14 Hanno Dirksen
13 Tom Isaacs
12 Ben John
11 Aisea Natoga
10 Dan Biggar
9 Tom Habberfield
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Scott Baldwin
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt)
5 James King
6 Sam Lewis
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Joe Bearman
REPLACEMENTS
16 Matthew Dwyer
17 Marc Thomas
18 Dan Suter
19 Morgan Allen
20 Tyler Ardron
21 Tito Tebaldi
22 Ashley Beck
23 Jeff Hassler
Head Coach Steve Tandy said:
"This is the first game of a busy five weeks with three big derbies followed by the final two rounds of the Heineken Cup. Christmas is a great time for rugby, with fans to come together with family and friends to watch the game. It's about the tradition and the rivalry and it's fantastic for regional rugby in Wales that we are going to have a series of games with big crowds and great atmospheres.
"We are looking to build some momentum after showing some good signs in the games against Castres, where we started to see the boys taking what we've been doing in training onto the pitch. The win last weekend was a great result for everybody involved with the region, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. The boys have worked hard in training this week, striving to continue improving, in preparation for what will be a busy period.
"It's important that we are at our best in Cardiff in front of a big and passionate crowd. We know there'll be a large travelling support there from Ospreylia, enjoying the rivalry, and we want them to be proud of what this group is doing.
"If we can keep the momentum going and put in the kind of performance they expect, we'll be in a good place before back to back games against the Scarlets. It's always tough if you have two away games on the bounce, but we'll be happy to bring them back to the Liberty for the second game in front of a big crowd predominantly made up of our own fans passionately supporting the cause."
The following players were unavailable for selection through injury:
Dmitri Arhip - Achilles
Dan Baker - Shoulder
Andrew Bishop - Back
Richard Hibbard - Hand
Aaron Jarvis - Hip
Ryan Jones - Calf
Lloyd Peers - Ankle
Tom Smith - Knee
Eli Walker - Hamstring
Forthcoming Fixtures
Thurs 26 Dec 14.05KO - Scarlets v Ospreys - Domino's Derby Series
Fri 3 Jan 19.15KO - Ospreys v Scarlets - Domino's Derby Series
Sun 12 Jan 12.45KO - Ospreys v Northampton Saints - Heineken CupFri 17 Jan 8.00pm KO - Leinster v Ospreys - Heineken Cup
Guinness PRO12 Ospreys News
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