No other Guinness PRO12 side has been able to handle Wales duo Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar, who have guided Steve Tandy’s men to the top of the league table.
Webb tops the Pro12 try chart with seven scores while Biggar, voted as the league’s players’ player of the year in 2013/14, is the deadliest marksman with a 93 per cent success rate from the tee.
The Dragons have not beaten the Ospreys since January 2013, but Coombs has a plan to break their baron run at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday.
He said: “The Ospreys lost a lot of players in the summer but have some exciting youngsters coming through and are being marshalled really well by Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar.
“If we can put some pressure on those two players in particular then we will be in a good place on Sunday. You’ve got to give the Ospreys credit, they lost some key players and their youngsters have stepped up.”
The Dragons had a mixed festive period. They claimed a 23-17 victory over Cardiff Blues at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park but failed to back it up and lost the return fixture 11-9. Ospreys battled to a home victory against the Scarlets, but their 17-match unbeaten run was broken when they visited Parc Y Scarlets and fell to a 22-10 defeat.
Coombs said: “It was a bit of a rollercoaster start to the season and we have been in a difficult place,” said the lock, who has returned to his best form after being scuppered by suspension and niggles.
“We didn’t have the players out on the field that we needed but it’s been massive to have a settled line-up. Keeping the same pack has meant we are on the same page and everyone knows what each other is going to do.
“We are building something here and have some good partnerships coming along. We are now starting to put some good rugby together and it’s the first time in a long time that we feel confident and believe in each other.”
