Giles set to return on bench

KEELAN Giles is set to return to an Ospreys matchday squad for the first time in a year, with the Welsh region offering the young wing a gentle reminder of the hot competition he faces at the Liberty these days.

The 20-year-old is expected to feature on the bench for the European Challenge Cup date with Pau in Swansea tomorrow.

It will be the first time for Giles to be involved since he suffered a knee injury in the 28-14 Guinness PRO14 win over the Dragons last October.

The landscape has changed significantly out wide at the Ospreys in the 12 months that he has been out, with George North and Luke Morgan having come into the setup and both hitting the ground running, scoring tries and causing problems for opposition defences.

Giles is no stranger to such deeds himself, but the Ospreys have still felt the need to acquaint him with a few facts and figures ahead of his return.

“I did say to him, George has scored four tries this season and Luke Morgan three, just to get into his ego a bit to see if we can get him scoring,” said backs coach Matt Sherratt. “He has a bit of catching up to do.”

But the Ospreys are delighted Giles is back.

“He will be almost like a new signing,” said Sherratt, who joined from Cardiff Blues in the summer.

“He has looked brilliant in training.”

That said, the Ospreys are mindful of Giles’ tender years and the long time he has spent on the sidelines.

“We have to be careful,” said Sherratt. “Keelan has had a serious injury and is still a young kid. If he has some game time, comes through unscathed and is getting back into the flow of the game, that is the main thing.”