The Ospreys team to face Bath in the LV= Cup on Saturday 14th November 2009 at the Recreation Ground, kick off at 12.30pm, will be as follows:-
15 Barry Davies
14 Nicky Thomas
13 Sonny Parker
12 Andrew Bishop
11 Ashley Beck
10 Gareth Owen
9 Liam Davies
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Ed Shervington
3 Cai Griffiths
4 James King
5 James Goode
6 Jerry Collins (Capt)
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Tom Smith
Replacements:
16 Richard Hibbard
17 Will Taylor
18 Ross Davies
19 Richard Kelly
20 Steve Tandy
21 Rhys Webb
22 Matthew Jarvis
23 Hanno Dirksen
James Goode makes his Ospreys debut after arriving on trial last week while James King and Justin Tipuric make their first starts for the region after debuting over the last two weeks.
Will Taylor and Hanno Dirksen will make their Ospreys debuts if they come off the bench during the game. Ross Davies made his Ospreys debut as a replacement last weekend, and along with Richard Kelly and Matthew Jarvis has just one Ospreys appearance to date.
Rhys Webb returns to action ahead of schedule following ACL and shoulder reconstructions at the end of April
Ospreys Coach Jonathan Humphreys commented:
“We’re looking forward to playing Bath on Saturday, and what will be another chance to test ourselves against Guinness Premiership opposition. I’ve got no doubts that Bath will be looking at our current situation here, with injuries and unavailability and will be targeting a win, but we’ll travel full of self belief and confidence in the players that we put out. It’s a fantastic opportunity for some of these guys to put their hand up and show what they can do, and while it’s been tough preparing for the game, I have to say that the attitude and application of the squad has been first class.
“Bath haven’t had the best of runs recently, if you just look the W’s or L’s in the column, but that doesn’t tell the full story. They’ve put on some good performances and recorded some really narrow defeats as well as a draw against Leicester, so we know that they will pose a real threat. Bath sides have always had a strong pack, and that is what they are trying to build there. It’s going to be a real test for our young side, and one that I’d like to think that they would enjoy and learn from as they continue their development.
“With the new format of the LV= Cup, there is an extra game in the pool stages this year, so with us both losing last weekend, we have an opportunity to bounce back and keep alive our hopes of progressing."
The following players are currently on international duty and were unavailable for selection
James Hook, Shane Williams, Dan Biggar, Huw Bennett, Craig Mitchell, Duncan Jones, Paul James, Alun-wyn Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Ryan Jones, Tommy Bowe, Nikki Walker
The following players were not considered because of injury
Jonny Vaughton - shoulder
Kristian Phillips – thigh
Marc Breeze – thigh
Filo Tiatia – calf
Ian Gough – ribs
Jonathan Spratt - back
Marty Holah – hamstring
Tom Prydie - shoulder
Andy Lloyd - calf
Mike Phillips - ankle ligament
Jamie Nutbrown - cruciate/medial collateral ligament
Tom Isaacs - shoulder reconstruction
Conor McInerney - knee
Lee Byrne - ligament damage to right foot
Lyndon Bateman - knee
Adam Jones – dislocated shoulder
Ian Evans - torn pec major tendon
Forthcoming Fixtures
Sat 5th Dec – Ospreys V Munster – Magners League – Liberty Stadium – 6.30pm
Sat 12th Dec – Viadana V Ospreys – Heineken Cup - Stadio Il Giglio – 2.30pm
Sat 19th Dec – Ospreys V Viadana – Heineken Cup – Liberty Stadium – 2.30pm
Sat 26th Dec – Scarlets V Ospreys – Magners League – Parc y Scarlets – 2.05pm
Fri 1st Jan – Ospreys V Cardiff Blues – Magners League – Liberty Stadium – 5.15pm