Around The Touchline Feature:

 
 
Ossie Boswell was a superb second row whose name became synonymous with Pembroke Dock Harlequins, where he was a long-serving captain, led them to some epic successes as part of one of the best Quins’ squads since their famous team of the 1950s - and now he is still as committed as forwards coach at Tenby United after also coaching The Quins, neighbours Pembroke and Tenby at another time!
 
He has never been known to mince his words so that what you see is what you get from Ossie, especially in his chosen sport as he really knows his rugby onions but something else we discovered early on was how good a ‘people person’ he has been, with the ability to make others comfortable in his considerable presence.
 

A Grammar School start with Mr Lloyd – and then a start at Bierspool

 
Ossie played regularly for the old Pembroke Grammar School team as a powerful forward under the guidance of the late Mr Dennis Lloyd, who was a great mentor and who made an even greater mark on his former pupil when Ossie joined The Quins after not playing youth rugby at all.
 
He joined The Quins at 20 and had a season in the seconds learning his trade but then made his debut the following season and remained there for most of his playing days alongside other ‘club legends’ like his brother David, an excellent No 8, Roy Scourfield, Terry Main and Lenny Scourfield, with whom he formed a redoubtable second row partnership which was feared/respected by all in local rugby!
 

Long-serving skipper – and league champions

 
Ossie easily became one of the longest-serving captains on record at Bierspool and the undoubted highlight came when The Quins won the league title for the first time since the early 1950s, when the club had been captained by Mr Lloyd, and it came in 1989 when Ossie was in his first of a number of seasons as head coach and Andy Morrissey was skipper.
 
“It was at a time when it was the old Pembrokeshire League, which included the traditionally strong teams like Tenby, Narberth, Whitland, Aberystwyth and old rivals Pembroke and came with a thumping away win at Fishguard in the last game where Lennie (Scourfield) scored two tries to reach 29 for the season - before some very serious celebrations.
 

KO Cup Final loss a disappointment as he played until he was 40

 
“As well as some of the players below who lost in the KO Cup we had Stuart Probert, Haydn Williams, Gavin Lloyd, Roy Davies Jnr, David Street and Stuart Probert
 
“We lost in that KO Cup Final against Tenby at Pembroke and at that time our pack included the likes of Keith Harris, Phil Gwyther, Gary Price, Lenny and Roy Scourfield, my brother Dai, Roland Boyett, Rowley Powell and Rowland Perkins.
 
“Our backs included Andy Charlett, Roger Wint, Martin and Roy Davies, Steve Brown and Stu Longhurst - and there were no weaknesses in a team that really played for each other,” Ossie told us  that  he played for The Quins until he was 40, which meant three decades in the game and he is rightly proud of his involvement at Bierspool
 

County recognition and blazer badge award

 
His performances with The Quins earned him county recognition and although he can’t recall how many times now, it was enough for him to be awarded his county blazer badge, which was only received after 15 games.
 
“I was lucky to play with some top players, none more so than the outstanding Keith Fleming and Roger Price alongside others of the quality of Steve Holmes, Dai Bennett, Barry Kingston as terrific forwards and we beat Llanelli at Stradey Park by 15-9 as Geraint Bowen landed five penalties against Phil Bennett’s strong home side.
 
“Two weeks later we lost narrowly to Glamorgan in the Welsh Counties’ Cup Final to show the high level we played at and I also captained Pembrokeshire against Cardiff at Whitland where Gareth Davies played at No 10 for them.”
 

Coached the Quins – and then went off to Tenby – and then Pembroke

 
After a few seasons as coach at The Quins, Ossie felt it was time for a change after a disastrous result in North Wales and after a year on the committee there he had a couple of seasons coaching the Tenby United Seconds, with Gethin Evans as coach to the firsts.
“Those seconds’ players were the salt of the earth,” Ossie told us, “and I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more.”
 
But then came the invitation to coach Pembroke and he took on the role with The Quins’ oldest rivals, and enjoyed almost ten years there alongside Geraint Lewis.

“It certainly was a new environment and it was good to work with rugby characters like Simon and Matthew Edwards, Richard Jelley, Sandy Allen, Neil Humphreys, Richard ‘Bomber’ Morris and Richard ‘Spud’ Mason.


 

Back to Heywood Lane with old pal Gareth Thomas and now ‘young coach’ Jonathan Evans

 
The Scarlets gained promotion in his spell there but then the lost a lot of players and went back down – and he then joined Gareth Thomas as coaches to Tenby’s first team before the pair had a year together back at Bierspool.
 
“But then Gareth moved on to Fishguard and wanted me to go as well but I decided I’d go back to Heywood Lane where I am still forwards’ coach alongside an excellent, progressive young coach in Jonathan Evans, with another real character in Andy Barlow also involved.
 
“I’ve been there since before Covid and I really enjoy my involvement with a real mix of experienced players and talented youngsters who are going to be outstanding once they become more street-wise in the game.
 

And finally . . .

 
It seems the admiration is mutual with Mr Evans because he told us,
“Ossie is a great asset to Tenby United with his experience and ability to pass his know-how on to our young forwards. Nothing is too much for him; he never misses the twice-weekly training sessions and is always at the club on Saturday evenings until it closes.
 
“The players think the world of him and so do the supporters!”
 
That is high praise indeed from someone who is also held in high regard and we can pay Ossie Boswell no greater compliment – after meeting him first when I was in the Pembroke Grammar School first team and he was a youngster in short trousers who was playing his  rugby lower down the school.
 
I always watched his playing career with interest and his coaching too so I would like to add that meeting Ossie on the touchline is still always a pleasure, as it has been in the intervening 50+ years!