Scott Baldwin will play his first game in Welsh rugby in close on three years this weekend, intent on proving wrong those who feel his international days are a thing of the past.
“He still has aspirations to play at the very top level — international rugby,” revealed Ospreys head coach Toby Booth ahead of the United Rugby Championship game with Zebre in Swansea on Sunday.
“Coming back to Wales will help facilitate his own ambitions. That can only be a good thing.
“We have strength in depth in that position now at the Ospreys with Scott, Sam Parry, Elvis Taione and Dewi Lake, who’s gone exceptionally well for Wales. If you want people to perform at their best and push the team on, you need competition for places. Hooker has become one of our most competitive positions.”
Baldwin features on the bench against the Italians.
The odds are against Wales’ World Cup No. 2 from 2015 reclaiming his old Test shirt, but injuries happen and the 6ft 3in, 17st 18lb forward from Bridgend wants to at least give Wayne Pivac another option.
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Sam Parry starts at hooker, while Dan Lydiate returns to the Ospreys’ starting line-up 13 months after shattering his right knee playing for Wales against Ireland in the Six Nations. Fresh from banging in nine tackles in 26 minutes off the bench against Leinster, the blindside flanker will help further stiffen the Welsh team’s resolve.
Harri Deaves, a beacon of excellence for the Ospreys out in Dublin, figures among the replacements this time, with Morgan Morris moving across to openside flanker and Ethan Roots figuring at No. 8.
Rhys Davies comes back into the team, taking over at lock from Will Griffiths.
Booth said: “We are excited about this game because we are at home, especially now we have people in the stadium. It is another opportunity for us to perform and we were obviously disappointed with the Leinster game.
“We showed a lot of spirit and grit and this is another opportunity to impose ourselves on the opposition.
“Zebre are a massive test for us because it’s a test of our mentality and ability to bounce back from a poor result, so we are focused on what we have to do.
“They are a big physical side, with a good set-piece and if we play into their hands they will try and manhandle us.
“We have to control what we do so we negate their strengths.”
Ospreys: Dan Evans; Keelan Giles, Michael Collins, Keiran Williams, Luke Morgan; Stephen Myler, Rhys Webb (capt); Nicky Smith, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Bradley Davies, Dan Lydiate, Morgan Morris, Ethan Roots.
Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Rhodri Jones, Rhys Henry, Will Griffiths, Harri Deaves, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, Mat Protheroe.
Zebre Parma: Jacopo Trulla, Giovanni D’Onofrio, Erich Cronjé, Enrico Lucchin, Asaeli Tuivuaka, Antonio Rizzi, Nicolò Casilio, Paolo Buonfiglio, Massimo Ceciliani, Eduardo Bello, Liam Mitchell, Andrea Zambonin, Luca Andreani, Iacopo Bianchi, Renato Giammarioli (CAPT)
Replacements: Giampietro Ribaldi, Andrea Lovotti, Ion Neculai, Cristian Stoian, Taina Fox-Matamua, Guglielmo Palazzani, Timothy O’Malley, Junior Laloifi
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