Morris started in the back row in the Guinness PRO14 defeat to Munster in Cork last weekend and is one of two players who started that match who line-up against Connacht. Tom Williams is the other, while centre Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, lock James Ratti and No 8 Guido Volpi all came off the bench in the 49-13 defeat.
“Eight of the boys from our Round 1 win over the Scarlets had the chance to travel with the senior team last weekend and play against Munster. Having them experience another level again playing out there then coming back into our group is an advantage for us going into this game against Connacht,” said Ospreys head coach Richard Fussell.
After that opening round win over arch-rivals the Scarlets, Fussell’s side came crashing down to earth at St Helen’s last weekend as they conceded eight tries in a 52-7 defeat to Munster A. Connacht, meanwhile, have lost both their opening fixtures at home to Munster and away at the Dragons last weekend.
Jared Rosser has earned promotion from the Celtic Cup side into the senior team to face Zebre at Rodney Parade in the Guinness PRO14 this weekend following hsi five try salvo in the 53-38 win over Connacht Eagles.
His elevation means there are four changes to the Dragons starting line-up for the team due to meet Munster A in Cork today. A new-look centre partnership sees James Benjamin and Calvin Wellington join forces, while Deon Smith gets a start on the wing
James Thomas comes into the back row in the solitary change to the pack. Rhodri Davies, Tom Hoppe and George Gasson are called up to the replacements bench, while Tiaan Loots and Connor Edwards miss out through injury.
It was also a difficult week for Cardiff Blues in Dublin last weekend where they conceded eight tries in a 57-10 defeat to Leinster A. Head coach Richie Rees has made four changes to his starting XV for the home clash with Ulster A at the Arms Park.
Wales Under 20 centre Harri Millard, who made his PRO14 debut in Italy last weekend, comes into the midfield to partnered the up and coming Ben Thomas. Thomas, also an Under 20 cap, replaces Steven Shingler, while Dane Blacker is the third change in the back division at scrum half. The only change up front is at loose head prop, where Fraser Young takes over from the injured Corey Domachowski.
“We were disappointed with how last week went, but we’ve put it behind us during our review and are now fully-focused on our first home game in the Celtic Cup. We had to be quite harsh on ourselves,” admitted Blues head coach Richie Rees.
“We showed what we’re capable of during the win over the Dragons a week earlier, but we were far from being the best version of ourselves in Dublin. We’ve had a good week in training and the boys are determined to bounce back.
“The pool is wide open at the moment and we want to put up our hands for a place in the final. We’re excited to be playing at the Arms Park, it’s a huge factor for us, and after two weeks on the road it will be nice to prepare in familiar surroundings.”
The game of the weekend will be at Parc y Scarlets in a re-run of last season’s PRO14 final, albeit at second team level. Hot on the heels of their 45-14 win over Ulster A in Belfast, Richard Kelly’s Scarlets are seeking a double over Leinster this season on home soil.
The senior side beat the reigning champions in the PRO14 contest two weeks ago and now the young Scarlets will be seeking to take the Leinster A unbeaten record. There were six tries in the win over Ulster and the performance earned first-team call-ups for the fit-again Lewis Rawlins and outside half Angus O’Brien.
“All the players reacted well after the loss against the Ospreys and picked themselves up against Ulster. We’ve seen a huge improvement in the performance of the team,” said Kelly.
“Leinster are up there with the strongest teams in the competition and it will be a huge test for us. But that is what this competition is all about, our players testing themselves against the best.”
Leinster will have a new centre pairing in Conor O’Brien and Jimmy O’Brien and will have Irish international Noel
Reid, a veteran of more than 100 senior games for Leinster, at No 10. Hugh O’Sullivan, fresh from his senior debut in the PRO14 win over Dragons last weekend, starts at scrum-half.
Oisín Dowling moves from the back row to start in the second row with Jack Dunne, while Josh Murphy takes Dowling’s place at blindside flanker.
Celtic Cup – Round 3
Friday, 21 September
Connacht Eagles v Ospreys
Connacht: Darragh Leader; Hugh Lane, Sean O’Brien, Kieran Joyce, Conor Hayes; Conor Fitzgerald, Conor McKeon; Conán O’Donnell, Shane Delahunt, Conor Carey, James Cannon, Joe Maksymiw, Peter Claffey, Cian Huxford, Neal Moylett
Reps: Jonny Murphy, Matthew Burke, Conor Kenny, Niall Murray, Dylan Tierney, James Mitchell, Luke Carty, Oran McNulty
Ospreys: Dewi Cross; Dylan Moss, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, Kieran Williams, Tom Williams; Josh Thomas, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Rhys Davies, Dewi Lake, Mitchell Walsh, Jack Pope, James Ratti, Charlie Davies, Morgan Morris (captain), Guido Volpi
Reps: Garin Lloyd, Jordan Roberts, Garyn Daniel, Jay Williams, Joe Grabham, Iwan Temblett, Callum Carson, Caine Woolerton
Munster A v Dragons
Munster A: Munster A: Stephen Fitzgerald; Alex Wootton, Matt More, Alex McHenry, Calvin Nash; Ben Healy, John Poland; Jeremy Loughman, Billy Scannell, Ciaran Parker, Fineen Wyhcerley (captain), Sean O’Connor; Jack Daly, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes
Reps: Eoghan Clarke, Cronan Gleeson, Keynan Knox, Paddy Kelly, Darragh O’Grady, Charlie O’Doherty, Jake Flannery, Sean French
Dragons: Carwyn Penny, Will Talbot-Davies, Calvin Wellington, James Benjamin, Deon Smith, Jacob Botica, Dafydd Buckland; Gerard Ellis, Rhys Lawrence, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Huw Taylor, James Thomas, Lennon Greggains (captain), Taine Basham
Reps: Zac Hewlett, Scott Evans, Luke Yendle, Max Williams, Ben Fry, Rhodri Davies, Tom Hoppe, George Gasson
Saturday, 22 September
Cardiff Blues v Ulster A
Blues: Dan Fish; Tom Williams, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas, Tom James; Ben Jones, Dane Blacker; Fraser Young, Liam Belcher (captain), Keiron Assiratti, Shane Lewis-Hughes, James Down, Sion Bennett, Cai Devine, Alun Lawrence
Reps: Ethan Lewis / Iestyn Harris, Garyn Phillips / Ben Warren, Will Davies King, Luke Crocker, Ioan Rhys Davies, Lewis Jones, Max Llewellyn, Ioan Davies
Ulster A: Iwan Hughes; Robert Baloucoune, Jack Owens, James Hume, Aaron Sexton; Michael Lowry (captain), Michael Stronge; Tommy O’Hagan, Zack McCall, Rodney Ah You, Clive Ross, Bradley Luney, Marcus Rea, Aaron Hall, Joe Dunleavy
Reps: Peter Cromie, Peter Cooper, Paul McGookin, Matthew Dalton, David McCann, Graham Curtis, Matthew Agnew, Bruce Houston
Scarlets v Leinster A
Scarlets: Morgan Williams; Ryan Conbeer, Corey Baldwin, Ioan Nicholas, Steff Evans; Steffan Hughes (captain), Kieran Hardy; Rhys Fawcett, Marc Jones, Sam Gardiner, Chris Long, Tom Price, Tom Phillips, Shaun Evans, Joe Miles
Reps: Jamie Hughes, Dafydd Hughes, Javan Sebastian, Morgan Jones, Stuart Worrell, Declan Smith, Steff Marshall, Tomi Lewis
Leinster A: Hugo Keenan; Adam Byrne, Conor O’Brien, Jimmy O’Brien, Jack Kelly (captain); Noel Reid, Hugh O’Sullivan; Michael Milne, Ronan Kelleher, Vakh Abdaladze, Oisín Dowling, Jack Dunne, Josh Murphy, Ronan Foley, Caelan Doris
Reps: Dan Sheehan, Giuseppe Coyne, Jack Aungier, Ryan Baird, Ronan Watters, Patrick Patterson, David Hawkshaw, Michael Silvester
