Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy admits Friday’s clash against Leinster Rugby will prove crucial in his side’s bid to make the GUINNESS PRO12 play-offs.

Ospreys have lost their last two GUINNESS PRO12 matches, both in Scotland in successive weeks, to Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors.

It has dropped Tandy’s troops from top spot to fifth in the table, and they will be without 13 players for the game against Leinster because of international duty with Wales and Wales Under-20s.

However, the Ospreys have not lost three successive GUINNESS PRO12 encounters since September 2012, and Tandy says they will be looking to get back to winning ways at the Liberty Stadium.

"We've been on the road for the last five weekends so it's good to be coming back to the Liberty this Friday night, for the first of three consecutive home games that will have a huge bearing on our play-off hopes,” said Tandy.

“With that in mind, and given the quality of the opposition we are up against, we need a noisy and passionate crowd getting behind us from the very first whistle. Having played a run of difficult away games we have to make the most of home advantage now that we have it.

"After the disappointment of the last two games up in Scotland we are all well aware of what's at stake over these next few games.”

Ospreys have won their last ten matches played at the Liberty Stadium in the GUINNESS PRO12 but they face an in-form Leinster, who have won three of their last four fixtures in the league.

In total there are seven changes to the Leinster team that beat Zebre last Friday. However, Zane Kirchner continues at full-back with Fergus McFadden selected on the left wing for his 120th Leinster cap.

On the right wing Dave Kearney starts in place of Luke Fitzgerald with Gordon D'Arcy and Ben Te'o once again selected in the centre.

Isaac Boss captains the side from scrum-half with Jimmy Gopperth, who scored a try and four successful kicks in a 14-point haul last weekend, starting at No.10.

In the pack, Richardt Strauss starts at hooker with Tadhg Furlong also coming in from the start at tight-head.

In the second row, Tom Denton starts alongside Kane Douglas and in the back row there are two changes with Rhys Ruddock returning from injury to start at blindside flanker, while Josh Van Der Flier makes his second start of the season at open side.

Luke McGrath is named among the replacements but the scrum-half admits his fourth-placed side cannot afford any more slip-ups.

“Against a team like Ospreys you can't make the easy mistakes like we did in the first half. That's a big focus for us going in to Friday,” he said.

"Every time we play Ospreys we know it's going to be so tough. We played them four times last year, so we know a lot about them. Every time we play them it seems to be very close, and no doubt it will be this week as well.”

At Liberty Stadium, 7.35pm. Live on BBC Wales/TG4
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 42nd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans, Chris Williams (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)
TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)