The Ospreys welcome back Keelan Giles for his first competitive start in almost 10 months when they face the Scarlets in Llanelli on New Year’s Day (5.15pm).
Both regions have named sides on the basis of the match going ahead in these Covid-hit times.
The Scarlets have Josh Macleod making a comeback after a prolonged absence, while Liam Williams is down to make his first start of the season for the region.
But there will also be attention on Giles.
He hasn’t begun a league or cup game since the date with Glasgow Warriors last March. Injuries have hammered him over the past three seasons, but the youngster who was on Wales’ radar as an 18-year-old is fit again and ready to launch another comeback.
The Wales U20s Grand Slammer from 2016 features in an Ospreys team still without Justin Tipuric as the flanker and club captain battles to return from the shoulder injury he picked up on Lions duty in the summer.
But Jac Morgan is named at openside flanker to face his old club, while Will Griffiths features at lock and Keiran Williams and Dewi Lake return to the squad after injuries, with Lake making his first appearance since April.
For the Scarlets, Macleod will have another go at making his comeback, 10 months after suffering the injury that cruelly snatched a first Wales cap away from the west Walian. He had been named in the side to face Scotland, only to damage an achilles tendon in training 30 minutes after the internal team announcement.
Both he and Williams would have played against Cardiff at the Arms Park on Boxing Day had the game not been postponed amid Covid cases in the home squad.
Williams hasn’t figured for the Scarlets since the Heineken Champions Cup clash with Sale in the spring, with injuries, illness and Wales calls leaving him off limits to the Llanelli-based region for longer than he would have wanted.
The Scarlets are missing Jonathan Davies, Ryan Conbeer and Javan Sebastian from the side chosen to face Cardiff, while there is also no Wyn Jones on the bench, with Steff Thomas coming in as replacement.
In Davies’ absence, Steff Hughes steps in at outside centre.
The 27-year-old Ysgol y Strade product, described last year as a ‘model professional’ was recently touted as a possible Leicester Tigers signing for next season.
Ospreys are looking for their first victory at Parc y Scarlets since 2015.
Scarlets : Liam Williams; Johnny McNicholl, Steff Hughes, Scott Williams (capt), Steff Evans; Dan Jones, Gareth Davies; Rob Evans, Ryan Elias, Harri O’Connor, Sam Lousi, Tom Price, Blade Thomson, Josh Macleod, Sione Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Daf Hughes, Steff Thomas, WillGriff John, Aaron Shingler, Tomas Lezana, Kieran Hardy, Rhys Patchell, Tom Rogers.
Ospreys : Dan Evans; Keelan Giles, Michael Collins, Owen Watkin, Luke Morgan; Josh Thomas, Rhys Webb (capt); Nicky Smith, Elvis Taione, Tomas Francis, Will Griffiths, Adam Beard, Ethan Roots, Jac Morgan, Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Dewi Lake, Gareth Thomas, Tom Botha, Lloyd Ashley, Sam Cross, Matthew Aubrey, Joe Hawkins, Keiran Williams.
