Former England centre Brad Barritt has warned the Ospreys that Saracens intend to elbow them aside this weekend as they defend their European crown. Anything less than victory for Sarries will end their hopes of emulating Toulon by winning a third successive trophy, while the Ospreys also need a win to keep alive their hopes of progress. Both clubs have won twice and lost twice in Pool Two, but the Ospreys are in second spot behind leaders Clermont Auvergne thanks to the bonus points earned in back-to-back victories over Northampton.

The Ospreys will check further on the fitness of young centre Owen Watkin on Monday following his neck injury suffered in their 29-28 weekend victory over the Cardiff Blues. The Wales international was hurt during the late stages of the Guinness Pro14 derby at the Liberty Stadium and taken to hospital for medical checks. Watkin was released home on Saturday night but the 21-year-old is due to undergo more tests at the Ospreys’ training base before it will be known whether the injury will rule him out of European Champions Cup and Six Nations contention over the next few weeks.

Steve Tandy is expecting a regional derby thriller when Cardiff Blues arrive at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. The Swansea-based region got over their defeat to West Wales rivals Scarlets with a convincing 22-9 triumph at the Dragons on New Year’s Eve and head coach Tandy believes the recovery will grow against their city rivals.

Dan Lydiate and Hallam Amos have handed Wales head coach Warren Gatland a few injury headaches ahead of the NatWest Six Nations campaign next month. Both were victims of the full-blooded Welsh regional derbies over the Christmas period. The 23-year-old Amos injured his ankle in the Dragons’ Boxing Day loss to Cardiff Blues, while the 30-year-old Lydiate picked up a bicep problem in the Ospreys’ New Years Day triumph at Rodney Parade. “We’re just waiting to see if we can rehab the injury or decided if Hallam will need an operation. We’re just liaising with the Wales medics to see what’s the best course of treatment – five or six weeks is the pessimistic outlook,” said Dragons coach Bernard Jackman.

Steff Evans has been banned for four weeks after being sent off in the Scarlets’ 12-9 Guinness Pro 14 victory over the Ospreys on Boxing Day. The Wales wing was shown a red card in the first-half of their derby following an aerial challenge on the Ospreys’ Ben John. Evans was deemed to have tackled John in the air, contravening Law 10. 4(i) of the World Rugby regulations, and will miss four matches, including the region’s final two Champions Cup group games.

Wayne Pivac admitted Steff Evans deserved to be sent off but still believed his Scarlets team earned their Boxing Day victory over the Ospreys. An 82nd-minute try by Josh Macleod saw 14-man Scarlets edge the result 12-9 in a dramatic Guinness Pro14 derby at a rain-drenched Parc y Scarlets. The victory – secured despite the first-half dismissal of Wales wing Evans following a dangerous challenge on opposite winger Ben John – took the hosts back to the top of Conference B.

Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac has showered the Ospreys with praise before he hopes to ruin their festivities with a Boxing Day victory in Llanelli. The Scarlets have won their last 15 matches at Parc y Scarlets in the Guinness PRO14 and are looking to consolidate their position at the top of Conference B. The home side welcome back Hadleigh Parkes, Aaron Shingler and John Barclay. The Ospreys’ ambitions over the festive period are to use their back-to-back European Rugby Champions Cup victories over Northampton Saints to boost their domestic form.

By Robin Davey Never let it be said, but all is not lost in Welsh regional rugby as we reach the halfway point of the season.

Look away now if you don’t want to know how awful Welsh teams have been in the tournaments meant to develop elite players for the future. Rob Cole asks, if the regions themselves don’t care then why should their fans? What should we make of the fact that when you look at the Anglo-Welsh and British & Irish Cup league tables, Welsh regions prop up the majority of the pools? Only the Ospreys, with an away win over the Blues, and the Dragons, with a home win over the Scarlets, have managed a win in two rounds of the Anglo-Welsh Cup, while the Dragons, Blues and Ospreys are all awaiting their first wins in the B&I Cup.

Steve Tandy believes the Ospreys still have a fighting chance of making the knockout stages of the European Champions Cup. The head coach paid tribute to his players’ ability to defy the odds after a second bonus point victory over Northampton on Pool Two. Replacement scrum-half Rhys Webb scored twice as the region completed the double over struggling Northampton with a 32-15 bonus-point victory at a wet Liberty Stadium.

Dan Biggar has pledged his loyalty to Northampton next season despite their sacking of director of rugby Jim Mallinder. It was Mallinder who convinced Biggar to leave the Ospreys at the end of this campaign for three years with the Saints. But despite Mallinder’s dismissal this week, Wales fly-half Biggar has told the Aviva Premiership club he will not look for any way out of his deal which is understood to be worth £650,000-a-year.

Steve Tandy has rubbished claims the Ospreys are a divided camp and pointed to the spirit shown in their victory at Northampton to back his stance. The Ospreys coach heaped praise on his players after they kept alive faint hopes of progress in the European Champions Cup with a 43-32 win at Franklin’s Gardens. It was the Ospreys’ first victory away from home in Europe for 10 years and followed two defeats that had opened their campaign in the tournament.