The United Rugby Championship continues on Friday as two matches take place, including the highly anticipated Irish derby between Connacht and Leinster.
Ospreys v Stormers
Rhys Webb captains Ospreys from scrum-half, with Stephen Myler at 10 earning his first appearance of the season in this clash with the Stormers.
Michael Collins and Owen Watkin continue their partnership in the midfield, while veteran George North starts on the right wing alongside the electric Keelan Giles and Max Nagy in the back-three.
Hooker Dewi Lake is joined by Nicky Smith and Tomas Francis in the front-row. Meanwhile, the experienced duo of Alun Wyn Jones and Adam Beard pack down in the second-row.
Jac Morgan starts on the flank with Ethan Roots with Morgan Morris at the back of the scrum, completing Ospreys’ loose trio.
Veteran Dan Lydiate starts from the bench alongside Rhys Davies, Tom Botha, Rhys Henry and Scott Baldwin as forward options. Meanwhile, Ruben Morgan Williams is joined by Jack Walsh and Luke Morgan as backline substitutions.
Top-tryscorer back for Stormers
The Stormers have made several changes to their starting line-up that sees last season’s top try-scorer Leolin Zas return from injury to start on the left wing.
Full-back Clayton Bloemmetjies also returns to the starting line-up, while Angelo Davies completes the back three.
Centre Dan du Plessis starts ahead of Sacha Mgnomezulu, who drops to the bench despite scoring 22 points against Zebre Parma last weekend, while Alpati Leuia maintains his spot at 13.
Paul de Wet joins Manie Libbok in a new look half-back pairing behind an exciting loose trio featuring Evan Roos, Nama Xaba and Hacjivah Dayimani.
Salmaan Moerat captains the side alongside Springbok Marvin Orie in the second-row while Neethling Fouche, Andre Hugo-Venter and Ali Vermaak make up the front-row.
Club captain Steven Kitshoff is named on the bench alongside Joseph Dweba and Brok Harris as front-row options. Ernst van Rhyn, Marcel Theunissen and Willie Englebrecht are the remaining forward options in the 6-2 split.
Scrum-half Golden Masimla joins Mngomezulu on the bench as backline options.
The teams:
Ospreys: 15 Max Nagy, 14 George North, 13 Owen Watkin, 12 Michael Collins, 11 Keelan Giles, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Rhys Webb (c), 8 Morgan Morris, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Ethan Roots, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Adam Beard, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Dewi Lake, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Rhys Henry, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Rhys Davies, 20 Dan Lydiate, 21 Ruben Morgan Williams, 22 Jack Walsh, 23 Luke Morgan
Stormers: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Alapati Leuia, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat (c), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Willie Engelbrecht, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 Sacha Mngomezulu
Venue: Swansea.com Stadium
Kick-off: 19:35 BST (18:35 GMT)
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Aled Evans (Wales), Carwyn Williams (Wales)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Connacht v Leinster
Connacht have made five changes to their starting XV for this eagerly awaited United Rugby Championship clash against Leinster at the Sportsground.
Four of those changes come in the pack where Peter Dooley, Niall Murray, Josh Murphy and Paul Boyle all come into the side, while there’s also a first start of the season for scrum-half Colm Reilly.
Loosehead prop Dooley is joined by Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham in the front-row while lock Gavin Thornbury completes the tight five. Shamus Hurley-Langton moves to openside flanker with Murphy at number six and Boyle at number eight.
The rest of the squad is unchanged meaning Jack Carty, David Hawkshaw and Conor Fitzgerald all start at fly-half, inside centre and full-back respectively. Byron Ralston, Mack Hansen and John Porch complete the side.
The management team have kept to a six/two split on the bench with the fit-again Caolin Blade and Academy graduate Ciaran Booth among the options.
Leinster ring the changes
Meanwhile, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made a number of changes to last week’s matchday 23 with the URC Player of the Match from the win over the Sharks, Garry Ringrose, back to start as captain.
In the back three, Jimmy O’Brien starts again at full-back with Liam Turner making his first appearance of the campaign on the right wing and Rob Russell on the left.
Charlie Ngatai again wears the inside centre jersey with captain Ringrose outside him at 13.
Scrum-half Cormac Foley makes his first start of the season, with Ross Byrne in the number 10 jersey this week.
In the pack, Dan Sheehan is again selected to start at hooker but Ed Byrne and Tadhg Furlong are on either side of him this week in what will be Furlong’s first appearance of the season.
Ross Molony is joined this week in the second-row by James Ryan, while in the back-row, Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan all start.
After scoring his first try for Leinster last week, John McKee is once again in the matchday squad wearing number 16. Andrew Porter and Michael Ala’alatoa make up the front-row replacements.
Joe McCarthy and Ciarán Frawley are back in the squad after the tour of South Africa with Emerging Ireland. They are joined on the bench by Martin Moloney, Nick McCarthy and Robbie Henshaw.
The teams:
Connacht: 15 Conor Fitzgerald, 14 John Porch, 13 Byron Ralston, 12 David Hawkshaw, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 Jack Carty (c), 9 Colm Reilly, 8 Paul Boyle, 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6 Josh Murphy, 5 Gavin Thornbury, 4 Niall Murray, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dave Heffernan, 1 Peter Dooley
Replacements: 16 Grant Stewart, 17 Denis Buckley, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Oisín Dowling, 20 Conor Oliver, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Tom Daly, 23 Ciaran Booth
Leinster: 15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Liam Turner, 13 Garry Ringrose (c), 12 Charlie Ngatai, 11 Rob Russell, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Cormac Foley, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Caelan Doris, 5 James Ryan, 4 Ross Molony, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Ed Byrne
Replacements: 16 John McKee, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Michael Ala’alatoa, 19 Joe McCarthy, 20 Martin Moloney, 21 Nick McCarthy, 22 Ciarán Frawley, 23 Robbie Henshaw
Venue: The Sportsground
Kick-off: 19:35 BST (18:35 GMT)
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Martin (Ireland), Oisin Quinn (Ireland)
TMO: Colin Stanley (Ireland)
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