The Ospreys team to play Newport Gwent Dragons on Friday 27th January 2012 at the Riverside Hardware Brewery Field, kick off at 7.05pm will be as follows:
15 Ross Jones
14 Hanno Dirksen
13 Sonny Parker (Capt)
12 Stefan Watermeyer
11 Eli Walker
10 Matthew Morgan
9 Tom Habberfield
1 Cai Griffiths
2 Scott Baldwin
3 Aaron Jarvis
4 Lloyd Peers
5 James Goode
6 Chauncey O’Toole
7 Sam Lewis
8 Morgan Allen
Replacements:
16 Mefin Davies
17 Joe Rees
18 Jonathan Thomas
19 Sam Williams
20 Rory Pitman
21 Tom Grabham
22 Sam Davies
23 Luke Morgan
Stefan Watermeyer makes his Ospreys debut
Lloyd Peers makes his first Ospreys start
Jonathan Thomas, Sam Williams, Rory Pitman, Sam Davies and Luke Morgan will make their Ospreys debuts if they come off the bench
The following players were not considered because of injury:
Tom Isaacs - Hamstring
James King - Ear
Richard Fussell – Ankle
Ben John - Groin
Alun Wyn Jones – Foot
Gareth Owen – ACL
Nikki Walker – ACL
Ospreys Coach, Steve Tandy, commented:
“It’s a big night for the Ospreys, and for Bridgend, and it’s going to be something special. We’ve had some really good nights at the Brewery Field over the last two seasons, games against Leicester, Wasps and Northampton, and Friday night should be memorable as well, the first Welsh regional derby in Bridgend since 2004.
“When you look at the squad list there are a lot of boys who come from and Bridgend or have played for Bridgend, so for them, it’s going to extra special. Likewise for their friends and families, who’ll get a rare chance to see them playing in an Ospreys shirt at their home club. I know that we’re expecting a big crowd on Friday. The game has caught the local imagination and I’m expecting a great atmosphere on the night.
“This competition has been good for the Ospreys in terms of player development. You’ve only got to look at the players who’ve been involved with the first team this season who have benefited from the LV= Cup. The likes of Tipuric, Beck and Webb have all used this competition to kick on, graduating to the first team and now the Welsh squad, while people like Matthew Morgan and Eli have also been playing European rugby. That makes it clear to some of the young boys coming in for this match that if they make their mark then they could also step up.
“We’re all looking forward to it, it should be a memorable occasion for everyone, an evening that the Ospreys and Bridgend will be able to look back on in seasons to come with pride.”
Forthcoming fixtures
Sat 4 Feb – Worcester v Ospreys – Sixways – LV= Cup – 3.00pm
Fri 10 Feb – Edinburgh v Ospreys – Murrayfield – RaboDirect PRO12 – 7.35pm