Ospreys players cool coach talk

Shane Williams returned to action in the home loss to Munster

Shane Williams has denied that the speculation over the Ospreys head coach position has unsettled the players.

Ex-Wales coach Scott Johnson is the latest to be linked with the role, currently occupied by Sean Holley.

"Sean and Jonathan (Humphreys) are the coaches at the moment and we play for them and we work hard for them, they work hard for us," said wing Williams.

"It's out of the players' hands who becomes the coach or whatever but what will be will be."

Williams returned to action after injury on Friday night as the Ospreys lost 21-15 at home to Magners League title rivals Munster.

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"Very disappointed really, we pretty much lost that game ourselves, the discipline was quite poor, a couple of errors in key positions and very frustrating really," Williams added.

"It wasn't a game that I got involved in too much unfortunately.

"It was always going to be tough, Munster are a very good side and they they are a side that can win the big games, we know that through the Heineken Cup.

"Munster showed the experience and how to win the big games and we need to learn from that."

The Ospreys now go into back-to-back Heineken Cup matches, knowing that realistically they must win away in France against Perpignan and then home to Leicester if they are to advance from Pool Three.

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"Perpignan aren't going to be very easy to beat away from home and certainly now with the likes of (New Zealand fly-half) Dan Carter they've got there as well that their squad has certainly been strengthened," Williams said.

"It is tough, if we do well there we've got Leicester the following week - it's tough at the top but it's a very important couple of weeks as far as the Ospreys are concerned.

"We need to win both remaining games, we're certainly capable of it but we need to grow up a little bit."

Centre Sonny Parker suffered a side strain in Friday night's loss to Munster but early indications were that the injury is not serious.

The former Wales international's fitness will be monitored by Ospreys medical staff next week ahead of the trip to Perpignan.