Jonno Gibbes Ospreys Preview

ON EARLY IMPRESSIONS: "I'm settling into the new role still. I think a big part of coaching is relationships and learning about the players that you're dealing with and I'm still very much in that process and it's ongoing. I'm enjoying it.

"I think the Cardiff performance (16-16) was a bit of an eye-opener for me, understanding how the home team get up for the visit of away teams. I think they were very committed and didn't allow us to play an awful lot of rugby. Having said that, I believe we actually put ourselves in a position to win that game. Whilst disappointed not to come away with four games, I think that two was a fair reflection of the amount of opportunities we got.

"For me, Edinburgh was a reflection of our Monday to Thursday. We prepared bloody well during the week and Friday was the outcome of how well we had prepared. The players were focused and we didn't give Edinburgh an awful lot and we took the opportunities that we created. I wouldn't say that we played a whole heap of rugby in that game, but we certainly converted the opportunities that we did create, and I think that was a real positive. The fact that we got 20-odd points ahead and didn't take the foot off the gas was also a positive for us."

ON ELV'S: "I think there are opportunities with the new ELV's - particularly around the area of the scrum - where you can manipulate your opposition's defence. I think that's creating try-scoring opportunities, provided you've got your stable set-piece.

"Around the lineout stuff, I think you can see teams looking at how they can manipulate the defence and get some strike moves coming off their lineout because the way that teams are defending. I think that's going to lead to more tries. We scored one try at the weekend that I can't take any credit for whatsoever (John Fogarty)! That was all them!

"They already have their head around opportunities like that around set pieces, from an attack point of view as well as from a defence point of view."

ON ROCKY ELSOM AND CJ Van Der LINDE: "I think that both CJ and Rocky are two excellent acquisitions for the club and I think they're gonna fit right in. CJ brings one hell of a right shoulder really. He's not only a set piece prop, but he also offers value around the field. His understanding of the ELV's will be an asset.

"With regard to Rocky, I think we're going to see a class operator, someone who won't mind mixing it up and will fit right in from what I've seen in the Magners League throughout the competition. From what I've seen so far, there's a real physicality over here. In my experience back home you'd have those games when you played in a local derby but in every game over here they love bashing each other and I think he's going to fit right in with that."

ON RETIREMENT: "I still get the urge to be involved in drills, but when they're doing fitness stuff I'd tend to say 'Sorry guys, I've retired!'

"I have moved on from that aspect, but I have to say that going to the RDS for the first time on Friday, just being down there and being part of the pre-match routine again, it was tough to go up to the box and be a spectator. Those kinds of thoughts will take a while to leave. Plus, I don't really put myself in too many positions to get hammered in training in case they want to target the new guy!"

ON THE OSPREYS: "They will bring a big physical pack, 1 through 8. It's going to be vitally important that we meet them head on and we win the gain-line. The guys are focused. They've had a reasonably good win on Friday and they turned up for training on Sunday and Monday focused, with a good attitude and working hard again. The Edinburgh result was indicative of four days great preparation and thus far our Ospreys week has been prepared well, which is a good sign."