Scott Williams will guide the Ospreys back into Guinness Pro 14 action tonight – just a month after Wales decided he was too much of a fitness risk to take to the World Cup.
The centre – who played at the 2011 and 2015 tournaments – was left at home by Warren Gatland, who concluded that a back injury suffered by the 28-year-old last season had taken too heavy a toll for him to make the squad for Japan.
Instead, Williams has a chance to relive his frustrations by lining up for the Ospreys away to Ulster in Belfast in the first Pro14 fixture of the season.
Head coach Allen Clarke will return to his old Kingspan Stadium stomping ground having led the Ospreys to Champions Cup qualification at the end of last season.
With nine players on World Cup duty the Ospreys’ squad depth will be tested but Clarke is confident they well placed to compete strongly in the Pro 14 this season.
“We’ll find out where we are in terms of the depth of our squad after this game,” he said.
“Ulster aren’t missing many players but they do have a couple away at the World Cup. That’s going to be a test for us.
“We’ve approached the season in a very positive manner. We want our boys playing international rugby, we want players driven to play at the very top at the Ospreys.
“Over the next few weeks we will see the next generation of players for the Ospreys. Our strength in the future is not just going to come from having our perceived starting players on the field it’s going to come from building a squad that has got 35-40 players.
“The best teams in the world have depth underneath their strongest team. It helps you manage your players and you can rotate.”
Wales international Dan Lydiate will captain the Ospreys in the absence of Justin Tipuric. He will be joined in the back-row by Olly Cracknell and summer signing Gareth Evans.
Elsewhere in the pack Lloyd Ashley and James King are at lock while Rhodri Jones, Sam Parry and Tom Botha pack down in the front-row. Behind the scrum Matthew Aubrey and Luke Price are at half-back with Williams and Cory Allen in midfield.
Dan Evans, Luke Morgan and Keelan Giles form a dangerous back-three. Ulster have included summer signings Jack McGrath, Sam Carter and Matt Faddes in their starting XV.
“We’ve been in the process of rebuilding the Ospreys but now we want a period of sustained success,” said Clarke.
“Part of that will be about managing and rotating our squad successfully. I actually believe that if we can get the majority of our top end players on the field then we can take anybody in Europe on.
“Our challenge is developing squad depth. The Ospreys are in a strong position and even though there’ll be some potholes along the way there will be some special moments.”
Ulster: Faddes; Gilroy, Marshall, Hume, Lyttle; Burns, Cooney; McGrath, Herring (Capt), O’Toole, Treadwell, Carter, Rea, Murphy, Reidy.
Replacements: Andrew, O’Sullivan, Kane, O’Connor, Jones, Shanahan, Lowry, Ludik.
Ospreys: D Evans; Morgan, Williams, Allen, Giles; Price, Aubrey; R Jones, S Parry, T Botha, L Ashley, J King, D Lydiate, O Cracknell, G Evans.
Replacements: Otten, Thomas, Gajion, Cross, Baker, Morgan-Williams, Evans, Thomas-Wheeler.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy).
Assistant referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland), AR2: Andrea Piardi (Italy).
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy).
