The Ospreys team to face Northampton Saints in the LV= Cup on Thursday 5th November 2009 at Liberty Stadium, kick off at 7.45pm, will be as follows:-
15 Barry Davies
14 Nicky Thomas
13 Sonny Parker
12 Andrew Bishop
11 Kristian Phillips
10 Gareth Owen
9 Liam Davies
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Cai Griffiths
4 Ian Gough (Capt)
5 Filo Tiatia
6 Jerry Collins
7 Steve Tandy
8 Tom Smith
Replacements:
16 Ed Shervington
17 Ross Davies
18 Will Taylor
19 James King
20 Justin Tipuric
21 Rhodri Wells
22 Jonathan Spratt
23 Ashley Beck
Nicky Thomas makes his first Ospreys start after coming off the bench for his debut against Glasgow last Friday
Ross Davies, Will Taylor, James King and Justin Tipuric will make their Ospreys debuts if they come off the bench during the game (King featured briefly as a blood replacement against Glasgow)
Ospreys Head Coach Sean Holley commented:
“We’re really looking forward to it, we’ve got a proud history in the Anglo Welsh tournament as previous winners and twice finalists. This year, with it being played during the autumn internationals, and with us carrying a few injuries, it really is an exciting chance for us to see some of the younger players. We’ve had a good couple of weeks working with them, and you’ll be able to see what we’ve got on Thursday night.
“We’ve taken a slightly different view to the competition this year, with the timing of it and the extra international, but it’s real chance for some of the youngsters. I think it’s testimony to our board for the foresight that they’ve shown, and to our Academy system, that we have such a strong team going out to compete on Thursday. I’m not sure there are that many squads who could cope with so many unavailabilities, but it is a real plus that we have those youngsters coming through. They are quality players and it’s a real chance for them on a big stage against a top team.
“Northampton are playing some good stuff this year. They’ve got a good coaching team and a good blend of players who play attacking rugby. They’ve been a real threat in the Premiership this year, and are giving it a real go in the Heineken Cup having won the Shield last season. We are expecting a difficult game, a fast game, which should be entertaining for the supporters, so hopefully there’ll be plenty who opt to spend Bonfire Night watching the fireworks at the Liberty!”
The following players are currently on international duty and were unavailable:
• 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:
• Marty Holah (hamstring strain suffered during warm-up ahead of the Glasgow game means he is unlikely to feature ahead of Munster game in December)
• Tom Prydie (shoulder injury sustained playing for Swansea rules him out of the LV= Cup fixtures)
• Andy Lloyd (calf strain)
• Mike Phillips (ankle ligament)
• Jamie Nutbrown (cruciate/medial collateral ligament)
• Tom Isaacs (shoulder reconstruction)
• Conor McInerney (knee)
• Rhys Webb (ACL and shoulder reconstructions – on target for December return)
• Lee Byrne (ligament damage to right foot)
• Lyndon Bateman (knee)
• Adam Jones (shoulder – remains on target for Boxing Day return)
• Ian Evans (torn pec major tendon)
• Ben Lewis and Richard Kelly are both pushing hard to be available for the Bath game and a decision on their fitness will be made next week
Forthcoming Fixtures:
• Sat 14th Nov – Bath V Ospreys – LV= Cup – Recreation Ground – 12:30pm
• 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