What odds on an Ospreys win at Saracens this weekend? It’s a bit of a long-shot according to most bookies.
On their return to the Champions Cup this season the Welsh region head to London to face the reigning champions in a game in which the home side are 1/25 on to win and you can get 20/1 on an Ospreys triumph.
No wonder after the eight tries, two of which came from the irrepressible Liam Williams, the Sarries ran in at Franklin’s Gardens in their 57-13 demolition of Northampton Saints. If the Ospreys thought it was tough against the French champions Clermont Auvergne last weekend, then look out on Saturday!
It is a dramatic turn-around in fortunes for arguably the most successful of the four Welsh regions over the past 20 years and must be tough for some of the players. Take Justin Tipuric, for instance, who has been on the winning side for most of his eight-year tenure, at the club.
“Going on such a long losing streak like we have is something new to me, but I think there’s going to be one game where it’s all going to change,” said Tipuric.
“It hasn’t been easy, there’s no point denying that. We are at our best when people write us off and say how rubbish we all are.
“I wish we knew the answer to put it right. We are only playing for about 65-70 minutes and that’s killing us – we have to switch on for the full 80.
“We gave away two soft tries in the opening 10 minutes against Clermont and that immediately put us under pressure.”
Saracens are unbeaten in their last 19 games in the Champions Cup having won the title for the past two seasons. They have won their last 13 games at home and the last team to beat them in a home tie was Toulouse in 2013 in a game played at Wembley Stadium.
The Ospreys have failed to win in their last 20 away games in the Champions Cup – 19 defeats and a draw with Benetton – and have to go back to a 62-7 triumph in Viadana in the third round in 2009 for their last success on foreign soil.
“It certainly doesn’t get any easier for us having to play against the best team in Europe and some of the best players in the world,” added the 51-times capped Tipuric.
“Nobody will be expecting us to win, so there won’t be any pressure on us. The performances have been getting better, it’s just a little five or 10 minutes where we switch off and then find it hard to get back into the game.”
