Nicky Smith leads the return of three Wales World Cup players back into the ranks of the beleaguered Ospreys when they face Munster in Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup encounter in Swansea (5.30 pm).
Smith, Bradley Davies and Aled Davies all feature on the bench as the Welsh region look to put a testing few weeks behind them.
They are not there yet, mind, with big guns such as Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and George North yet to return to training after their exertions during the Rugby World Cup.
There are two changes from the side beaten at home by Southern Kings last weekend.
Tom Williams comes in for Lesley Klim on the left wing and Ma’afu Fia takes over from Tom Botha at tight-head prop.
The bench does look stronger, with the three Wales players backed by Gheorge Gajion, Sam Cross and the promising Kieran Williams. Ifan Phillips shadows Scott Otten at hooker while James Hook covers the fly-half and full-back positions.
But Munster will arrive expecting a victory.
The hope for Clarke will be that the Ospreys forwards can at least prove competitive.
They enjoyed 73 percent of the possession against Kings and delivered a glut of ball the week before against Connacht, but in both games the Welsh region lacked penetration behind the scrum, with injuries and unavailabilities proving ruinous to their efforts .
Things will improve when the likes of George North, Luke Morgan , Owen Watkin and Dan Evans resume, but that won’t help the situation this weekend.
Munster will say otherwise, but the probability is they will expect a bonus-point victory.
The Ospreys will need to guard against the counter-attacking skills of the talented Mike Haley from full-back and Conor Murray will look to boss matters from scrum-half, while up front Peter O’Mahony’s pack will be abrasive from the first whistle, notwithstanding that they are missing the injured Dave Kilcoyne.
They include Tadhg Beirne, Arno Botha and Alby Mathewson on the bench.
“Munster are coming pretty much fully loaded, but, for me personally, you want to play against the best opposition and the toughest teams to see where you’re at,” said skipper Dan Lydiate at the Ospreys media call this week.
“The younger boys in the squad have a massive opportunity to play in probably the best club competition in world rugby.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge against Munster but the boys need to embrace it and look forward to playing in these games.”
Lydiate has been a shining light with his work in defence this term.
But he is absolutely right to suggest a major challenge awaits his team.
Ospreys : C. Evans; H. Dirksen, T. Thomas-Wheeler, S. Williams, T. Williams; L. Price, S. Venter; R. Jones, S. Otten, M. Fia, M. Orie, L. Ashley, D. Lydiate (capt), O. Cracknell, M. Morris.
Reps: I. Phillips, N. Smith, G. Gajion, B. Davies, S. Cross, A. Davies, J. Hook, K. Williams.
Munster : M. Haley; A. Conway, C. Farrell, R. Scannell, K. Earls; T. Bleyendaal, C. Murray; J. Loughman, N. Scannell, J. Ryan, J. Kleyn, B. Holland, P. O’Mahony (capt), T. O’Donnell, C. J. Stander.
Reps: K. O’Byrne, J. Cronin, S. Archer, T. Beirne, A. Botha, A. Mathewson, S. Arnold, D. Goggin.
