Champions Scarlets will look to continue their title defence when they travel to neighbours Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. Ospreys will look to arrest a run of four straight defeats which has seen them slide to joint bottom of Conference A, and despite the form book suggesting only one result, the Swansea side can be quietly confident of producing an upset. What’s at stake? Ospreys have lost all their games since their 22-13 opening weekend win at home against Zebre, and come in to the game having lost on their first trip to the Southern Hemisphere going down 44-25 at the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. They will be looking for a big victory against their rivals as they have yet to really hit their straps this season. Scarlets have won two on the bounce following their 27-20 defeat away at Ulster in Round 3, and will come in to the game full of confidence following their 36-27 bonus point win over Connacht in Round 5. Scarlets will be delighted with their title defence so far and they sit atop Conference B, and will look to stay there. Team news (Ospreys): Ospreys will again be without open-side Justin Tipuric after he suffered a back spasm in training earlier this week. He missed last week’s trip to Bloemfontein to stay at home and look after his pregnant wife. Boss Steve Tandy has been able to call upon Dan Lydiate after the blind-side missed the last two games, with Olly Cracknell moving to open-side, as Guy Mercer drops out. He is without hooker Scott Baldwin while the Welsh International starts his recovery from the hand injury he received after being bitten by a lion, and he is replaced by Scott Otten. Tandy also brings in Bradley Davies for Adam Beard, Jay Baker for Jeff Hassler, Kieron Fonotia for Ben John, and Cory Allen for Keelan Giles. Team news (Scarlets): Boss Wayne Pivac makes six changes from the team that overcame Connacht with Hadleigh Parkes and Gareth Davies replacing Scott Williams and Aled Davies in the backs. Rob Evans is missing with a concussion and Wyn Jones comes in to take his place, with Samson Lee also returning with Werner Kruger missing out. David Bulbring drops out and so Lee Rawlins can start his first game of the season. Will Boyde comes in for Josh Macleod and so Tadhg Beirne moves to number 8 for the first time for the Scarlets. Talking points: Last time these two sides met at the Liberty Stadium, Ospreys managed to upset their rivals with a 19-9 victory. But Wayne Pivac is not keeping too close of an eye on the form book. He said: “They’ll be a dangerous opposition, they always are at the Liberty regardless of their position on the points table and their form leading into it. “Last year we fancied ourselves going out there but we were beaten across the park that day. “You don’t have to go back too far to be reminded of how dangerous they can be. “They’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose which makes them a dangerous opponent from my perspective. “I just look across their team sheet at what could be facing us and we have the utmost respect for it and the utmost respect for their coaching group.” Key Battle: Dan Biggar vs Rhys Patchell Despite the kicking-exploits of Leigh Halfpenny, fly-half Rhys Patchell is joint fifth on the accumulated points table on 39 largely thanks to three tries on top of his nine conversions and two penalties. It will be at the feet of Dan Biggar to stop his younger compatriot from adding to this on the ground, whilst Patchell will surely want to send a message to Biggar that his place as Wales’s star fly-half isn’t so secure. Biggar will be making his 150th appearance in the Guinness PRO14, and is just 16 points shy of 1500 league career points on 1484. He sits second in the all-time rankings, behind Dan Parks on 1582. Patchell won’t be able to do much about Biggar’s place kicking and it would be apt for the already veteran 27-year-old to reach the points milestone within 150 games. Key Stat: Each team has three wins apiece in the last six meetings between the two, though Ospreys have a much better record against Scarlets in the history of PRO14 with 18 wins to the Llanelli sides’ nine with one game drawn. Did you know? Ospreys have won three and lost three of their last six matches played at the Liberty, but have only been beaten by another Welsh region there once since October 2010. This defeat was in March 2016 and came at the hands of their opponents this weekend, Scarlets. Ospreys: Dan Evans, Cory Allen, Kieron Fonotia, James Hook, Jeff Hassler, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb, Nicky Smith, Scott Otten, Ma’afu Fia, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Dan Lydiate, Olly Cracknell, James King Replacements: Sam Parry, Paul James, Dmitri Arhip, Lloyd Ashley, Dan Baker, Tom Habberfield, Sam Davies, Owen Watkin Scarlets: Leigh Halfpenny, Johnny Mcnicholl, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Steff Evans, Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies, Wyn Jones, Ken Owens (capt), Samson Lee, Jake Ball, Lewis Rawlins, Aaron Shingler, Will Boyde, Tadhg Beirne Replacements: Ryan Elias, Dylan Evans, Werner Kruger, David Bulbring, Josh Macleod, Aled Davies, Paul Asquith, Scott Williams Match officials – Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 65th competition game). Assistant Referees: Dan Jones (WRU), Joy Neville (IRFU). Citing Commissioner: Aurwel Morgan (WRU) TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
