Ospreys Calling

The race for play-off qualification continues to heat up as Munster travel to Wales to face Ospreys this Saturday, with first meeting fifth in Round 17 of the Guinness PRO12.

Following on from last weekend’s win over Glasgow Warriors in Cork, the province will hope to complete a formidable block of PRO12 matches on a winning note as they face their third Welsh outfit in less than a month.

Mixed fortunes to date in terms of Welsh opposition saw Foley’s men secure a 33-16 win at home to Cardiff Blues, while an away trip to face Scarlets proved a far stiffer test – Munster coming from behind and needing two late tries to salvage a 25-25 draw in the last action of the game.

Incidentally, their provincial counter parts Leinster can relate to the perseverance required to recover 2 league points on Welsh soil – the eastern province needing a late penalty against Ospreys to secure a 9-9 draw on Friday night.

This weekend it’s the turn of Munster to travel to the Liberty Stadium, a venue where Ospreys remain undefeated in their last 11 league games – winning ten and drawing one. In fact, Munster are the last visiting league team to win at the ground, doing so in February of last year. That said, the province’s overall record in all competitions at Liberty Stadium remains; won three and lost eight.

Not only will this weekend’s hosts take confidence from running Leinster so close – together with provincial wins over Ulster and Connacht – but it was the Welshmen who handed Munster their second home defeat of the current campaign, winning 14-19 at Thomond Park in Round 4.

The 2012 PRO12 semi-final saw the province endure a 45-10 defeat at the Liberty and since then have won just once in Swansea. However, the sides are more evenly met in terms of their last five head to heads – winning two apiece and playing out one draw.

It’s also worth noting that the sides currently share the spoils when it comes to the best defensive record in the league to date – both conceding just 19 tries.

While Foley’s men will hope to maintain the form and momentum that’s seen them climb to the summit of the PRO12 table, Ospreys for their part will hope to right the inconsistencies of the recent weeks – including away losses to Glasgow and Edinburgh – and reclaim their top 4 position in the league standings. To do so would see them achieve their first season’s double over the Munstermen since 2011/12.

Ospreys v Munster, Guinness PRO12 Round 17, Saturday March 7^th at the Liberty Stadium – KO 2:40pm.

This game will be televised on Sky Sports while you can also follow the action on Twitter: @munsterrugby #OspVMun