Wales stars return for European opener as Ospreys name team

The Ospreys welcome back Wales trio Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Gareth Thomas for their Challenge Cup opener against the Lions in Swansea.

Toby Booth's side take on the South African outfit at the Swansea.com Stadium on Sunday as they look to find the form that has seen them reach the knockout stages of Europe in the past two seasons.

Two seasons ago, they made it out of a Champions Cup group involving French champions Montpellier and English champions Leicester, while last year they beat Sale at the Brewery Field in their first-ever knockout stage victory in Europe to reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

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After a tough start to the season in the United Rugby Championship, with just two wins from seven, Europe serves as a chance for the Ospreys to find some form in a different competition.

And they'll be boosted by the returns of Wales trio Morgan, Lake and Thomas - who all start after missing last weekend's trip to Zebre. Morgan captains the side at No. 8, with Thomas and Lake lining up alongside Ben Warren in the front-row.

James Fender and Will Greatbanks start in the second-row, with Tristan Davies and Harri Deaves joining Morgan in the back-row.

Scrum-half Keiran Hardy continues in the half-backs alongside Owen Williams, with Keiran Williams partnering Owen Watkin in midfield.

In the back-three, Jack Walsh starts at full-back, with Dan Kasende and Keelan Giles on the wings.

Justin Tipuric misses out with a HIA, while the likes of Huw Sutton, Adam Beard, James Ratti, Rhys Davies and Reuben Morgan-Williams are also unavailable.

“Europe has always been an important focus for us," said Booth. "We’ve had some strong campaigns in the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup in recent years and have had some memorable wins on the way.

“This game is a great opportunity for us to build some momentum as we look ahead to the rest of the season.”

Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams; Keelan Giles; Owen Williams, Kieran Hardy; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake, Ben Warren, Will Greatbanks, James Fender, Tristan Davies,, Harri Deaves, Jac Morgan (captain).

Replacements: Sam Parry, Steffan Thomas, Tom Botha, Lewis Jones, Morgan Morris, Luke Davies, Dan Edwards, Iestyn Hopkins