The Ospreys unleash Dan Lydiate for another crack at South African opposition when they face the Lions in the BKT United Rugby Championship clash in Swansea on Saturday evening.
It’s the hard-hitting blindside’s first outing since his memorable jousts with the Springboks for Wales in the summer.
Lydiate carried out his role expertly over the three Test series, more than matching South African physicality as he chopped their ball carriers to the ground or simply powered them back behind the gainline.
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The Ospreys will hope for more of the same in a black jersey after going winless in four games against South African teams last season.
Head coach Toby Booth has made five changes, two of them positional, from the side that drew with the Scarlets in Llanelli in round one.
Lydiate features in the back row, youngster Jack Walsh replaces the injured Gareth Anscombe at fly-half and Max Nagy starts at full-back.
Positional switches see George North shift from wing to centre and Michael Collins line up at No. 12, having figured at full-back against the Scarlets.
Walsh impressed with his temperament after figuring off the bench to tie the derby against the Scarlets last weekend with a nerveless last-kick-of-the-game conversion. Booth also sees the 22-year-old as a creative player who could potentially do a lot in attack for the Ospreys.
Attention will also be focused on North. Wayne Pivac has been using the big man at centre for Wales but it’s an area of strength for the Ospreys and they picked him out wide in round one, with Owen Watkin and Joe Hawkins teaming up in midfield.
Now, with Watkin sidelined after a head knock, the 105-cap North reverts to the role he has filled for Wales of late.
Evidently, it’s a horses-for-courses pick and one linked to player availability at the Ospreys, with Booth saying: “George is comfortable in both spaces.
“We’ve had a conversation with Wayne over where he sees him, and we’ve had a conversation over where we see him. For us, it’s not necessarily the position. It’s about balance and about what’s around him and where he can have influence.
“We want to try to be less fastidious about shirt numbers. We are trying to get into being good rugby players and best people, best roles, rather than being set in ‘13 does this, 12 does this, a winger does this, a six does this, a seven does this, an eight does this’.
“Modern rugby players require a lot of transferability and adaptability, even when covering from the bench.
“We see George as someone who can play in both positions and he will play in both positions at times.
“It also depends on what else you have to select from — you want your best players on the pitch. He gives us that luxury, which is great.”
The Ospreys lost 45-15 to the Lions at Ellis Park in March, with the South Africans running in seven tries.
The Welsh team will hope for better at the Swansea.com Stadium this weekend — much better.
Ospreys: Max Nagy; Luke Morgan, George North, Michael Collins, Keelan Giles; Jack Walsh, Rhys Webb; Nicky Smith, Scott Baldwin, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Dewi Lake, Garyn Phillips, Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Will Griffiths, Jac Morgan, Reuben Morgan Williams, Joe Hawkins.
Lions: Andries Coetzee; Edwill van der Merwe, Zander du Plessis, Marius Louw, Quan Horn; 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Sanele Nohamba; ,Sithembiso Sithole, PJ Botha, Ruan Dreyer, Ruben Schoeman (captain), Reinhard Nothnagel, Sibusiso Sangweni, Emmauel Tshituka, Francke Horn.
Replacements: Jaco Visagie, JP Smith, Ruan Smith, Pieter Jansen van Vuren, Ruan Venter, Morne van dern Berg, Jordan Hendrikse, Sango Xamlashe.
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