's going very well even if it is still very early stages. I've found it quite easy to get involved, and I'm looking forward to really becoming a part of the team.

"We've moved down to Swansea already, we came down at the end of May so that we could sort things out early before we got married and we're in our house now.

"I'm still finding my way around a little bit, rugby wise and in Swansea, but I know my way to the training ground and the Liberty Stadium, and as long as I can get to those two that's all that matters."

Jarvis joins an Ospreys squad boasting a number of international props, with four senior caps already in the A group, along with young up and coming props such as Joe Rees, Will Taylor (both Wales U20) and Daniel Suter and Nicky Smith from the Wales U18 squad, along with former age-grade cap Cai Griffiths, and he acknowledges that it will be important that he, along with the rest of the squad, takes any chances he gets during the Rugby World Cup period.

"I'll put in the hard work and I'm just hoping that I'll get a chance" he said.

"It's about enjoying it, working with the team and the coaches and being making sure when I play that I do my best.

"It's always hard when you are without a lot of players, but it's a great opportunity for other players in the squad. I've played against the Ospreys in the Anglo-Welsh while the internationals away and there are good players still around at that time. The group did really did well last season's without the internationals and we need to push forward again over the next few weeks and months to try and keep our places in the team."