Tom Botha will play his 150th game for the Ospreys when they open their EPCR Challenge Cup account against Connacht at the Brewery Field on Sunday 7 December (3.15pm). There will be plenty of experience in the front row battle between two teams from the same league as Connacht will have a trio who have […]
Tom Botha will play his 150th game for the Ospreys when they open their EPCR Challenge Cup account against Connacht at the Brewery Field on Sunday 7 December (3.15pm).
There will be plenty of experience in the front row battle between two teams from the same league as Connacht will have a trio who have made 710 appearances between them for the Irish province – Denis Buckley (267), Dave Heffernan (223) and Ireland and British & Irish Lions tight head prop Finlay Bealham (220).
Another Lion for the summer tour to Australia, Bundee Aki, will lead the side from the midfield, where he will be nurturing the talent of young Sam Gilbert, who makes his full Connacht debut.
Last season the Ospreys escaped with a 43-40 win at the Swansea.Com Stadium in a thrilling contest. Head coach Mark Jones has given Welsh half back pairing Reuben Morgan-Williams and Dan Edwards the chance to dictate matters and is fielding an all-international back row in James Ratti, Harri Deaves and Ross Moriarty.
“Home games are very important in Europe – if you don’t win them, you have no chance of getting through,” said Ospreys defence coach Justin Tipuric.
“Connacht did well last year by winning their group games to get in a position to kick on, as did we, but we didn’t get over that Lyon hurdle.
“The way we lost that game wasn’t nice, and I got injured as well! We could have kicked on, but they ground us down.
“The boys have mentioned that there is still a feeling of frustration from last year and it would be nice to go a couple of steps further.”
Ospreys: Jack Walsh (co-captain); Dan Kasende, Evardi Boshoff, Phil Cokanasiga, Iestyn Hopkins; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Garyn Phillips, Sam Parry (co-captain), Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Ryan Smith, James Ratti, Harri Deaves, Ross Moriarty
Reps: Lewis Lloyd, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Henry, Huw Sutton, Gwilym Evans, Luke Davies, Max Nagy, Keelan GilesConnacht: Seán Naughton; Shane Jennings, Sam Gilbert, Bundee Aki (captain), Finn Treacy; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Joe Joyce, David O’Connor, Josh Murphy, Seán O’Brien, Sean Jansen
Reps: Eoin de Buitléar, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Darragh Murray, Paul Boyle, Colm Reilly, Sean Walsh, Harry WestReferee: Evan Urruzmendi (France)