Ryan Jones targets European joy

Jan 1 2008 by Andy Howell, Western Mail

JUBILANT Ryan Jones hailed the back-on-track Ospreys following their derby victory over the Blues, declaring, “Bring on Europe.”

The fit-again Wales and British Lions back-rower believes Welsh rugby’s big-spenders are ready to rumble in their must-win Heineken Cup clash with Gloucester at the Liberty Stadium on January 12.

Jones outlined the importance of yesterday’s 22-3 Magners League humbling of the Blues, who have major problems at half-back ahead of their vital Euro clashes with Harlequins and Bristol.

After a New Year’s Eve derby clash that attracted a bumper 16,509 crowd to the Liberty, Magners champions Ospreys still lie seventh in the table.

But Jones, 26, insisted, “I think we turned the corner with this win.

“We brought physicality to the game and a defence that will win not only games, but silverware.

“There are things to work on but we are not a bunch of boys who will shy away from it.”

The Ospreys have to beat Gloucester and Bourgoin in France to book a passage into the knockout stage of the Heineken Cup for the first time since being formed five years ago.

That’s the minimum requirement for the star-studded region following a summer spending spree which netted them New Zealand ace Marty Holah and Wales caps Ian Gough and Mike Phillips.

“Of course it is,” agreed Jones, when that precise suggestion was put to him.

“Make no illusions, we approach every game to win it. We do not accept a loss easily. We demand a lot of ourselves.”

And he warned Guinness Premiership leaders Gloucester, who are five points clear of Bath in England, “If we can get it right, we know we are not only capable of reaching the last eight but of doing well in the competition.

“It is just a case of getting it right.”

Jones insisted the Blues, who are second in the Magners and will qualify for the quarter-finals of the Heineken if they beat Harlequins in Cardiff and Bristol away, were a class outfit.

“Take nothing away from them, they are on top of their game and came here with immense confidence,” he said.

“We were aware of that challenge, we fronted up to it and we won.”

Blues boss David Young is backing the Ospreys to take care of Gloucester, saying, “We all know they should be and can be one of the best teams in Europe.

“They showed glimpses of that during the game against Gloucester at Kingsholm. I’m sure that if they play like they did against us, then Gloucester will find it very difficult to crack them.”

Young didn’t pull any punches about why the Blues had come off distinctly second-best yesterday.

“It is quite simple really as, certainly early on, our discipline without the ball wasn’t good enough.

“Yes, we were under pressure but we allowed them to rattle up some points. But the kicking game between the two sides was really the difference.

“They kicked well and we never did. In fairness, their defence was also good, their line speed really caused us problems.

“Their defence outplayed our attack. When we did have the ball, I think we got into the Ospreys 22 three or four times but we spilled the ball. They are a good side.”

And Young warned his charges, “We have got to improve our kicking game, that goes without saying.

“We have also got to respect the ball and we have got to improve our attack.”

Young defended his half-back pairing of Richie Rees and Nick Macleod - first-choicers Jason Spice and Nick Robinson were on the injured list.

“We have a number of kicking options in that back-line but we did not kick particularly well right across it,” he said.