Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy has called for more of the same after their backs to the wall performance away to Treviso ensured a winning start to their RaboDirect PRO12 campaign.

This weekend the Ospreys travel to defending champions Leinster for their fourth success away game in the competition and they are winless on their last three visits to Ireland.

Tandy makes just one change to the side that defeated Treviso – British & Irish Lion Ian Evans coming into the second row in place of Ryan Jones, who injured his shoulder in Italy.

And the head coach is targeting another away victory before his troops return to the Liberty Stadium.

“It was good to get off to a positive start last weekend,” he said.

“We wanted to build some real momentum in the opening weeks of the season and although there's plenty of room for improvement there's a lot to be happy about after a tough game in Italy.

“The spirit and effort shown by the boys was fantastic, that was probably the most pleasing thing for me. When we had to dog it out at the end, it was backs to the wall stuff and we came through a very difficult test.

“Looking forward to this weekend, there's been plenty to work on off the back of last Saturday, a few things to put right, but the attitude of the group has been good.

“Leinster away is always tough and we wouldn't expect it to be any different this weekend. They've got strength in depth and whatever team they pick we know that as a team we are going to have to be at our best to be able to build on the win in Treviso and keep the momentum going.

“We want to come back to the Liberty next week to play Edinburgh on the back of another positive performance, so that there will be a real buzz around the Liberty to welcome the boys back for the first home game of the PRO12 season, and a good crowd getting behind the region.”

Leinster are usually slow starters in the RaboDirect PRO12 but they flew out of the blocks last weekend with a thumping 42-19 victory away at the Scarlets.

Head coach Matt O’Connor has named an unchanged backline which means Jimmy Gopperth continues in the No.10 jersey, with Ian Madigan coming onto the bench, but he has made four changes to his pack.

In the front row Mike Ross and Richardt Strauss both come into the fray while Mike McCarthy makes his first start for the province in the second row following his summer move from Connacht and Kevin McLaughlin comes in for Rhys Ruddock on the blindside

And centre Gordon D’Arcy, who missed the climax to last season, is relishing the chance to continue Leinster’s winning start to the campaign.

"Obviously, it was disappointing to miss the two end-of-year games. But I've been around long enough and missed very few big, important matches. You win some and lose some on that front," he told the Irish Independent.

"The flip side of that is I got a great holiday, plenty of time off my feet and the fitness guys here had a brilliant programme ready and waiting for me when I came back in.

“Everything being everything, I couldn't have asked for a better last three or four months' preparation."

At RDS Dublin, 6.15pm.
Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU, 29th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Peter Fitzgibbon, Maurice Black (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Live on RTE