Bowe ready for play-off challenge

The British & Irish Lion has been in devastating form this season, scoring 14 tries in 21 games for the region, and he says that with the Ospreys now just one game away from the Grand Final, excitement levels in the camp are rising.

He said:

"The play-offs have been a fantastic addition to the Magners League, they kept the season alive right up until the final weekend of fixtures, and now, with two big semi-final matches this weekend, there is everything to play for. The concept has definitely created a real buzz of excitement, not just for the fans or in the media, but for the players as well.

"We've been in good form in the Magners League over the last month or so, if you look at our results since the Biarritz defeat in the Heineken Cup you'll see a definite upward trend, we've been to some difficult places and got some great results, rounded off by the five point win that we needed on Friday night against the Dragons to secure that home semi-final. Now, it's knockout rugby for hopefully another two games, it's going to be edgy, nervy, exciting, and we know that we have to step up another gear, but everybody at the Ospreys is really looking forward to being part of it."

In the two early-season clashes between the two teams, the Ospreys overturned a half-time deficit to claim a narrow win at Firhill in September, before a 9-all draw at the Liberty Stadium a month later, and Bowe warned that it will be another tough evening on Friday:

"Glasgow are a really good side, we are well aware of their record and some great results they've had recently, like the hammering they gave Leinster a couple of weeks back and Friday night's bonus point at the Scarlets. They've got a strong back row in particular, it's one of the best in the country on current form, and Dan Parks is capable of controlling any game. It's going to be a tough eighty minutes and we know that we will have to be on top of our game if we are going to progress to the final. We're at home which will give us an advantage. We just need to make sure that we use that advantage."

In order to make the most of that home advantage, Bowe issued a rallying cry to the Ospreys fans, urging them to pack the Liberty Stadium on Friday night:

"It'll really make a huge difference if we can run out to a big, loud, passionate crowd on Friday night. Make no mistake, the supporters will have a massive part to play. You can look at the big occasions we've had here this season, the Blues game, Leicester Tigers, Munster, there was a big crowd and a fantastic atmosphere at each of them. Likewise, when we've gone to places like Leicester, Clermont Auvergne and San Sebastian, the noise has been incredible and the atmosphere that fans at those grounds created has really inspired their teams. Our fans present at those games have responded to the challenge and their efforts in turn raised us as a squad of players.

"We'd love the atmosphere at the Liberty on Friday night to be something similar, To have the backing of thousands of Ospreylians will really lift us, and would give us the extra half a per cent that could make all the difference. We want to end the season on a high, we want to win the Grand Final, and if the fans are behind us for this we can do it. We've got the challenge of beating Glasgow on the pitch, the challenge for the fans is to turn up the volume in the stands as high as they can."