WATCH LIVE Leinster v Ospreys rugby HD on PC

WATCH LIVE Ospreys v Leinster rugby HD on PC
RaboDirect Pro12 League - Ospreys v Leinster
Venue: The Liberty Stadium Date: Friday, 2 September Kick-off: 1905 BST Coverage: Exclusively live on BBC Two Wales & online, score updates on BBC Radio Wales & Radio Cymru and live score on BBC Sport website

Ospreys v Leinster, Swansea

19:05 local, 18:05 GMT

Justin Tipuric, Jonathan Thomas and Duncan Jones line up for Ospreys
Rhys Ruddock will lead European champions Leinster when they return to Wales for their first game since winning the Heineken Cup in Cardiff as the Irish region visit Ospreys.


Leinster are without 14 internationals away on World Cup duty, including Brian O'Driscoll and Jonathan Sexton.

Ospreys will be without 10 World Cup players while wing Nikki Walker and hooker Richard Hibbard are injured.


The hosts include 14 Welsh-qualified players in their starting line-up.


South African-born wing Hanno Dirksen is the only non-Welsh qualified Ospreys starter.


Summer back-row recruit Joe Bearman is absent due to a stomach muscle injury.


But they have Test experience in Andrew Bishop, Dan Biggar, Duncan Jones, Mefin Davies, Ian Gough, Ian Evans and Jonathan Thomas in the starting XV.


Ruddock, son of 2005 Grand Slam-winning Wales coach Mike, leads Leinster from number eight.


Isa Nacewa, who spurned the chance to face Wales at the World Cup with Fiji, is at full-back and there are competitive debuts for half-backs John Cooney and Mat Berquist and lock Damian Browne.

Continue reading the main story
A lot of them are still young kids making their first steps as a rugby player with their home region
Scott Johnson
Ospreys director of coaching
Rising star Justin Tipuric, 22 will lead the Ospreys while their World Cup contingent are away.


"You don't make decisions around who will captain the team lightly and Tips is a worthy skipper as he has shown already, despite his youth," said Ospreys director of coaching Scott Johnson.


The RaboDirect Pro12 opener is the start of a new era for the Ospreys who are trying to shrug off their galacticos image following the departures of Jerry Collins and Wales internationals Mike Phillips, James Hook and Lee Byrne.


The Liberty Stadium region have struggled in recent seasons against Leinster, having won only two of the last nine matches, but one of those victories was in the league's 2010 Grand Final.


Ospreys have not won in their last two home games but have never lost three successive league matches at the Liberty Stadium.


But Leinster have the best record for any visiting side to Swansea, having inflicted three league defeats out of the 12 suffered by the Ospreys at home.


Leinster will be without injured trio centre Eamonn Sheridan, lock Steven Sykes and Ireland under-20 international Andrew Conway.

Ospreys have won all of their four previous home openers while Leinster's form in the opening round has seen them win just once in 2002 - but the Irish side have won six of their last seven regular season encounters.


Johnson added: These players, and a lot of them are still young kids making their first steps as a rugby player with their home region, have a good attitude.


They want to wear the shirt with pride, and I sincerely hope that our supporters share our excitement, our sense of optimism and really get behind them this season.


Team
15 FB
Richard Fussell
14 W
Kristian Phillips
13 C
Andrew Bishop
12 C
Ashley Beck
11 W
Hanno Dirkson
10 FH
Dan Biggar
9 SH
Rhys Webb
1 P
Duncan Jones
2 H
Mefin Davies
3 P
Cai Griffiths
4 L
Ian Gough
5 L
Ian Evans
6 F
Tom Smith
7 F
Justin Tipuric
8 N8
Jonathan Thomas
  Replacements
16
Matthew Dwyer
17
Ken Dowding
18
Joe Rees
19
James King
20
Morgan Allan
21
Thomas Isaacs
22
Matthew Morgan
23
Sonny Parker
  Team
15 FB
Isa Nacewa
14 W
Fionn Carr
13 C
Eoin O'Malley
12 C
Luke Fitzgerald
11 W
David Kearney
10 FH
Mat Berquist
9 SH
John Cooney
1 P
Heinke van der Merwe
2 H
Richardt Strauss
3 P
Jamie Hagan
4 L
Damian Browne
5 L
Devin Toner
6 F
Kevin McLaughlin
7 F
Dominic Ryan
8 N8
Rhys Ruddock
  Replacements
16
Aaron Dundon
17
Jack McGrath
18
Jack O'Connell
19
Mark Flanagan
20
Onosa'I Auva'a
21
Cillian Willis
22
Ian Madigan
23
Brendan Macken

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