During my coaching career I have been privileged to be involved in some big local derbies. Bath versus Gloucester was a massive game; London Irish against Harlequins was another big game.
There is no doubt the Scarlets have been the most consistent team in Wales over the last few years and this is an opportunity to measure ourselves against them.
It is the first of three games that will really stress us, with Cardiff Blues and the Dragons to follow, but these challenges are why we are involved. There are no outs in these next games and I expect my first experience of the Welsh derbies to be pretty spicy.
As a group we have started to make some progress as the season has begun to unfold. Some of our younger players are learning their trade and have begun to really perform at the highest level and have started to do it on a consistent basis and that is really encouraging and exciting.
Any good team, any good organisation or business demonstrates consistency, not just in their outcomes, but in the performances they produce on a regular and consistent basis.
The Ospreys have started to show that and what is exciting for the coaches and myself is how much more there is to come from this squad of players.
The team thank you for your continued support.
Toby