Frustrated Tipuric demands Ospreys switch on

JUSTIN Tipuric says the Ospreys’ shocking start to the season has put him in uncharted territory.

But the Wales and Lions flanker is confident Steve Tandy’s men can turn around their poor form and show the critics what they’re made of.

In his time at the Liberty Stadium Tipuric has been used to the Ospreys competing at the top end of the league. This term, his team have won just once in the PRO14 and have struggled in a tough Champions Cup pool against last season’s two finalists in Clermont Auvergne and Saracens.

“Going on such a long losing streak like we have is something new to me,” Tipuric said. “The performances have been getting better, it’s just a little five or ten minutes in games where we switch off.

“When we do that we find it hard to get back into the game. We always have to make up on those mistakes, so hopefully we can put in an 80-minute performance.

“If we do that it would make a massive difference to us and there’s going to be one game where it’s all going to change for us. It hasn’t been easy, but we are at our best when people write us off and say how rubbish we all are.”

Tandy’s men sit rock bottom of Conference A with only six points from eight games in the PRO14.

The impending departures of star half-backs Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar to Toulon and Northampton respectively has handed the struggling region a further blow.

Tandy is a man under pressure and Tipuric admits he himself has been struggling to come up with a reason to explain his team’s poor performances.

The Ospreys host Welsh rivals Dragons in Swansea on Friday night desperate for a win to try and get their campaign up and running.

“I wish we knew the answer to put things right. At the start of last season we couldn’t stop scoring,” added a frustrated Tipuric.

“There are things we are tweaking all the time to try and get that big win. Hopefully when we get our first victory the ball will keep rolling.”