Ahead of Judgement Day IV, we managed to speak to Ospreys winger Hanno Dirksen, and gather his thoughts before going into the massive game against Cardiff Blues at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
In the tight race for a top six position in the Guinness Pro12, Ospreys face Blues and then Ulster at home, with ten points from those two games putting them in very good stead. However, with three other teams vying for sixth place in Edinburgh, Munster and Blues, it’ll be a big ask for Steve Tandy’s men to overtake the aforementioned trio, as they currently sit in ninth.
South African winger Dirksen says the Ospreys are looking positive going into Judgement Day, and insists that they will be casting their eyes firmly on a top six finish. He said:
We’ve won our last two games and gotten five points in each so we’re pretty positive coming into this game. We had a buy week last week so we’re pretty fresh, and we’ve been training very well this week. So hopefully we can come and give the crowd a good performance.
There’s going to be so many people here – both teams will be raring to go. For us, we want to make that top six as well, so it’s going to be a very tough day at the office for both teams.
Playing at the 74,000 capacity Principality Stadium is a big plus point for the Liberty Stadium outfit, and Dirksen claims that it’s going to be exciting to go out there and play in Cardiff. The 25-year-old said:
Some players haven’t played here before, and like myself, I’ve only ever played here once, and that was a very good occasion and I loved it. As a player you want to play in front of good crowds, and it’s going to be an exciting day.
Putting aside the huge spectacle of Judgement Day, Dirksen insists that Ospreys’ sole focus is on that top six spot. Despite a pretty mixed campaign, the speedster says that reaching a Champions Cup spot will put a new light on what could be considered as a disappointing 2015/16 season. He added:
Like I said, we want to make the top six, so a win on Saturday will give us a bigger boost for our last home game against Ulster. Then if we win that, I think we’ll be able to make the top six, and that’ll be closing the season on a high.
It’ll sure be interesting to see the outcome of Saturday’s game between the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues – it really is a massive game for both sides.
