Ospreys have won just one GUINNESS PRO12 game this term and head coach Steve Tandy admits that Saturday’s clash with Zebre is when they must start turning their season around.

Ospreys’ solitary victory in the last seven rounds of GUINNESS PRO12 play was a hard-fought 25-22 triumph over Treviso in round 4 but their record against Zebre gives reason for optimism – they have only lost to the Italians on one occasion, a 30-27 defeat in May 2014.

But Zebre head to the Liberty Stadium on a high, having recorded back-to-back victories over Cardiff Blues and Edinburgh, meaning they are trying to win three on the spin for the first time in their history.

And Tandy claims there is no danger of his troops underestimating the opposition this weekend.

“Zebre are coming here off the back of two very good wins over Edinburgh and the Blues and will no doubt fancy their chances so we'll have to be on our game,” he said.

“We have to cut out the unnecessary mistakes that have been costing us, we have to be clinical and accurate, and everybody needs to not just know their roles but keep calm under pressure and stick to what we've practiced all week.

“There's no two ways about it, this weekend has to be where we start performing like an Ospreys team. We haven't been at the level expected so far this season and the PRO12 table tells its own story.

“It's disappointing but we won't dwell on the last few weeks, we are looking forward and looking at how we can start climbing the table.

“In order to do that, we need to go up several levels from where we have been so far this season, particularly with this game starting off a busy period of big games.”

Tandy makes four personnel changes to the side that lost to Glasgow Warriors last time out as winger Dafydd Howells and centre Jonathan Spratt come into the back-line while Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Baker are recalled to the second and back rows respectively.

Baker will start at No.8, meaning James King switches to blindside flanker while Zebre also make a change at No.6 from the Blues triumph with Jacopo Sarto replacing the injured Jean Cook.

The only other alteration to the Italians’ starting XV is also injury-enforced and comes at full-back as Guglielmo Palazzani replaces Dion Berryman.

Zebre currently occupy their highest-ever position in the GUINNESS PRO12 standings, ninth, after achieving their first-ever five-point haul by triumphing 26-15 against the Blues.

And despite Ospreys’ indifferent start to the season, Zebre team manager Andrea de Rossi is anticipating an intimidating environment as the Welshmen try to avoid losing three matches in succession at the Liberty Stadium for the first time in their history.

“We will find a special atmosphere – the Ospreys are a strong team and a club with great tradition in this competition,” said de Rossi.

“They arrive following five defeats in the first six games of the season but surely will deploy all their Welsh internationals for this challenge.

“We are ahead of them in the table for the first time but the two last wins in Parma belong to the past now.

“We must continue to be hungry for results, keep our feet on the ground and have strong concentration as they are key factors to success in these high-level challenges.”

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At Liberty Stadium, 2.30pm
Referee: Gary Conway (IRFU, 17th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Sean Brickell, Greg Morgan (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Jeff Mark (WRU)