Last Thursday’s shock defeat at Zebre means the Ospreys cannot now qualify for the semi-finals regardless of how results pan out this weekend. The Ospreys can still finish level on points with fourth-placed Ulster but the Northern Irish outfit already have two more wins to their name so they cannot be caught, even if the sides end up tied on 66 points after 22 rounds of action.
Victory in Parma last week would have made the Ospreys favourites for a play-off berth given that Ulster have to travel to Munster on Saturday but instead Steve Tandy’s men will have to make do with a fifth-place finish for the second season running.
Tandy and co insist there is no chance of the region simply easing off despite the fact that there is nothing riding on the result, though, with Wales fly half Dan Biggar and co determined to make amends in Swansea.
“It’s extremely disappointing that we go into Saturday’s game unable to finish in the top four, but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing to play for. It’s important that we prepare for the match with the right attitude and target a positive finish to the season in front of our supporters who have been excellent all year again,” said Tandy.
“To miss out on the play-offs is incredibly frustrating, but we’ve got to use that feeling as motivation to kick on. This is a young group of players and for many of them, they wouldn’t have felt disappointment like they did last weekend, but it is all part of the development process and they will learn from this.
“It’s hugely important that we are professional about how we approach Saturday’s game” said Biggar. “We are professionals, we are paid to do a job that other people would love to do, and we want to make sure we finish off on a high, at home, in front of our great supporters.
“We’ve probably disappointed them a bit this season, particularly on the road, so we are desperate to put on a good show for them so that they can go away for the summer appreciating what we are trying to do and happy that, regardless of our failures this season, we are heading in the right direction.
“Some of these young boys have progressed exceptionally over the course of the season and now we all need to make sure they get the support they need to help kick the Ospreys on to the next level.”
Those sentiments have been echoed by Wales centre Andrew Bishop after he experienced mixed emotions on his comeback from a long-term back problem at the weekend.
“Everyone wants to get back on the pitch after last week. Everyone wants to get back out there and put things right,” added Bishop.
“There will be a weight on everyone’s shoulders this Saturday after last Thursday’s performance. Being one of the senior players, I will be putting an extra five or 10 per cent in to try and inspire the boys and inspire everyone around me.
“You say it’s a nothing game, but there’s a lot of pride at stake and we want to show what the Ospreys are about. There’s a huge amount of pride in this squad. We’re not used to being in this position where we’re not in the competition at this time of the year and it’s difficult to think like that, but we want to come away with a win and a great performance on Saturday.”
