Coming into the match at the Kingspan Stadium, the Ospreys boss revealed a staggering injury list that has nearly depleted half of his playing staff ahead of the clash.
“If I look at the unavailability for this week, we have Rhys Henry, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha, Huw Sutton, Rhys Davies, Adam Beard, James Fender, James Ratti, Will Griff, Harri Deaves, Jac Morgan, Ryan Conbeer, Owen Watkin, Phil Cokanasiga, Iestyn Hopkins all out,” said Booth.
“I guess that’s a pretty comprehensive list not just in number but in quality.
“We’re at 55/60%, which is a horrific amount of players fit. It is always going to be with depleting wage caps and smaller squad numbers difficult when you have injuries in the same place.
“You have to have a highly functioning academy, but we are having to bring people in to play and that is not necessarily the right thing to do but needs must.
“From that point of view, it provides the opportunity for other people to put their hands up and we will do our best to find a way like we always do. We won’t be lacking in effort, that is for sure.”
Looking to bounce back from the 29-19 defeat to the Bulls last time out it has certainly not been ideal preparation for the former London Irish coach ahead of a tricky trip into a hostile environment across the Irish Sea to Belfast.
Having won both matches in front of their vocal home support, Ulster come into the match in eighth position in the URC table and will be no pushover with Booth believing the game will be one his side will need to improve on in the accuracy department.
Despite having several chances last time out in the second period with the Bulls down to 13 men, it would be a case of a missed opportunity for the Ospreys to claim a huge scalp.
Scores from Dewi Lake, Ryan Conbeer and Morgan Morris had given hope of at least a bonus point after falling 26 points behind in the first quarter. It would though not be for the Ospreys who left the contest pointless.
Burying the frustration, this time around Booth acknowledges that despite being depleted in numbers using his familiar expression of ‘finding a way’, it is very much a case of learning from the previous fixtures to gain a result against the Irish outfit.
“We got a massive shock at the start of the game, and we have unpicked that as a team,” continued Booth.
“We need to take the learnings from it as we contributed a lot to our own downfall and that’s the disappointing thing.
“There is no point in dwelling on it, we have to look at the things that we can do better and try not to replicate the same mistakes again.
“The Bulls are right up there, if you think of the teams at the start of the season who are favourites it is them and Leinster in particular.
“The reason being is the calibre of what they do. It manifests itself into being clinical.
“If you look at our performances we haven’t been as clinical as we would like, and we have paid a price for it.
“Everyone will want to talk about the cards, and we can’t legislate for that, but what we can do is be clinical once they have them.
“We are disappointed we didn’t get anything out of the game with the time we had. If I’m honest, we should have won the game with the opportunities.
“There was a massive amount of frustration which shows the care of the team and eagerness to come in Monday despite all the disappointment.
“If you look at our block [of fixtures], we knew it was going to be tough with the injuries we took into this year.
“Having a Welsh derby, two South African sides and two Irish teams away no one is going to write down as their first five or so games.
“That is though the reality of it from where we were last year.
“I understand that people will say what they say but the big thing isn’t necessarily the outcomes, but the manner of the outcomes which have been in our control.
“We are only four games in, so let’s not get carried away.
“The atmosphere [at Raven Hill], is great especially on a Friday night. I think they are a very good team, very committed.
“It is one hell of an atmosphere, and they get behind their team. It is a tough gig.
“We have though some good players left. Some experienced players and some young players who will be full of excitement. All we can do is be the best we can be and hope that is good enough.
“Any team away from home is tough but the South African and the Irish teams normally fighting it out at the top of the table are the ones you really get test on. It’ll be no different this Friday.”
Ospreys XV to face Ulster:
Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Evardi Boshoff, Owen Williams, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy
Gareth Thomas, Sam Parry, Ben Warren, Will Greatbanks, Lewis Jones, Lewis Lloyd, Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris (captain).
Replacements:
Ethan Lewis, Garyn Phillips, Math Iowerth-Scott, Rhys Thomas, Dan Gemine, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Tom Florence, Max Nagy.
[Lead image: Ospreys Rugby]
