Ospreys set for Scarlets repeat

Preview

■By BEN JAYCOCK

Ospreys v Scarlets

Today. 5.30pm

OSPREYS head coach Mark Jones has rung the changes for the last 16 derby clash after going down 38-22 to their rivals in the URC last weekend.

Jones brings in full-back Jack Walsh, wings Dan Kasende and Keelan Giles, centre Keiran Williams and scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams.

Wales hooker Dewi Lake returns to the Ospreys pack along with prop Tom Botha and lock Rhys Davies. Flanker Justin Tipuric’s reintroduction to the back row sees Wales captain Jac Morgan switch from open to blindside.

Lake has not started for club or country since Ospreys’ Challenge Cup trip to Montpellier in mid-December. After undergoing bicep surgery, he made two replacement appearances for Wales in the Six Nations and came off the bench for Ospreys at Parc y Scarlets last weekend.

“We’re looking forward to this one,” said Jones. “Ospreys-Scarlets is always a massive fixture and for it to be the first time the teams have faced each other in the knockout rounds of an EPCR competition, it adds an extra edge.”

Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel makes two tweaks to his side. Wales hooker Ryan Elias switches with Marnus van der Merwe and Jac Price comes in for Alex Craig at lock.

Ospreys have home advantage having clinched second place in Pool 2 with a late comeback win at Pau, along with wins over Newcastle and Lions, losing only at Montpellier.

Scarlets finished third in Pool 3, beating Black Lion and Vannes at home, but losing at Bayonne and Gloucester.