The Ospreys team to play Saracens at Liberty Stadium on Saturday 13th January 2018, KO 7.45pm, is as follows:
15 Sam Davies
14 Jeff Hassler
13 Ashley Beck
12 Owen Watkin
11 Dan Evans
10 Dan Biggar
9 Rhys Webb
1 Nicky Smith
2 Scott Baldwin
3 Dmitri Arhip
4 Bradley Davies
5 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt)
6 Olly Cracknell
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Rob McCusker
REPLACEMENTS
16 Scott Otten
17 Gareth Thomas
18 Ma’afu Fia
19 Adam Beard
20 Will Jones
21 Tom Habberfield
22 Kieron Fonotia
23 Dafydd Howells
Will Jones will make his European debut if he comes off the bench
The following players were unavailable for selection due to injury
Cory Allen - Pectoral
Dan Baker – Knee
Hanno Dirksen - Thigh
Keelan Giles – Knee
Paul James - Shoulder
Ben John – HIA
James King – Shoulder
Dan Lydiate - Bicep
Brian Mujati – Shoulder
Sam Parry – Ankle
Ifan Phillips - Shoulder
Rory Thornton – Shoulder
Eli Walker – Back
Kieran Williams – Ankle
Tom Williams - Forearm
Ospreys Head Coach, Steve Tandy, said:
“We are going into the final two rounds of the Champions Cup with everything to play for, so it’s an exciting time. Bringing a team of the calibre of Saracens to the Liberty knowing that the winner can knock the other team out of the equation with a game to go really is something huge.
“Saracens’ record in this competition speaks for itself. Until last month they hadn’t lost in more than two years, are back-to-back champions, and with some big players coming back into the frame over the last few weeks, they have real quality and depth in every position. They showed against Wasps at the weekend what they are capable of and we have to be prepared for that. They believe in their ability to go anywhere and win so we’ve got to stand up to them.
“It was a great contest up at theirs in Round 2, we left with two points in the bag, and we have to really step up again on Saturday night. This group of players has shown a great attitude and desire to get us into a positive position and they know they have to go again.
“We’re at home, there’ll be a good crowd behind us, these are the occasions that we all want to be involved in. We’ve got to make sure we enjoy the experience. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the boys involved to go out on a big stage and show what they can do.”
Forthcoming Fixtures
Sat 20 Jan – 4.15pm KO (Local) – Clermont Auvergne v Ospreys – Stade Marcel Michelin – ERCC
Fri 26 Jan – 7.45pm KO – Gloucester v Ospreys – Kingsholm – AW Cup
Fri 2 Feb – 7.30pm KO – Ospreys v Bath – Liberty Stadium – AW Cup
Fri 9 Feb – 7.30pm KO – Connacht v Ospreys – Sportsground – PRO14
