Wales star Dewi Lake admits the Ospreys have made it tough for themselves to make the play-offs, but says they will draw inspiration from what they achieved last season.
A year ago, they were given just a two per cent chance of finishing in the top eight going into Round 18, but overcame those odds to force their way in.
They are up against it once again this term following successive league defeats to the Scarlets and Cardiff, especially as they have to travel to South Africa for the final two rounds.
But hooker Lake insists they have not given up hope as they head into another derby clash - at home against the Dragons on Saturday.
“We have made it tough for ourselves again with results not going our way in the last couple of league games,” he said.
“The top eight is our objective and we know we are probably looking at three wins from three to secure that. There’s no hiding away from that. So that’s our goal, that’s our focus. Nothing is ever out of reach.
“That’s evident from how we snuck into the play-offs with the final game last year.”
As well as losing their last two matches in the league, the Ospreys also bowed out of the Challenge Cup this month, suffering a narrow quarter-final defeat to Lyon which was tough to take.
“We have gone through peaks and troughs over the last few weeks, but the disappointments add fuel to the fire,” said Lake.
“We know what we need to do to get into that final eight and extend our season and that’s given us a massive boost in motivation.”
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Coach Mark Jones added: “We said we needed three out of four and now there’s only three left, so the maths is pretty simple, isn’t it?
“We have got another local rival this week and then we have got a great opportunity to go to South Africa on tour and get stuck into two tasty fixtures over there.
“There’s no reason why we can’t get three wins. We have been to South Africa and won before. The expectation is we are going to need to do it again, we are going to need to do it twice.”
Giving his take on the 13th-placed Ospreys, Dragons coach Filo Tiatia said: “They are a very good side. We beat them at Rodney Parade in the first game of the season, so they will be waiting for us.
“We are under no illusions about their DNA and what’s coming. They will be tough, but we are excited for it.”
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Scarlets v Leinster Rugby, 5.15pm, Saturday
Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel has been outlining what he believes it will take to beat the in-form team in world rugby.
That’s how he describes league leaders Leinster who have only lost once in all competitions this season.
Peel’s men have to become just the second side to beat them if they are to keep their play-off hopes alive.
“It’s going to be a big occasion against the team in the best form in world club rugby,” said the former Wales scrum-half.
“They are a fantastic side. They have won 20 out of 21 this season and you’ve seen how good they’ve been over the last few weeks.
“But I don’t see it as a daunting thing. It’s obviously going to be a massive challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for us to have a go at them and try and make them uneasy.
“You’ve got to try and upset the rhythm of their game and get in amongst them.”
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In terms of how to break down Leinster’s notoriously mean defence, Peel said: “You’ve got to be brave and you’ve got to be bold. You have got to be smart as well.
“Their defensive set-up is very aggressive. They come off the line and they want to hit you behind the gain-line.
“They are very intense defensively. You look at their last two European games against Harlequins and Glasgow - two pretty efficient attacking sides - and they nilled them both.
“So you’ve got to play in the right areas, you’ve got to be accurate and you’ve got to be as physical as you can be.
“I want to see us show a bit of character and try and upset them the best we can. You want to test yourselves against the best and we are excited about it.”
On the play-off battle facing the ninth-placed Scarlets, Peel said: “It’s so congested between fifth and 11th, 12th.
“There’s a lot of rugby to be played, with sides playing each other, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes down to the last week.”
Adding the players’ perspective on the home showdown with Leinster, skipper Josh Macleod said: “The support has been great all season and hopefully we will have a decent turn-out. It’s a big game for us in the context of the league.”
