The Ospreys team to play Connacht at the Sportsground, on Saturday 10th September, 2016, KO 7.35 pm, is as follows:
15 Dan Evans
14 Jeff Hassler
13 Ben John
12 Josh Matavesi
11 Eli Walker
10 Sam Davies
9 Rhys Webb (Capt)
1 Nicky Smith
2 Sam Parry
3 Dmitri Arhip
4 Bradley Davies
5 Rory Thornton
6 Olly Cracknell
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Tyler Ardron
REPLACEMENTS
16 Scott Baldwin
17 Paul James
18 Ma’afu Fia
19 Lloyd Ashley
20 James King
21 Dan Baker
22 Tom Habberfield
23 Dafydd Howells
Bradley Davies make his first Ospreys start
The following players were unavailable for selection due to injury:
Ashley Beck – Hip
Hanno Dirksen - Knee
Brendon Leonard – Groin
Dan Lydiate - Shoulder
Scott Otten – Hand
Daniel Suter - Neck
Sam Underhill – Shoulder
Owen Watkin - Knee
Adam Beard is unavailable for selection due to suspension and will be free to play after 10th September
Head Coach, Steve Tandy, commented:
“We made a promising start last weekend but that’s all it is, a start. It was good to see the positive intent, we showed the right attitude, and were pretty relentless, not only in the way we killed the game off very early, but keeping going for the 80 minutes, creating and taking opportunities.
“It’s probably the best way to start the season though, picking up a bonus point while knowing that it was far from perfect as a performance and we’ve got plenty to work on. The boys have recognised that, they understand there’s some way to go yet in terms of reaching the standard we need.
“We have to keep working hard, trying to improve in all aspects of our game, but last Friday means we are heading the right direction. That said, we know how difficult it is going to be on Saturday night and we’ve got to be accurate in everything we do.
“Connacht are champions for a reason. They have good players, are a well-coached unit, and everybody knows that the Sportsground is a tough, challenging environment. It’s hostile, the crowd is on top of you, and the weather conditions, which they know so well, always plays a part. Last weekend’s result against Glasgow wasn’t an accurate reflection of how Connacht played, I thought they were particularly good in the first half, and what it means is they will be more fired up than ever on Saturday night.
“With three of the next four games out in Ireland, we know it’s a tough period for us, but we see it as a real opportunity to test ourselves and are looking forward to kicking it off in Galway.”
Forthcoming Fixtures
Sat 17 Sep – 7.35pm KO - Ospreys v Benetton Treviso – Liberty Stadium – PRO12
Fri 23 Sep – 7.35pm KO – Leinster v Ospreys – RDS – PRO12
Sat 1 Oct – 5.30pm KO - Ulster v Ospreys – Kingspan Stadium – PRO12
Fri 7 Oct – 7.35pm KO – Ospreys v Cardiff Blues – Liberty Stadium – PRO12