Davies is released to play for Ospreys

outside-half Sam Davies is among six Ospreys players released back to the Liberty Stadium region for a trip back to Scotland on Friday night for a Guinness Pro12 clash with Edinburgh at Myreside.

Davies has been used sparingly so far in the Six Nations Championship, and wasn’t thrown on against Scotland on Saturday, until the 68th minute following Tim Visser’s try to stretch home lead to 13 points.

With so few minutes under his international belt, the five-times capped 23-year-old heads back to his region for the trip to Scotland before linking back up with the Welsh squad on Sunday morning to continue preparations for Wales v Ireland clash at the Principality Stadium on Friday, March 10.

He is joined by 10-times capped loose-head Nicky Smith, who also came off the Welsh bench at Murrayfield in the 68th minute when the game was effectively over.

Joining the duo up for selection, at Myreside, will be prop Rhodri Jones, lock Rory Thornton plus back-rowers James King and Olly Cracknell for a game where a win for the Ospreys would take the LIberty Stadium to the top of the Guinness Pro12 table with leaders Leinster not playing until 24 hours later when they host the Scarlets at the RDS.

The Irish province currently hold a one-point lead over the Ospreys, while Munster, who play the Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park on Saturday evening are in third spot a point away from the Welsh region.

Anthony Watson and Mako Vunipola will be released by England to play for Bath and Saracens this weekend as they bid for starting places in the RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland.

The pair have been named in Eddie Jones’ 27-man squad for this week’s training camp in Oxford, the Rugby Football Union announced, as preparations continue for the Calcutta Cup contest at Twickenham on March 11.

Exeter centre Henry Slade, who came off the bench in the 36-15 win over Italy at Twickenham, has been omitted, but Bath centre Jonathan Joseph is back after being dropped last week.