The Ospreys team to play Connacht on Friday 19th November 2010 at The Sportsground, kick off at 7.00pm, will be as follows:
15 Gareth Owen
14 Kristian Phillips
13 Sonny Parker
12 Ashley Beck
11 Richard Fussell
10 Matthew Morgan
9 Rhys Webb
1 Duncan Jones
2 Mefin Davies
3 Craig Mitchell
4 Conor McInerney
5 Ian Evans
6 Justin Tipuric
7 Marty Holah
8 Jerry Collins (Capt)
Replacements
16 Scott Baldwin
17 Joe Rees
18 Cai Griffiths
19 James Goode
20 James King
21 Jamie Nutbrown
22 Matthew Jarvis
23 Barry Davies
Matthew Morgan makes his Magners League debut
If he comes off the bench, Joes Rees will make his Magners League debut
The following players were not considered because of injury:
Jonathan Spratt – ACL
Ben Lewis – Neck
Morgan Allen – Ankle
Eli Walker – Ribs
Ryan Bevington – Finger
Ben John – Wrist
Dai Flanagan - Back
Andy Lloyd – Head
Shane Williams - Shoulder
Sixteen players were unavailable because of international commitments
Ospreys Head Coach, Sean Holley, commented:
“I think the last two weeks have been really positive, culminating in the performance against Leicester. We know we’ve got some raw talent coming through in the region, although we don’t often get the chance to look at them together, which is something that the LV= Cup has afforded us the opportunity to do.
“We were very close to getting a positive outcome in Newcastle, but there were signs there that we had real potential as a team. The performance significantly improved the following weekend and the boys really expressed themselves against Leicester. It was a good stage for them in front of an excellent crowd, and it kicks us on into this week and the Magners League now with us still missing so many players.
“A lot of the faces and combinations we saw last weekend will front up again in Connacht. We’re excited about going there with this group of players. In recent seasons we’ve played them with near enough a full strength squad and we’ve had to really work hard to get a positive result, so it will be a really good test of where these players are right now.
“It’s a tough game and another learning curve for a lot of these players. It won’t be easy, but we’re looking forward to it. We’ve seen a significant change in the Connacht approach under Eric Elwood, they’ve made some good signings and are playing a far more expansive game. They are still really difficult to beat out there, but for different reasons now. We know the conditions are going to be difficult in Galway, but we’ve prepared for that, we know it’s going to be a real test of character for these boys.”
Forthcoming Fixtures
Sun 28 Nov – Ospreys V Leinster – Liberty Stadium – Magners League – 5.00pm
Sat 4 Dec – Ospreys V Edinburgh – Liberty Stadium – Magners League – 6.30pm
Sun 12 Dec – Munster V Ospreys – Thomond Park – Heineken Cup – 1.00pm
Sat 18 Dec – Ospreys V Munster – Liberty Stadium – Heineken Cup – 3.45pm
Sun 26 Dec – Ospreys V Scarlets – Liberty Stadium – Magners League – 4.10pm
Fri 31 Dec – Cardiff Blues V Ospreys – CC Stadium – Magners League – 2.05pm