Ospreys team to play Benetton Treviso

Tandy names his selection for Saturday's PRO12 game v Benetton Treviso.

 

The Ospreys team to play Benetton Treviso at Stadio Comunale di Monigo on Saturday 17th October 2015, KO 1.30pm (UK), is as follows:

 

15 Richard Fussell

14 Tom Grabham

13 Ben John

12 Josh Matavesi

11 Hanno Dirksen

10 Sam Davies

9 Brendon Leonard

 

1 Ryan Bevington

2 Sam Parry

3 Dmitri Arhip

4 Lloyd Ashley (Capt)

5 Rory Thornton

6 Joe Bearman

7 Sam Underhill

8 Dan Baker

 

REPLACEMENTS

 

16 Scott Otten

17 Gareth Thomas

18 Cai Griffiths

19 Rynier Bernardo

20 Gareth Delve

21 Tom Habberfield

22 Jonathan Spratt

23 Dan Evans

 

The following players were unavailable for selection due to Rugby World Cup selection:

 

Scott Baldwin, Dan Biggar, Paul James, Aaron Jarvis, Alun Wyn Jones, James King, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Eli Walker (Wales)

 

Ifereimi Boladau and Matthew Dwyer (British Army/Forces World Cup)

 

The following players were unavailable for selection due to injury:

 

Tyler Ardron - Knee

Adam Beard  Shoulder

Ashley Beck  ACL

Jeff Hassler  Knee

Nicky Smith - Ankle

De Kock Steenkamp - Hip

Dan Suter  Neck

Rhys Webb - Foot

 

 

Ospreys Head Coach, Steve Tandy, said:

 

“It’s going to be another real test for us this weekend. Clearly we haven’t had the start to the season that we would have wanted and when that happens, then it’s easy to allow the pressure from outside to build. It’s not going to get any easier, we have Treviso who can call on their Italian internationals again while next week we are home to Connacht who have only lost two players, but we know what we need to do.

 

“It’s a test of character for a young group of players, but the desire, the effort, the pride and the commitment is there to put it right. We know that three defeats don’t make us the worst team in the world just as the winning start last season didn’t make us world beaters. We ignore all that and just get on with our job, which is to prepare for the next match as best we can.

 

“The focus has to be on performance, with attention to detail on the small things, the controllables, if we can get them right then the performance will follow, starting on Saturday. We haven’t been that far away in the last two games. We were leading Munster into the last minute, we led Edinburgh at the 50 minute mark and were within four points with just five minutes to go. It’s about those little things, the split decisions, and being able to close out tight games. That comes with experience.

 

“Obviously, it’s not ideal going into games missing 20 or more players, but we have to accept that. It’s a situation that impacts on the clubs who contribute the most to the national set-up, something we are proud of, and we have to deal with that. It’s a reality of the structure of the professional game these days, so there’s no point in blaming it for anything, we have to get on with it and we will get on with it, as a business, starting on Saturday.”

 

 

Forthcoming Fixtures

 

Sat 24 Oct  1.30pm KO - Ospreys v Connacht - Liberty Stadium - PRO12

Sun 1 Nov - 2.30pm KO  Glasgow v Ospreys  Scotstoun  PRO12

Sat 7 Nov  2.30pm KO -  Ospreys v Zebre  Liberty Stadium  PRO12

Sun 15 Nov  5.15pm KO  Ospreys v Exeter Chiefs  Liberty Stadium ERCC