There are plenty of bulky items kicking around an airport without an entire rugby squad adding to the hefty haul.

As they shuffled around the zig-zag of the check-in for the short hop to Wales yesterday, you sensed the Glasgow Warriors players were carrying the excess baggage of crushing disappointment.

Last weekend's 23-8 loss to Newport Gwent Dragons was about as uplifting a spectacle as watching a documentary on The History of Aviation Disasters in the departure lounge, after all. Having taken flight with five straight wins in the RaboDirect PRO12, the last few weeks have witnessed a crash landing.

Two defeats in three matches have halted some early momentum but Gregor Townsend's men are determined to get airborne again. Tonight's encounter with Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium offers a swift chance for redemption.

"We realised we let ourselves down more than anything last week," said Ed Kalman, who will start in the front row at the Liberty Stadium alongside Ryan Grant and Pat MacArthur. "It was all our own doing and in a strange way, that's a good thing. That simply means we can fix it ourselves."

The omens look good. Glasgow, fourth in the table and two points behind their second-placed Welsh rivals, have won the last four between the sides. With Wales in Test action against Australia at the weekend, the Ospreys have had their wings clipped somewhat and are without an army of players.

However, both Kalman and the Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend, know that those coming in are not merely members of the rank and file. "What sets the Ospreys apart is the strength of their squad; they still have a great amount of talent" warned Kalman.

Townsend, too, is guarded. In contrast to the hosts, he has just about a full complement of players to choose from - barring the injured and a Fijian contingent who have answered the call of their country - and has welcomed back seven Scotland players into the line-up after the end of the autumn Test series.

"During November there are always disruptions," said Townsend. "We handled it very well in Galway [where they beat Connacht]. That was one of best performances of the year but we didn't get things right last week, starting from me as coach in getting the preparations right, to getting our actions during the game right. We lost to a team that fought harder than us to win. But it's been an excellent week in training on Monday and Tuesday.

"You get the feeling from the players just how hard they are working to improve. The way they trained this week compared to last week was night and day. The Ospreys play really well even when they don't have their Lions or so-called players. I think last year they lost their first three games in the league and then won 11 out of 12 during the time they had to play with squad players. They've got quality, a great work ethic and a toughness."

While tonight remains the chief focus, Townsend did afford himself a brief look at the forthcoming fixture list. His side will return to the Principality next week for a crucial Heineken Cup match against Cardiff Blues before welcoming the Welshmen to Scotstoun for the return fixture the following Friday. Then there is the small matter of back-to-back meetings with Edinburgh in the PRO12 series between Christmas and the New Year. It's all action.

"Yes, it's a very important time," he said. "We've looked at our next eight fixtures and talked about our next 55 days together as a group until the Six Nations kicks in. It's great to look forward to; there are some cracking fixtures."