Team for Friday night's Heineken Cup clash against Leinster is confirmed
The Ospreys team to play Leinster at the RDS Showground on Friday 17th January, KO 8.00pm, is as follows:
15 Sam Davies
14 Jeff Hassler
13 Jonathan Spratt
12 Ben John
11 Aisea Natoga
10 Dan Biggar
9 Rhys Webb
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt)
5 Ian Evans
6 Tyler Ardron
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Ryan Jones
REPLACEMENTS
16 Scott Baldwin
17 Marc Thomas
18 Dan Suter
19 Lloyd Peers
20 James King
21 Morgan Allen
22 Tom Habberfield
23 Matthew Morgan
Head Coach Steve Tandy said:
“We may be out of contention but we aim to be competitive in every game we play. Looking back at our fixtures throughout this competition, we have been in every game but key moments haven’t gone our way and we’ve paid the price. Those are the margins at this level. We know that we need to be more clinical, we have to take the opportunities when they present themselves or we’ll find ourselves thinking about the ‘what ifs’.
“Friday night is Ospreys versus Leinster, and regardless of our fate in the competition, or the injuries which are impacting on us, this is a rivalry which has a big history and there’s no doubt that the boys are looking forward to the contest.
“It’s an important game for us. We still have everything to play for in the PRO12 and the end of season run-in starts here. We need to build momentum, on and off the field, regardless of the off the field distractions and European disappointment, starting on Friday night.
“We’ll be looking to the senior players in the squad, those who go away with Wales after the weekend, to put in big performances before they go into camp for two months, setting the standard for the younger boys, while there is a fantastic opportunity for those players to stake a claim for a place in the starting line-up.
“We’re a proud team, with a proud record in the PRO12, and out in Dublin, and the rest of the season starts here.”
The following players were unavailable for selection through injury:
Dmitri Arhip – Achilles
Ashley Beck - Calf
Joe Bearman - Hip
Andrew Bishop – Back
Hanno Dirksen – Thigh
Richard Fussell - Shoulder
Tom Isaacs – Ankle
Aaron Jarvis – Rib
Sam Lewis - Calf
Tom Smith – Knee
Tito Tebaldi - Ankle
Eli Walker - Hamstring
Forthcoming Fixtures
Sat 25 Jan 3.00pm KO – Exeter Chiefs v Ospreys – LV= Cup
Fri 31 Jan 7.30pm KO – Ospreys v Sale Sharks – LV= Cup
Fri 7 Feb 7.05pm KO – Ulster v Ospreys – PRO12
14/15/16 TBC – Ospreys v Benetton Treviso – PRO12
Sun 23 Feb 4.00pm KO – Ospreys v Munster – PRO12