Chris Henry says Ulster ‘can’t let it slip away’ as they look to back up last week’s excellent interpro win over Leinster by beating the Ospreys in Wales and qualifying for the last four of the GUINNESS PRO12.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, May 7
OSPREYS (7th) v ULSTER (4th), Liberty Stadium, 3pm (live Sky Sports 1 HD/BBC 2 Northern Ireland)
Team News: Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss has named his team for this round 22 clash with the Ospreys in Swansea, as the province aim to make the play-offs for a fourth successive year.
Craig Gilroy, a late withdrawal from the team last week, is reinstated to the starting line-up which is otherwise unchanged from the impressive 30-6 win over Leinster.
Rory Best will again captain the side, with props Callum Black and Ricky Lutton, and second rows Peter Browne and Franco van der Merwe joining him in the front five. The back row trio of Iain Henderson, Chris Henry and Sean Reidy, which performed so effectively in the previous round, is also retained.
The man-of-the-match against Leinster, Ruan Pienaar, will line out alongside Paddy Jackson at half-back, with Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall continuing their centre partnership. Gilroy, Andrew Trimble and Jared Payne complete the back-line.
The bench, which helped to deliver a strong second half performance last weekend, is also unchanged.Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Andrew Warwick, Robbie Diack and Roger Wilson cover the forward positions, while Paul Marshall, Stuart Olding and Darren Cave are included as back-line options.
A bonus point win on Saturday would guarantee Ulster a play-off spot, and also give them an outside chance of that game being in Belfast. Anything less and they will be looking at other results to confirm their place in the last four, although the Scarlets, who are fifth, face a difficult trip away to Munster.
The Ulstermen’s only defeat in the last five rounds of the PRO12 was at Glasgow Warriors in round 18. They will face an in-form Ospreys team who have won their last three matches, all with maximum points.
Meanwhile, Ospreys boss Steve Tandy has made four changes in personnel to the side that earned a bonus point in last week’s 40-27 success against Cardiff Blues at the Principality Stadium.
Josh Matavesi and Eli Walker come in for Jonathan Spratt and Hanno Dirksen (knee) in a back-line that is marshalled by Wales stars Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb.
Leg injury victim Adam Beard makes way for Rory Thornton in the second row, while Sam Underhill takes over from the benched Olly Cracknell in a reshuffled back row. Dan Lydiate moves to blindside flanker and James King makes the switch to number 8.
The Ospreys have a lengthy injury that includes regular captain Alun Wyn Jones (foot), Tyler Ardron (knee), Dan Baker (shoulder), Ashley Beck (knee), Jeff Hassler (shoulder), Paul James (eye) and Justin Tipuric (concussion).
OSPREYS: Dan Evans; Ben John, Owen Watkin, Josh Matavesi, Eli Walker; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb (capt); Nicky Smith, Scott Baldwin, Dmitri Arhip, Rynier Bernardo, Rory Thornton, Dan Lydiate, Sam Underhill, James King.
Replacements: Scott Otten, Gareth Thomas, Aaron Jarvis, Joe Bearman, Olly Cracknell, Brendon Leonard, Sam Davies, Tom Grabham.
ULSTER: Jared Payne; Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Callum Black, Rory Best (capt), Ricky Lutton, Peter Browne, Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Andrew Warwick, Robbie Diack, Roger Wilson, Paul Marshall, Stuart Olding, Darren Cave.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Leighton Hodges, Gwyn Morris (both Wales)
Television Match Official: Derek Bevan (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ospreys to win: 8/11; Draw: 19/1; Ulster to win: 11/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Chris Henry (Ulster) – “We just need to keep the head down and keep building. I don’t think any team has really hit top gear yet, including us, and I think whichever team in the top four kicks on, will take it. It’s going to be a massive finish to the season.
“Overall, I was happy enough (with my performance against Leinster). Throughout the season I’ve had a few niggles but at long last my body feels pretty good. Hopefully I can kick on. I’m just keeping my head down. I don’t focus on individual battles, it’s about the team. That’s how I have always approached it.
“We keep fighting for each other, we dig in, we work hard. We might not have the biggest forwards, and we are missing power players like Nick Williams, Dan Tuohy and Wiehahn Herbst, but our strength is in our collective and I think that’s going to be important as we go into, hopefully, our last three games.
“Guys like Franco van der Merwe and Ricky Lutton have put their bodies on the line week in, week out to get us into this position so we can’t let it slip away.”
Steve Tandy (Ospreys) – “There’s a really positive mood in the camp this week. We realise the size of the challenge ahead, going up against a very good Ulster side who need the win for a play-off spot, but we know that if we can go again and deliver another positive performance that we could get our own reward and it’s really exciting. Everybody is looking forward to Saturday afternoon and getting stuck into the job.
“To bounce back like we have these last three games with a young squad and a full team of experienced, senior guys missing speaks volumes for the character of this squad. The desire and application of a team that has an average age of 23, 24, is outstanding and they’ve shown what being an Osprey is all about in recent weeks as they’ve grown on and off the field.
“We need more of that this week now, we want the boys to be relentless, to know their roles and to be clinical. If we can hit the right standards across the park then we have a chance of doing what we need to, then it’ll be a case of what happens elsewhere.
“There’ll be no throwing the towel in, we know from bitter experience in Europe this season that anything can happen on that last day, so we have to keep going. The PRO12 as a competition has really grown this year. It’s the final day and there are 10 teams still playing for something other than pride, which is fantastic.”
Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Ospreys – Points: Sam Davies 152; Tries: Dan Evans 6; Ulster – Points: Paddy Jackson 115; Tries: Craig Gilroy 8
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, February 8, 2013 – Ulster 12 Ospreys 16, Ravenhill
Friday, October 4, 2013 – Ospreys 12 Ulster 18, Liberty Stadium
Friday, February 7, 2014 – Ulster 10 Ospreys 7, Ravenhill
Friday, November 21, 2014 – Ulster 25 Ospreys 16, Kingspan Stadium
Saturday, December 20, 2014 – Ospreys 31 Ospreys 20, Liberty Stadium
Friday, September 4, 2015 – Ulster 28 Ospreys 6, Kingspan Stadium
MATCH FACTS:
– The Ospreys require a victory to give themselves any chance of acquiring a Champions Cup spot for next season, even then it may still not be enough
– The Welshmen have won their last three matches, all with maximum points, since their home defeat to the Scarlets at the end of March
– A maximum point win would guarantee Ulster a play-off spot, and also give them any outside chance of that game being in Belfast. Anything less and they will be looking at other results to confirm their place in the last four for a fourth successive year
– The Ulstermen’s only defeat in the last five rounds of the PRO12 was at Glasgow Warriors in round 18
– Ulster have lost just one of their last five fixtures with the Ospreys: 31-20 at Liberty Stadium in the equivalent fixture in round 10 last season
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