Flying Fussell set for milestone

His 100th appearance in the black jersey comes just three years and seven months after his debut,  a defeat to Ulster on the opening weekend of the 2010/11 season, when he also scored his first Ospreys try.
 
Fussell signed for the Ospreys in the summer of 2010, arriving at the Liberty Stadium with a reputation as a try-scoring winger and he lived up to the billing with nine tries in his first season. Towards the end of that first campaign, however, he converted to full-back, where he has remained ever since.
 
His total of 16 tries overall places him joint ninth in the all-time list for the region, level with James Hook and Stefan Terblanche and just two behind Ashley Beck.
 
“It’s something I’m proud of” said Fussell as he looked ahead to his landmark match on Friday night.
 
“To play 100 games within four years is quite a big achievement and on a personal level, I’m really looking forward to getting out there and having a crack at Leinster. A win against them will be vital for us, pushing for the end of the season., but we need to make sure we get the basics right first.”
 
“Touch wood I haven’t had any serious injuries while I’ve been here, and to play so many games shows great faith in me from the coaches. I came here as a winger, but I think I’ve worked on my game and developed a lot. Playing in a different position has been a challenge for myself, but I’ve become a bit of an old head in the team, in the backs. It’s pleasing to see these youngsters coming through and learning, enjoying their rugby.”
 
“Now is the time for the boys to stand up. We want to push for the top four. We know that it’s not entirely in our hands but we can only do what we can do. Our benchmark for the end of the season is the top four and we’ll be bitterly disappointed if we don’t get into the play-offs.”
 
Andy Lloyd, Rugby Operations Manager, paid tribute to Fussell, hailing his consistency.
 
“Richard is Mr Reliable for the Ospreys” said Lloyd.
 
“To reach 100 appearances in a little over three and a half years is remarkable in the modern professional game. He is a great professional who makes a huge contribution to our environment, on and off the field.”
 
“It seems to be the case that he goes under the radar away from Llandarcy, but any player who is averaging 25 games a season, performing as consistently as Richard does week in, week out, is clearly vital to our cause. His hard work ethic is an example to any young player coming through the system at the Ospreys. We have some exciting young talent coming through the ranks, but he continues to play a big role, both in terms of team performance and in the development of the next generation.”
 
“He will be leading by example again on Friday night, and will want nothing more than to be part of a team performance that will help us push on towards the play-offs.”