Watkin in as Ospreys look for Euro fillip

OSPREYS CLERMONT

HIGHLY-RATED Owen Watkin is handed his first competitive start for the Ospreys in 17 months as Steve Tandy looks to arrest his team’s losing run when Clermont Auvergne visit the Liberty for a Champions Cup clash tomorrow (5.30pm).

The Welsh region have come unstuck in five successive games since beating Zebre on the opening weekend of the season.

But the return to the starting lineup of Watkin could prove a plus.

The 20-year-old had impressed hugely for Wales Under-20s and his home region until suffering a serious knee injury in training in the summer of 2016, costing him 15 months on the sidelines.

A head bump in a summer friendly against Leicester then knocked Watkin back again.

But the 6ft 2in, 15st 10lb centre has impressed for Bridgend in the Principality Premiership and last week came off the bench for the Ospreys against the Scarlets.

Tandy and backs coach Gruff Rhys will hope the youngster’s passing skills can help unlock their team’s attacking game.

Also back is Keelan Giles after the wing sat out the match with the Scarlets.

The lightning-quick wing makes his Champions Cup debut and so does centre Kieron Fonotia, while Scott Otten and Watkin start a toptier European game for the first time.

Another long-term casualty, Dmitri Arhip, is also back in Tandy’s runon side, in his case for the first time this year. The Moldovan eased his way back as a replacement against the Scarlets, having previously been off limits since damaging a shoulder against Grenoble last December, while Justin Tipuric returns after shaking off a back spasm.

The team looks as strong as anything Tandy has been able to select this season. In all, the head coach fields 12 internationals in his lineup, including five Lions in Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb, Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Dan Lydiate, with another on the bench in the shape of James Hook.

The match opens a European campaign that sees the Ospreys face Clermont and Saracens over the first two rounds.

“Anyone involved in professional sport wants to test themselves up against the very best and that’s definitely what is in store for us over the next two weeks,” said Tandy.

“Clermont and Saracens were the top two teams in Europe last season.

“That’s the size of the challenge we are up against but it’s an exciting prospect.

“We’ve got a good record at the Liberty against French sides.

“We’ve gone up against some outstanding teams here over the years and beaten some top sides including Clermont.

“There have been some fantastic European occasions at the Liberty, none more than the last time we played Clermont last year when we had a win, to make it three from three in that season’s competition.”