HEINEKEN CUP, Pool Three
Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Date: Saturday, 24 January Kick-off: 1730 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, Radio Wales & online

Sean Holley says the Ospreys can take inspiration from Cardiff Blues

Ospreys boss Sean Holley says his side can gain Heineken Cup inspiration against Leicester from the manner in which Cardiff Blues beat Gloucester.

Dai Young's 14-man Blues won 16-12 at Kingsholm on Sunday to earn a quarter-final place, setting what Holley says was a bench-mark to Wales' regions.

Holley said: "I was really pleased for Dai and I thought some of their players were outstanding.

"It was something we can look at and be inspired by."

He added: "I thought they [Blues] thoroughly deserved it, even with 14 men for long periods and I thought they set a huge bench-mark there for us as Welsh regions.

"Having worked at Gloucester, to go there and win in the Heineken Cup in front of that atmosphere with 14 men was just outstanding.

"It would be great to get two [Welsh] regions in the quarter-finals two years in a row. It would be great for Welsh rugby and a nice fillip I suppose for the Six Nations.

"But we've still got a long way to go and it's going to be a tough game, but I think we're quietly confident."

606: DEBATE Can the Ospreys reach the quarter-finals?

The Ospreys lost 17-15 in Perpignan, but earned a bonus point to help keep themselves in the running for a quarter-final place amid the tournament's now traditional complicated mathematical qualification process.

Holley has told his players to concentrate on trying to beat the Tigers instead of worrying about the pool-stage connotations.

He said: "We've given ourselves a game at home that we need to win to get a quarter-final place in Europe and it's as simple as that.

"On total reflection we're not in a bad place. What we wanted to do was go and make a statement in France, there in Perpignan and for long periods I thought we were going to.

"We just weren't perhaps accurate enough in finishing off a few promising things and that sort of cost us in the end.

"It's massive for us as a region, for our fans, for the players and everything at the Ospreys we're trying to achieve.

"We're ambitious to want to get into the latter stages of the competition. It would be a huge step to do it two years in a row, but to get a home quarter-final would be the ultimate.

"It's sort of in our hands a little bit, but we are just focused on one thing on Saturday against a traditionally excellent team and a great club so it warrants a big crowd and a big occasion.

"We're at home. We don't like losing at home. We very rarely lose at home and all those things need to be in the back of our minds when we take the field."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version