LAKE DEWEY: Ospreys captain says players will continue to fight for survival

After news of the deal emerged ahead of the official announcement, Ospreys players had a stormy meeting with chief executive Lance Bradley in which “one or two of the players” pulled out early and a full contact training session was cancelled.

Current Ospreys players – including Wales captain Jack Morgan, Lake and internationals Sam Barry, Dan Edwards and Gareth Thomas – shared a statement saying they were “remained in the dark” over the fate of the region.

“We are disappointed as players and staff with the way the matter was handled,” Lake said.

“But the nature of sport sometimes means you can’t always do it your way.”

The Ospreys were able to focus on the game against the Lions and came away with three league points in the high-scoring draw played in atrocious conditions.

“To come out and give this performance is amazing,” Lake said.

“I don’t think a lot of people were expecting something like this to happen after a week, where we didn’t train as much as we used to and we had some tough meetings over a tough few days.”

Ospreys supporters protested against their owners and the WRU by turning on the lights on their phones in the 11th minute at Brewery Field.

“It’s a huge thank you to the fans, the people who came and supported us throughout the whole week,” Lake said.

“They have stayed with us and have not gone unnoticed.”