After recording a 35-20 victory over Leeds Carnegie in last Saturday's pre-season fixture at the Liberty Stadium, Ospreys Head Coach Sean Holley says that Gloucester will provide the perfect opposition when the two sides meet at Kingsholm on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of the game, Holley said:
“Kingsholm is a great place to go for a final warm up game ahead of the first Magners League game next weekend. Gloucester are a well supported team and like ourselves have a new coaching team which is gelling together so it will be interesting to see where we both are at this stage of our preparations. We are still in a conditioning phase, with an eye on next week’s game and beyond, and this weekend will see a number of players getting their first run out.
“There's a first chance for Marty, Ryan and Filo to test themselves, and with Tom Smith, Ben Lewis and Steve Tandy excelling against Leeds last week, along with the obvious presence of Jerry Collins in the squad and Jonathan Thomas returning to training this week there is real competition in the back row here, which is creating a real buzz in that department.
“We acquitted ourselves well against Guinness Premiership competition last week. It was an opportunity to see some new faces and some younger players in action, as well as providing Nikki Walker and Ben Lewis with an opportunity to get some game time under their belts as they step up their return to action. After some hard work in recent weeks it was good for the players to get out onto the field, and we scored some good tries and enjoyed some physical exchanges that will stand us in good stead.
“We’ve played Gloucester in some high profile games in recent seasons, and as a result have developed a healthy respect for each other. From my time there, I know they will be well supported on Saturday, and there will be a great atmosphere which will provide a great experience for some of our younger guys as they step up their development.”