Preview: Ospreys v Dragons
Jerry Collins will skipper the Ospreys when they host the Dragons in the Magners League at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
Jerry Collins will skipper the Ospreys when they host the Dragons in the Magners League at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
With fifteen players unavailable because of international commitments Dai Flanagan makes his Ospreys debut at fly-half.
If he comes off the bench, Conor McInerney will make his Magners League debut while Tom Isaacs could also make his Ospreys debut.
“It's bound to be a tough evening for us, you know what to expect when you face the Dragons,” said forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys.
“They won't be as affected by international calls as us so they will bring a settled team that has been playing together for a period of time, and we are aware of the threats they have throughout the team.
“It's always a challenge for us at this time of the year, coping with the absentees with the various national squads, but that's why we've tried to build a squad that has plenty of depth. Aspects of the 23 may have an unfamiliar look to them, but wed expect the attitude and approach of everyone involved to be spot on.
“It's an exciting time for everyone involved. There'll be players coming in who haven't had much game time and they now have their opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the longer term. We don't pick on reputation here, we pick on form, and if players put their hands up, it will make life difficult for us as coaches in the weeks and months to come, which is exactly how it should be.”
Meanwhile, with Will Harries with the Welsh team, Pat Leach will start at full-back for Dragons whilst Nathan Brew returns to make a start on the wing.
Form: Ospreys slipped up in Glasgow last Sunday, however at Liberty Stadium Ospreys continue to be formidable with a dozen straight victories since Northampton won there in the LV= Cup last December. Ospreys have won their last three matches against fellow Welsh regions. Dragons ended a five game losing sequence with their 36-5 victory over Aironi at Rodney Parade on Saturday. Dragons have won just once on the road in the Magners League since January 2009: 9-8 at Edinburgh on 1 November 2009. Dragons have not beaten a fellow Welsh team away from home since a trip to Scarlets on 1 September 2007. The last seven matches between the two teams have all been won by the home side on the day, whilst Dragons have never been victorious on Ospreys soil.
The teams:
Ospreys: 15 Gareth Owen, 14 Nikki Walker, 13 Sonny Parker, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Richard Fussell, 10 Dai Flanagan, 9 Jamie Nutbrown, 8 Jerry Collins (c), 7 Marty Holah, 6 Tom Smith, 5 Ian Evans, 4 Andy Lloyd, 3 Craig Mitchell, 2 Mefin Davies, 1 Ryan Bevington.
Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Duncan Jones, 18 Cai Griffiths, 19 Conor McInerney, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Tom Isaacs, 23 Barry Davies,
Dragons: 15 Pat Leach, 14 Adam Hughes, 13 Tom Riley, 12 Ashley Smith, 11 Nathan Brew, 10 Jason Tovey, 9 Wayne Evans, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Gavin Thomas, 6 Andrew Coombs, 5 Rob Sidoli, 4 Luke Charteris (c) 3 Nigel Hall, 2 Steve Jones, 1 Phil Price.
Replacements: 16 Tom Willis, 17 Hugh Gustafson, 18 Pat Palmer, 19 Scott Morgan, 20 Robin Sowden-Taylor, 21 Shaun Connor, 22 James Leadbeater, 23 Matthew Jones
Date: Saturday, October 30
Venue: Liberty Stadium
Kick-off: 18.30 BST (17.30 GMT
Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)