The Ospreys team to face Newport Gwent Dragons at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday 11th January 2015, KO 4.00pm (UK), is as follows:
15 Dan Evans
14 Richard Fussell
13 Ashley Beck
12 Josh Matavesi
11 Eli Walker
10 Dan Biggar
9 Rhys Webb
1 Duncan Jones
2 Sam Parry
3 Dmitri Arhip
4 James King
5 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt)
6 Dan Lydiate
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Tyler Ardron
REPLACEMENTS
16 Scott Baldwin
17 Gareth Thomas
18 Aaron Jarvis
19 Rynier Bernardo
20 Sam Lewis
21 Martin Roberts
22 Sam Davies
23 Hanno Dirksen
Ashley Beck makes his 100th appearance for the Ospreys
The following players were unavailable for selection through injury:
Dan Baker – Shoulder
Joe Bearman - Groin
Ryan Bevington – Groin
Andrew Bishop - Neck
Jeff Hassler – Ligaments
Lloyd Peers - Ligaments
Nicky Smith – Pectoral muscle
Jonathan Spratt - Knee
De Kock Steenkamp – Achilles
Head Coach, Steve Tandy, commented:
“This week is a real test of character for the group, to bounce back from the disappointment of last week and go into another big Welsh derby. The Dragons have been playing really well in recent weeks so will come here full of confidence and looking to get one over us on Sunday so we are going to have to put in a much better performance this week.
“We’ve had a great first half of the season in the PRO12, but we’ve said all along that there will be peaks and troughs, particularly with this squad being such a young group, and the key is that we don’t kneejerk off the back of one defeat just as we didn’t get carried away and get ahead of ourselves on the back of a few wins. We take each game one at a time and it’s important that we keep focusing on the job in hand.
“Training has been about getting back to basics, ensuring we are doing the things that we’ve done so well throughout this season so far, to get the right performance on Sunday. We know it’ll be tough, it’ll be physical and we’ll have to be at our very best. If we can do that, if we are clinical in everything we do and we get a good crowd behind us doing their bit for the cause then we can make the next step.
“It is a young squad at the moment, one with a real desire to learn and improve, to represent the jersey in the right fashion. Obviously, starting 2015 in first place is fantastic but no one will be getting carried away as we know there is a hell of a lot of rugby still to be played between now and May.
“We’ve got the three other teams in the top four still to come here, we’ve got this derby match, and I’d like to think that the supporters will buy into what we are doing and really get behind us for this last push, turning up at the Liberty Stadium in big numbers.”
Forthcoming Fixtures
Sun 11 Jan – 4.00pm KO – Ospreys v NG Dragons – Liberty Stadium – PRO12
Sun 18 Jan – 5.30pm KO – Ospreys v Northampon Saints – ERCC
Sat 24 Jan – 4.15pm KO – Benetton Treviso v Ospreys - ERCC
Sat 31 Jan – 3.00pm KO – Gloucester v Ospreys – LV= Cup
Sat 07 Feb – 3.00pm KO – Bath v Ospreys – LV= Cup