The Ospreys team to face Edinburgh at Murrayfield on Friday 23rd November, KO 19.05, is as follows:
15 Richard Fussell
14 Tom Isaacs
13 Andrew Bishop
12 Jonathan Spratt
11 Eli Walker
10 Matthew Morgan
9 Rhys Webb
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Scott Baldwin
3 Owen Williams
4 Lloyd Peers
5 James King
6 George Stowers
7 Sam Lewis
8 Joe Bearman (Capt)
REPLACEMENTS
16 Duncan Jones
17 Matthew Dwyer
18 Nicky Thomas
19 Ian Gough
20 Morgan Allen
21 Tom Habberfield
22 Sam Davies
23 Ross Jones
Andrew Bishop makes his 181st Ospreys appearance, setting a new record for the region
Owen Williams makes his RaboDirect PRO12 debut
Nicky Thomas and Sam Davies will make their RaboDirect PRO12 debuts if they come off the bench
The following players were not considered because of injury:
Alun Wyn Jones – Shoulder
Hanno Dirksen – Knee
Joe Rees – Neck
Jonathan Thomas - Groin
Adam Jones – Knee
Tom Smith - Groin
Richard Hibbard, Aaron Jarvis, Ian Evans, Justin Tipuric, Ryan Jones, Dan Biggar, Ashley Beck and Kahn Fotuali’i are all unavailable on international duty.
Head Coach, Steve Tandy, said:
“This is the first of two big PRO12 games over the next couple of weeks that will really test us. Edinburgh away and then Cardiff Blues home are always tough games, and there’s no doubt that we are going to have to show plenty of spirit, commitment and desire on and off the pitch if we are going to get what we want from these matches.
“There’s a lot of responsibility on some young shoulders during international periods and it’s been pleasing to see players stepping up to the mark and really taking their chances. What equally important to us is the input of senior guys like Duncan, Bearman, Gough and Fussell. We’ve kept hold of a group of experienced players who have the right attitude, knowing that we can mould younger players around them.
“International commitments and injuries mean that our resources are being pushed to the limit but there’s a great spirit in the group going into this game. Like us, Edinburgh will be hit by national call-ups as well, but I think that makes these periods all the more exciting. We get to see what strength in depth there is out there, we unearth a few hidden gems, and we get to see some young Ospreys making their mark. We’ve got some boys involved who have come through the age-grade system but we’ve also had to dig deep into the Premiership as well, and it’s a great opportunity for those guys.”
Forthcoming Fixtures
Fri 30 Nov – 19.05KO – Ospreys v Cardiff Blues – RaboDirect PRO12
Sat 8 Dec – 14.35KO – Toulouse v Ospreys – Heineken Cup
Sat 15 Dec – 13.35KO – Ospreys v Toulouse – Heineken Cup
Wed 26 Dec – 17.30KO – Ospreys v Scarlets – RaboDirect PRO12
Mon 31 Dec – 16.15KO – Newport Gwent Dragons v Ospreys – RaboDirect PRO12