The Ospreys are minus a group of Wales internationals for the United Rugby Championship acid test against Leinster at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday (7.35pm).
Adam Beard, Jac Morgan, Alex Cuthbert and Rhys Webb are absent for the date against the runaway league leaders. All started in the 22-19 victory over Cardiff at the Arms Park on New Year’s Day. You can read more about Webb's unfinished business here.
“When you are going through the relentless schedule against the quality of opposition [the Ospreys are facing] you are going to pick up injuries and a few people won't make it this weekend,” said head coach Toby Booth at the region’s midweek press call.
"That's the collateral damage of playing against such quality of opposition.”
No details were released on who had sustained injuries, but Warren Gatland will want to know more about the missing quartet, with every one of them in contention to make his Six Nations squad.
Booth has made eight changes in all for the visit of a side who have started the season with 13 straight wins in all competitions, the sequence including 10 try bonus points.
Cai Evans and Mat Protheroe come into the back three, Reuben-Morgan Williams starts at scrum-half, while Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Tomas Francis and Rhys Davies freshen up the front five and Morgan Morris returns at No. 8.
The alterations come amid a brutal sequence of fixtures that has seen the Ospreys face Leicester Tigers, Montpellier, Scarlets and Cardiff, with this weekend’s date against Leinster preceding reverse matches against the Tigers and Montpellier.
For the Welsh team’s head coach, the run amounts to the most challenging he has known in rugby.
"It is the toughest thing I have been involved in,” said Booth. “In relation to the level of opposition, there is nothing comparable.
"It's extremely tough, but exciting because it's a benchmark and challenging and pitting your wits against the very best."
And Leinster tend not to do tea and sympathy. In December they beat Ulster (38-29), Munster (20-19), Connacht (41-12) in the URC and Gloucester (57-0) and Racing 92 (42-10) in the Heineken Champions Cup. They are a side who don't waste opportunities to punish opponents and they will want to preserve their unbeaten record ahead of returning to Europe.
Of the Irish province, Booth said: "Everybody talks about them being champions-elect even before a ball is kicked. If you look at the resources they have, strength in depth, support networks, they are effectively the superpower of the URC, and everyone knows that.
"I am sure people have spoken about a couple of dents [injuries] they have picked up but so have we.”
Justin Tipuric skippers the Ospreys, with Alun Wyn Jones and Rhys Davies packing down alongside each other in the second row.
Leinster are led by Rhys Ruddock and include 10 internationals, with James Ryan and World Rugby player of the year Josh van der Flier on the bench.
Ospreys: Cai Evans; Mat Protheroe, Michael Collins, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Owen Williams, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Tomas Francis, Rhys Davies
Alun Wyn Jones, Ethan Roots, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris.
Replacments: Scott Baldwin, Gareth Thomas, Tom Botha, Huw Sutton, Harri Deaves, Matthew Aubrey, Joe Hawkins, Jack Walsh.
Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Jamie Osborne, Charlie Ngatai, Jimmy O’Brien; Harry Byrne, Cormac Foley; Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, Michael Ala’alatoa, Ross Molony, Brian Deeny, Rhys Ruddock (capt), Scott Penny, Jack Conan.
Replacements: John McKee, Michael Milne, Vakhtang Abdaladze, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Nick McCarthy, Ross Byrne, Rob Russell
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