"This weekend's game is the start of a busy period that will shape the season for us. We've got at least seven games to go over as many weeks, but we want to extend that, with as many as four additional games to come if we can progress through the knockout stages of both competitions. In particular, the next three weeks promise to be a real test, with Welsh derbies against the Dragons and Scarlets followed by away matches against Biarritz, Ulster and Leinster. We know what we have to do during this period, it's a real test, but we're all excited about it. This is what rugby is about at this level, and if you have the ambitions and aspirations that we have here at the Ospreys, to be competing and involved in competitions at the business end, it's a pressure that you have to learn how to cope with.
"We've got our international players back with has increased our options, and it's important that the players coming back are able to switch straight back in to Ospreys mode. They've been away from our environment for a while, but we've got a good atmosphere here, a close knit group and they are enjoying being back in the family, so there are no concerns there. They realise they've got to be focussed, switched on and ready for action because there's no room for slip-ups over the next few weeks.
"The Dragons will be a real tough test for us at Rodney Parade, they always are. You've only got to look at their results there so far this season, and the quality of teams who've left there defeated, most notably Munster recently. It's a difficult place to go and get a result, they will be up for it and their crowd will do their best to make life hard for us, but we have to thrive on that, we need to ensure that we are professional, on top of our game, and focussed on the job in hand."
Team:
15 Lee Byrne
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Andrew Bishop
12 James Hook
11 Nikki Walker
10 Dan Biggar
9 Mike Phillips
1 Paul James
2 Huw Bennett
3 Adam Jones
4 Jonathan Thomas
5 Ian Evans
6 Jerry Collins
7 Marty Holah
8 Ryan Jones (Capt)
Replacements:
16 Richard Hibbard
17 Ryan Bevington
18 Ian Gough
19 Filo Tiatia
20 Jamie Nutbrown
21 Sonny Parker
22 Gareth Owen
The following players were not considered because of injury:
Alun Wyn Jones - elbow
Ross Davies - fractured ankle/ligament damage
Duncan Jones - broken bone in foot
Tom Isaacs - shoulder
Lyndon Bateman - knee
Tom Smith - hip/knee
Barry Davies - groin
Scott Baldwin - neck
Richard Kelly - knee
Conor McInerney - hamstring
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