Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy insists as disappointing as his side’s last performance was, there will simply be no excuses for a repeat against Newport Gwent Dragons as they look to return to the GUINNESS PRO12 summit.

The Welsh region, who were overhauled at the top of the GUINNESS PRO12 on Friday night after Glasgow Warriors beat the Scarlets, began the New Year with defeat to the same side.

That was their first loss to Welsh opposition in 18 league fixtures and with another Welsh rival awaiting on Sunday in the form of the Dragons, Tandy’s side will be looking to bounce back.

As a result, Tandy has also made no less than five changes with scrum-half Rhys Webb, wing Eli Walker, Richard Fussell, Duncan Jones and Sam Parry all coming into the starting XV.

And after admitting to having had a few strong words for his team after their previous display, Tandy has issued a rallying cry to his players for a far improved performance.

“We need another game to put it right to bed,” said Tandy.

“There has been some words had around our performance. We are not going to hide away from the fact of where we want to be. It wasn’t that on last weekend.

“There are quite a few areas to sharpen up if I’m honest. It’s not something we can shy away from. It was probably the most disappointing display we’ve had all season.

“Even the defeats we’ve had out in Ulster and Leinster, I felt we’ve had some real good shape.

“We’ve played towards what we wanted to do, but on the weekend it was disappointing, just our general pattern of play and a couple of issues around set-piece as well.

“We didn’t perform to the standards we have set ourselves up from the start of the season.”

The odds are further stacked in favour of the Ospreys when you consider they have won the last six fixtures with the Dragons in the GUINNESS PRO12 – their last lost to them coming three years ago.

The Dragons though have won three of their last four away games in all competitions and have beaten Ospreys this season, although that 51-35 win came in the Anglo-Welsh Cup in November.

Head coach Lyn Jones has made two changes to the side that lost at home to Cardiff Blues in Round 11, scrum-half Jonathan Evans and flanker Lewis Evans returning to the side.

And head coach Lyn Jones believes his confident side will go to the Liberty Stadium knowing they can cause an upset against a far-from invincible Ospreys side.

“It’s about confidence,” said Jones. “We don’t have many players who have been down to the Liberty Stadium and won.

“But we also don’t have many players who have gone down there and lost.

“We have a lot of players who are going there for the first time and there is no mystique or smoke and mirrors. The task is quite plain to see.

“We have won about five games in the last 11 weeks and the Ospreys have only won three. So, as far as the form book is concerned, you have two sides who are about the same.

“We respect every opposition we play against, but we have the belief we can go down there and do a job on them.

“It’s about making sure the players understand they don’t have to be supermen to go down there and get a win. We just have to be confident and perform accurately.”

At Liberty Stadium, 4pm
Live on S4C

Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 45th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens, Martyn Lewis (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Dennis Jones (WRU)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)