Gloucester-bound Lake back to lead Ospreys

Wales hooker Dewi Lake returns to captain Ospreys for their United Rugby Championship (URC) home match against Munster in Bridgend on Saturday.

Lake and flanker Jac Morgan, who are out of contract with Ospreys after this season, have this week announced they will join Gloucester at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Lake, 26, has not played since leading Wales in the 73-0 defeat against South Africa last month.

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones has praised Lake’s attitude surrounding his move.

“His professionalism around the club has been very good,” said Jones.

“You wouldn’t have known there’s anything going on. That’s the same for all of the group, not just those two lads [Lake and Morgan].

“They’ve handled it well and been upfront.”

Ospreys also welcome back Wales internationals Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Rhys Davies, James Ratti and Harri Deaves, while Owen Watkin and Morgan Morris make their first starts after long-term injury.

“There’s definitely some healthier bodies coming back in and keeping my head frying around selection,” said Jones.

“We’ve got quite a few guys in certain positions playing well.”

Munster, who lie in third, have made six personnel changes and two positional switches to the side which secured a Champions Cup bonus-point win against Gloucester.

Jeremy Loughman, Fineen Wycherley, Alex Kendellen, Paddy Patterson, Tom Farrell and Calvin Nash all come into the starting side.

Ospreys have virtually confirmed their place in the Challenge Cup knockout stages following pool victories against Connacht and Montauban.

In contrast, Jones’ side lie 13th in the URC table having won just one game from six this campaign.

“While we haven’t picked up as many wins as we’d like in the URC, these performances have been coming,” said Jones.

“We’ve shown we’re a very good team, but haven’t done it often enough in games. We’ve been in a great shout of winning games.

“The signs have been positives and we’ve taken some key steps forward.”

It is an uncertain time in the domestic game in Wales, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) proposing to cut one of its four men’s professional sides.

Welsh rugby’s governing body has said it proposes to grant three licences for men’s professional clubs.

There will be one in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west, which could result in a survival fight between Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets in Llanelli.

Ospreys owners, Y11 Sport & Media, have also been linked with taking over WRU-owned Cardiff, which is another way the governing body could get its wish of losing a side.

“When you boil it all back and put everything to one side, all we can control as people is how we do our jobs, whether that’s player, coach or whoever,” said Jones.

“Just do your best for the badge. If you do that, you’ll make sure whatever you’re doing is done to a high level.

“The way our players have put things to one side and focused energy into preparing the team well has been top-notch.”

Ospreys: Nagy; Kasende, Boshoff, Watkin, Giles; Edwards, Morgan-Williams: S Thomas, Lake (capt), Henry, R Davies, Smith, Ratti, Deaves, M Morris.

Replacements: Parry, C Jones, Botha, Sutton, Morse, Hardy, K Williams, Walsh.

Munster: Haley; Nash, T Farrell, Nankivell, Daly; Crowley, Patterson; Loughman, Scannell, Ala’alatoa, Kleyn, Wycherley, O’Donoghue (capt), Kendellen, Coombes.

Replacements: Barron, Milne, Bartley, Edogbo, Ahern, Coughlan, Hanrahan, Hodnett.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Assistants: Craig Evans & Andrew Moule (WRU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU).