The Ospreys currently sit in third place in Pool C, after an opening weekend victory over Bourgoin and a narrow defeat at Gloucester last time out, as they prepare for a double header against their Magners League rivals that will have a huge bearing on their Heineken Cup hopes for the season. The Irish side travel to South Wales without a coach and on the back of two defeats from two in the competition to date, and although they say they will be taking nothing for granted, Ospreys bosses are backing their players to take a huge step towards a first ever qualification for the knockout stages.
Ospreys Managing Director Roger Blyth said: “I think that everybody at the Ospreys is excited about this match and are confident that we can build on what was an excellent result and team performance at Harlequins. It’s fair to say that the players answered a lot of questions about their ability to win a tight game with that performance. It’s been said this week that if a Guinness Premiership side had come to Wales and won a game in such a manner, having been reduced to twelve men, then the media would have been telling us to look at them as an example of how the Welsh regions should be approaching games, so it’s particularly pleasing to see the Ospreys go to The Stoop and win in the way we did.
“That win will, I’m sure, provide the team with a lot of confidence before a double header against Ulster over the next week that is sure to prove crucial to how we are going to do in the Heineken Cup this season. We’ve got a good record against Ulster at home, with just the one Magners League defeat in five games, and I’m sure that the feeling in the camp is that we can extend that good run with another victory on Friday night. The next two games will be challenging, but with the right results in our games and between Gloucester and Bourgoin, we could find ourselves at the top of the table by the time we play Gloucester again next month.”
Ulster’s poor start to this year’s Heineken Cup mirrors their Magners League form, where they sit at the bottom of the table, but Blyth says that no one should read anything into this: “We know that despite a poor run of results of late, Ulster will test us, as they always do. Despite their poor start to the season, they’ve already beaten us once this season, 17-16 at home in the Magners League, so I’m certain that Lyn and his coaching team will be making sure that there is no complacency.
“However, the side that takes to the field at the Liberty Stadium on Friday will be much changed to the one we took to Ravenhill in September, with twelve players returning from Rugby World Cup duty and the addition of Hale T-Pole and Marty Holah to ensure that we can send a strong side into action that could test any side in Europe. It all promises to be another fantastic rugby occasion at the Liberty Stadium. There should be a healthy crowd present and I’m sure that with a large travelling support attending, as there always in when you face Ulster, the atmosphere on what we hope will be a memorable night should be one to savour.”
Under the new matchday pricing structure introduced this season, Friday’s match against London Irish is a Level 1 fixture, with adult tickets available from £16, if purchased in advance of matchday. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Liberty Stadium Ticket Office, via the Ticket Hotline on 08700 400 004 or online at www.ospreysrugby.com. Any tickets purchased on the day of the match itself are subject to a £2 surcharge.
