Ospreys v Connacht: Teams
Connacht have made just one change to their side, from that which beat Dax last time out, to face Ospreys.
Last Updated: 20/02/09 1:12pm
Connacht have made just one change to their side, from that which beat Dax last time out, as they head to the Liberty Stadium to take on the Ospreys in the Magners League.
Having not played for nearly a month Connacht had all but one player fit for selection, that player being Michael McCarthy who injured himself in training this week.
Ospreys coach Sean Holley will be looking for another big win as his side press for a second Magners League title.
"We're in a strong position in the Magners League, and with two home matches during the Six Nations period it is imperative that we maintain the standards we have set so far this season," he said.
"It is very tight at the top of the table, so we know what we have to do in order to not only keep up the pressure on Munster at the top, but also allow us to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
"Connacht may feel that we are a depleted side, but our success this season and in the past is down to us having a strong squad and players who are all challenging for places in the starting fifteen.
"The side that we have named is a good mix of youth an experience, with a lot of quality in the team.
"There is some fine young talent within the Ospreys region and I'm excited about the prospect of seeing the likes of Jonathan Spratt and Ashley Beck in action, especially with Andrew Bishop being recalled back to the Wales squad.
"Kristian Phillips has been showing some real quality with Wales U20's and deserves his start in the game and it is great to see Gareth Owen back after a long spell out with injury. Ryan Bevington has impressed in training and in the Welsh Premiership, along with Craig Mitchell, and just gets the nod on the bench."
Ospreys: 15 Gareth Owen, 14 Kristian Phillips, 13 Sonny Parker, 12 Jonathan Spratt, 11 Jonny Vaughton, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Jamie Nutbrown, 8 Filo Tiatia , 7 Steve Tandy, 6 Tom Smith, 5 Jonathan Thomas, 4 Filipo Levi, 3 Cai Griffiths, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Paul James (c).
Replacements: 16 Ed Shervington, 17 Ryan Bevington, 18 Andy Lloyd, 19 Marty Holah, 20 Rhys Webb, 21 Ashley Beck, 22 David Bishop.
Connacht: 15 Gavin Duffy, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Niva Ta'auso, 12 Keith Matthews, 11 Liam Bibo, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Frank Murphy, 8 Colm Rigney, 7 Ray Ofisa, 6 John Muldoon (c), 5 Adrian Farley, 4 Andrew Browne, 3 Robbie Morris, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Brett Wilkinson.
Replacements: 16 Adrian Flavin, 17 Ronan Loughney, 18 Michael Swift, 19 David Gannon, 20 Kieran Campbell, 21 Andrew Dunne, 22 Troy Nathan.