The Ospreys hand the No. 9 jersey to Harri Morgan when they face Hartpury in a pre-season opener at The Gnoll on Friday evening (7.30).
Former Neath star James Hook returns to where it all began for him in senior rugby as he leads a young side from fly-half.
Allen Clarke sends out a team minus a number of senior players, with the Northern Irishman looking to the Ospreys’ kids to reward his faith.
He has opted to kick-off with the exciting Morgan partnering Hook at half-back in a combination that will blend youth with experience.
Injury blighted Morgan’s campaign last term, but he produced an electric show for Wales in the World Rugby U20s Championship against Argentina earlier this summer, sparking moves and supporting them.
Morgan tormented the Pumitas, buzzing around the field to the point where they could have been forgiven for believing he had sneaked a twin brother onto the pitch.
It was one of the finest individual displays of the tournament, an effort that underlined the Maesteg product’s potential.
He is given first use of the shirt, with Matthew Aubrey and Reuben Morgan-Williams, two other No. 9s the Ospreys rate highly, named on the bench.
Head coach Allen Clarke said of Morgan: “While he has a lot of potential he’s still very young.
“But if he works hard at his game he has every chance of coming through.
“Reuben Morgan-Williams has trained exceptionally well, too, along with Mathew Aubrey, who came through towards the end of last season and deserved his position in the squad.”
Another of Morgan’s Wales U20s colleagues from the trip to South America also features, with Cai Evans wearing the No. 15 jersey.
How Ieuan Evans’ son develops will be intriguing.
He played at fly-half for Wales U20s and while he didn’t light up games with his running, he controls play well and has a big kicking game.
With Gareth Anscombe injured, he is one of three fit senior squad No. 10s heading into the new season, alongside Hook and Luke Price.
The Ospreys are continuing their search for a replacement for Anscombe, who could be out for the rest of the season with the serious knee problem he sustained playing for Wales against England at Twickenham earlier this month.
Their problem is most quality fly-halves are already attached to clubs or regions at this stage of the rugby cycle, meaning they could have to be patient. They would have been without Anscombe, anyway, for the duration of the World Cup and will only move to bring in someone else if he’s an upgrade on what they already have.
The game is the first senior Ospreys encounter at The Gnoll in five years.
The ground will have fond memories for some, mind, having played host to the region’s first competitive match, against Ulster in 2003, while the Ospreys clinched their first Celtic League title there in 2005.
An away game with Edinburgh on September 14 has also been inked in for pre-season.
Ospreys: C. Evans; D. Cross, T. Williams, K. Williams, L. Morgan; J. Hook (capt), H. Morgan; R. Jones, S. Otten, G. Gajion, M. Dodd, J. Williams, M. Morris, S. Cross, G. Volpi.
Replacements: I. Phillips, G. Thomas, J. Walters, T. Botha, S. Smallman, M. Strong, W. Jones, R. Morgan-Williams, M. Aubrey, J. Thomas, B. Cambriani, C. Smith .
