McBryde wary of Ospreys intent as Welsh Six Nations spots up for grabs
Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde is anticipating a tough encounter from a fired-up Ospreys in their United Rugby Championship clash at Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday evening (kick-off 7.35pm).
While the Welsh region currently occupy 12th spot in the URC standings – 11 places and 29 points adrift of Leinster – recent derby victories over Scarlets and Cardiff have put a significant spring in their step.
Additionally, the Six Nations Championship is just around the corner and Warren Gatland is ready to begin his second stint as Welsh head coach. Having worked alongside the New Zealander throughout his first tenure with the national side, McBryde is aware that the Ospreys players will be using Saturday’s game as an ideal opportunity to put themselves in the frame for selection.
“Anybody who has been on the outside and out of favour, all of a sudden they probably think ‘Right, let’s go. It’s a clean slate, let’s show him what I can do’. It’s the Welsh derbies and the big games in Europe. Those are the sort of shop windows for those players to make an impression on Gats and the rest of the coaching team,” McBryde explained.
“It will be a tough contest for us because there’s a lot of those boys that are knocking on the door. With the Six Nations just around the corner, they’re going to be tough.”
After making 13 changes to his starting line-up for the New Year’s Day triumph over interprovincial rivals Connacht, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has opted for 10 alterations on this occasion. Jordan Larmour, Charlie Ngatai and Jimmy O’Brien are retained in the back line (albeit O’Brien switches from full-back to the left-wing), while Michael Ala’alatoa and 22-year-old lock Brian Deeny remain in the Blues’ pack.
In the absence of the injured Jonathan Sexton, Harry Byrne picks up his 40th senior provincial cap at out-half. It is anticipated Byrne’s older brother Ross will get the nod for forthcoming European duels with Gloucester and Racing 92 in the likely event of Sexton remaining on the sidelines, but he is held in reserve along with fellow Irish internationals James Ryan and Josh van der Flier.
The services of the latter duo could prove to be invaluable off the bench with the experienced international quartet of Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Nicky Smith and Tomas Francis giving Ospreys a formidable look up front.
C Evans; M Protheroe, M Collins, K Williams, K Giles; O Williams, R Morgan-Williams; N Smith, D Lake, T Francis; R Davies, A Wyn Jones; E Roots, J Tipuric, M Morris.
S Baldwin, G Thomas, T Botha, H Sutton, H Deaves, M Aubrey, J Hawkins, J Walsh.
H Keenan; J Larmour, J Osborne, C Ngatai, J O’Brien; H Byrne, C Foley; C Healy, D Sheehan, M Ala’alatoa; R Molony, B Deeny; R Ruddock, S Penny, J Conan.
J McKee, M Milne, V Abdaladze, J Ryan, J van der Flier, N McCarthy, R Byrne, R Russell.
Andrea Piardi