The Guardian's Paul Rees looks at the Ospreys' struggle to bring in the crowds.
"Ospreys ban fake tan" is one of the more enduring headlines of the season. It was not a flippant gesture but a statement of intent from a region who had spent millions on building a squad of international players, including expensive imports, but had seen little return in the Heineken Cup.
Coloured boots have gone the way of bogus tans for players who have not made 50 appearances for the Ospreys or won 15 caps. The policy of recruiting galácticos has been abandoned and, like Wales, the region are looking to blood young players with core values.
When Warren Gatland took charge of his first Wales international, in 2008, 13 of his starting line-up were Ospreys. That number had been reduced to four for October's World Cup quarter-final against Ireland and one of those, Shane Williams, has since retired from international rugby."
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