“We worked hard to get into this competition at the back end of last season. It is a tremendous tournament and players and coaches want to be involved in it.”

Munster full-back Mike Haley on his Ireland ambitions: “I need to make sure I’m in the [Munster] 15 shirt every week, and to be honest though it’s not really in my thoughts.

“You know it is coming up but there is nothing you can do about it. It’s something that is just there.

“What I want to do is just make sure I’m consistently playing well for Munster. We want to be competing at the highest level on both fronts, that’s Europe and the Pro14, and Europe starts with Ospreys away on Saturday.”

Key stat

Munster have not lost a Champions Cup opener since the ²⁰¹³⁄₁₄ season and have won 16 of their last 18 clashes in Europe with Welsh opposition

Prediction

Hard to look past a Munster win in Swansea, they know the Ospreys well and have picked a near full-strength side.

Teams

Ospreys: C Evans; Dirksen, Thomas-Wheeler, S Williams, T Williams; Price, Venter; R Jones, Otten, Fia, Orie, Ashley, Lydiate (capt), Cracknell, Morris.

Replacements: I Phillips, N Smith, Gajion, B Davies, Cross, A Davies, Hook, K Williams

Munster: Haley; Conway, Farrell, R Scannell, Earls; Bleyendaal, C Murray; Loughman, N Scannell, J Ryan, Kleyn, Holland, O’Mahony (capt), O’Donnell, Stander.

Replacements: O’Byrne, J Cronin, Archer, Beirne, A Botha, Mathewson, Arnold, Goggin.

Sat 16 November 2019, KO: 17:30, Liberty Stadium

Referee: Karl Dickson (England)

Assistant referees: Ian Tempest (England), Paul Dix (England)

TMO: Stuart Terheege (England).