Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of the Boxing Day match against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens.
Here’s what Alan had to say:
On the Ospreys performance
- With 13 minutes to go we were 29-18 up and in a powerful position. But in that final quarter we gave away six penalties, five of them at the contact area, that is what cost us.
- Overall we gave away 16 penalties to their nine. Of those penalties nine were in the contact area and four in the maul.
How do you assess the season so far?
- The season is still early days and it is still very much in its infancy but we need to improve our discipline and cut our errors to a minimum.
- As far as the European Rugby Challenge Cup is concerned, it is going to be difficult to progress but we could, and should, have won both games.
- The Challenge Cup has given us the opportunity to give game time to a number of players at a time when there is no Premiership Rugby Shield.
- In what is going to be an attritional season, giving those guys that game time is going to be very beneficial.
On facing Northampton
- It’s going to be a tough game, as they all are in the Premiership.
- If you look at their team overall they are a very powerful side with the likes of Nick Isiekwe, Courtney Lawes, Teimana Harrison, David Ribbans, Dan Biggar and Taqele Naiyarovoro. So they do have quality players.
- Sometimes teams get a run of results where things just don’t go your way.
- But the Premiership is a marathon, not a sprint. We have played only three matches so far and we will end the season with nine Premiership games on the trot.
Is there pressure to get a win?
- You can’t put the cart before the horse. If you focus on the result before the performance then you are doing that.
- It’s only a good performance that will get a good result.
Injuries
- Francois Venter is still not feeling well and so he is unlikely to be available this weekend.
- Sam Lewis missed the Ospreys game through illness but we hope that he will return to training on Thursday.
- Nick Schonert has recovered from an ankle injury and he has returned to training which is a positive.
- Matt Kvesic has recovered from a shoulder injury and is training fully again.
- Graham Kitchener is now training but is not quite ready to play.
- Tom Howe is still out with a calf injury.
- Ed Fidow has suffered a slight recurrence of a hamstring injury.