Shattered Ospreys rally for key Magners League fixtures
MAGNERS LEAGUE Venue: Ravenhill Date: Tuesday, 13 April Kick-off: 1930 BST Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Ulster medium wave and S4C, score updates on BBC Sport website
A devastated Ospreys team after the defeat to Biarritz at Estadio Anoeta
The Ospreys have vowed to "prove a few points" against Ulster on Tuesday after their crushing Heineken Cup exit.
The match is crucial to their hopes of making the Magners League play-offs, the Ospreys' last chance of silverware.
They are currently fifth with a tricky run-in that sees them away to Leinster on Friday before a trip to Munster, then a home derby with the Dragons.
"The boys have been great, they want to put disappointment behind and prove a few points," said coach Sean Holley.
"We're all pretty flat but have to move on quickly. We need wins in the remaining games because our early season home form was not good enough.
"We have our goals. We need a few wins and we can do it. It's a test of the squad and their mentality, but they are up for it."
Ospreys captain Ryan Jones has admitted it will be agonising for his side to motivate themselves for Ravenhill and the season's run-in after Saturday's 29-28 Heineken Cup defeat against Biarritz.
"It's going to be torture, really hard - how do you put those emotions to bed after a result like that?" the number eight asked BBC Sport Wales after the quarter-final defeat in San Sebastian.
Jones says it will be "torture" to raise the team after Biarritz
"But we can't bury our head in the sand, we'll see how the fellows pick themselves up."
The Ospreys have kept faith with their team, making three changes to the side that lost to Biarritz.
Sonny Parker, Ian Gough and Ryan Bevington come into the starting line-up, Andrew Bishop, Alun Wyn Jones and Paul James dropping to the bench.
"We've taken a large squad to Ireland as we will be staying here for the week [for the Ulster and Leinster game]," said Holley.
"We've given first dig to the boys from Saturday and they are ready to go again on Tuesday."
The Liberty Stadium side have not yet secured Heineken Cup qualification for next season, but that should be a formality as they are 14 points above bottom Welsh Magners League team the Scarlets, who have just three games left.
The Ospreys are one point behind Glasgow, who occupy the final league play-off place, two behind Edinburgh and Munster and nine behind leaders Leinster.
The first-placed team will be home to the fourth and the second-placed team home to the third in the play-off semi-finals.
Tuesday's Ulster match is the game in hand that the Ospreys have on all the sides above them except Leinster.
But the Ospreys are facing a Magners League investigation on 19 April after the west Wales region's late call-off of their original fixture against Ulster.
That could see the Liberty Stadium side docked points, complicating their progress.
The Ospreys can at least draw on a reasonably healthy squad, although Richard Hibbard has recently joined long-term casualties Ross Davies, Duncan Jones, Tom Isaacs, Lyndon Bateman, Tom Smith and Barry Davies on the injury list.
"It's a test of character for us now," said Holley.
"It won't be easy, but we have to get back on the horse for Ravenhill on Tuesday and Dublin on Friday.
"Those two games are going to determine to a large extent how well we do in the Magners League."
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