Yahoo Sports Ospreys recall Tipuric and Thomas to face Bulls
United Rugby Championship: Ospreys v Bulls
Venue: Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea Date: Saturday, 12 October Kick off: 19:35 BST
Coverage: Live on S4C via BBC iPlayer. Highlights BBC Sport website and app.
Ospreys will welcome back flanker Justin Tipuric and prop Gareth Thomas for the United Rugby Championship (URC) visit of Bulls on Saturday evening.
The pair missed the 23-0 defeat against Munster, while centre Keiran Williams also returns to the starting side.
Number eight Morgan Morse is set to make his 100th Ospreys appearance as Ospreys prepare to play their first league game in Swansea this season.
After signing from Scarlets in the summer, Wales scrum-half Kieran Hardy is in line to make his debut from the replacements bench alongside lock Will Greatbanks.
Form guide
Ospreys have won only one of their three URC games this season which was a 37-24 against the Stormers in Bridgend.
Toby Booth's side have won four of their last five fixtures against South African opponents in the competition.
Bulls' only URC defeat since April was a 21-16 loss to Glasgow in last year’s final in Pretoria and they have lost just once away from home in 2024, against Leinster in March.
Bulls have won three previous matches they have played against Ospreys.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said: "When you play South African teams, and I’m not going to generalise too much, but you know you are going to be in for a physical encounter first and foremost.
"You can’t look too much past the physicality of the breakdown. We got that wrong the last time we played them down there and paid the price.
"I know that we’ll be up for it, I know that we’ll be energised, but you have got to have an end product.
"It’s going to be around the breakdown and accuracy for sure."
Ospreys: Max Nagy; Iestyn Hopkins, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Ryan Conbeer; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha, James Ratti, Adam Beard, Jac Morgan (capt), Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Sam Parry, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Lewis Jones, Will Greatbanks, Kieran Hardy, Luke Scully, Jack Walsh.
Bulls: TBC
Replacements: TBC
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Ben Breakspear & Ben Connor (WRU)
TMO: Colin Stanley (IRFU)
