Mark Jones has warned his Ospreys side to beware Cardiff players who want to use Judgement Day to put their talents in the shop window.

The two city rivals meet at the Principality Stadium on Saturday against a backdrop of crisis and uncertainty at the Arms Park.

Cardiff slipped into administration last week before being rescued by the Welsh Rugby Union, but the fact is some players are free to move elsewhere if they so wish and Ospreys head coach Jones is wary some will feel the need to put on a show.

The former Wales wing had watched the drama at the Arms Park play out in the build-up to the showpiece Welsh derby and feels Cardiff players with itchy feet will be keen to impress.

“It depends how they view it.” said Jones about his side’s strife-torn opponents. 

“Some will look at it and go, ‘yeah, I see my future somewhere else now. There's no future for me here and this is my opportunity to promote myself.’

 “There’s no doubt about that and it's definitely an occasion for that. Obviously, each player will do it in their own way.”

Jones is better placed than most to know the impact of a club in financial meltdown as he was assistant coach at Worcester Warriors when they went bust in 2022.

He revealed that some players chose to quickly try and protect their own interests.

“The Worcester players were awesome in trying to put it to one side. We were working and playing without pay and some were without contracts and still turning up the work.

“You had staff doing exactly the same, not just the players.

“So, it was a good group, but we naturally had a few guys that felt like they saw themselves better off somewhere else. 

“With the uncertainty, you have to accept that. That's just the nature of human beings and everybody's different.

 “It was an awful time, but it's great to see Worcester back now and obviously in the tier two of the English system. It's great to see those people in that club coming back alive.”

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Jones’ counterpart at Cardiff, Matt Sherratt, believes most of his squad are planning to stay on and play under new contracts taken over by the Welsh Rugby Union.

When asked whether he feared losing players, Sherratt replied: "No, I don't think so.

"The first reason is I think the players are happy here. I've tried to make Cardiff an enjoyable place to play rugby.

"I want players who have a connection to the club and city, and play for a club with the history we've got.

"Hopefully all the players have an attachment, so that keeps them anyway.

"From the conversations I've had with the club, their contracts are the same as before we went into administration."

Whatever the motivation for Cardiff and their players, the Ospreys are grappling with a growing injury list as they battle to keep their United Rugby Championship (URC) play-off hopes alive.

Their fans are also hoping that Justin Tipuric has not played his final game for the region.

The influential flanker, who is set to retire at the end of the season and transition into the role of defence coach, is out of Judgement Day and now a major doubt for what was expected to be his emotional home farewell against the Dragons on 26 April.

A pectoral injury sustained during the Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Lyon has cast a shadow over that potential swansong.

"We're not sure," said Jones when asked about Tipuric's chances of playing. "We've set it up for him and his family.

“It's all set up for Tips to be around that game. He doesn't need surgery, which is awesome news.

“His mindset is that he isn't finished yet. We're giving him the best opportunity to get out there which is brilliant. 

“It means I've got to do a bit more work while he's still in his playing mode. But that's all right – I'll definitely accept that trade-off."

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Tipuric, 35, made his Ospreys debut in 2009 and has amassed 229 appearances, becoming a modern great for both club and country with 93 Wales caps and a British & Irish Lions Test cap to his name. 

Regardless of whether he takes the field again, he will be honoured at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Meanwhile, fellow Lions forward Adam Beard is also sidelined with a knee injury picked up in the same bruising encounter with Lyon. 

Though not ruled out for the season, the 29-year-old’s return date remains uncertain as he recovers.
 
Beard had only recently come back from a previous knee issue suffered in Wales’ autumn clash against Australia and is now being linked with a move to French giants Montpellier.

"We have got Adam Beard and Justin Tipuric who have recovered a bit better than we thought. They will be around selection, hopefully, between now and the end of the season.

“What we don't know is the timescale on that, we're still waiting to hear back around that," added Jones.

The injury setbacks don't stop there. Number eight Morgan Morris and second row Rhys Davies have both been ruled out for the remainder of the season and are set to undergo surgery this week. 

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While their involvement in Wales' summer tour of Japan is still uncertain, neither will feature again in domestic action this term.

"Morgan and Rhys are waiting for some surgical intervention and that's going to happen later in the week," said Jones.

"We're assuming we won't see them for our games. Whether they get back for tours or anything like that, I'm not sure.

“We'll have to wait and see but we don't see them being around for us."

Davies’ absence is particularly cruel. The 26-year-old lock endured a lengthy lay-off earlier in the year due to a knee injury, returned at the end of March, and quickly impressed with a string of commanding displays—only to suffer another setback.

"He's disappointed because he's had to deal with so much this year, mentally around the injuries and the disappointment of being injured," said Jones.

"He has put so much effort and commitment into coming back and everybody could see that work he's done has been incredible.

“He's come back looking like a million dollars in the way he's played."

Morris, also 26, played through a painful ankle issue during the Lyon game but will now undergo surgery to fix a stability problem in his foot. Like Davies, he was seen as a contender for a spot on Wales’ summer tour, especially with a change of coaching staff potentially altering selection dynamics.

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"He's got he's got an issue with his foot in terms of the stability of it," said Jones.

"The concern is it's not going to fix itself and might need some intervention, so he's going to get that done.

“We feel that sets him up best for a pretty quick pre-season and he can hit the ground running for next year.

“The thing is to get him right and give him the best chance of flying into next season."

With four of his senior forwards out, Jones is now turning to the next generation, with James Fender and Morgan Morse among those expected to step up in a crucial run of fixtures. 

The Ospreys have four league games remaining, starting with Cardiff at the Principality Stadium, followed by the Dragons clash and a testing tour of South Africa.