Free-scoring Racing ready to pile pain on Ospreys
Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan will remain central to Racing 92’s bid to strengthen their grip on Pool 4 when they start for the Parisians at home to Ospreys tonight.
Both former Munster heroes have been retained from the 40-19 bonus-point victory over the injury-hit Welsh region last weekend in Swansea, whose challenge was undermined by the first-minute sending off of full-back Dan Evans.
Racing’s six-try demolition at the Liberty Stadium does not bode well for the Ospreys, who are once again without 14 injured players and the Wales Test trio of George North, Dan Tipuric and club captain Alun Wyn Jones, still not available for selection following the World Cup.
Add to that the enforced absence of the suspended Dan Evans, who picked up a four-week ban following his dangerous aerial challenge on Racing’s Teddy Thomas, and Ospreys are down to the bare bones once more.
Racing, a point ahead of Munster and six in front of Saracens going into round four, make five changes and one positional switch from last week’s trip to Wales, with Thomas replaced by Louis Dupichot on the right wing, and Finn Russell dropping to the bench to give Ben Volavola a start at fly-half.
Having partnered Bernard Le Roux in the second row last week, Ryan is joined by Boris Palu, who moves from blindside flanker to lock, while there is an all-new back row with Wencelas Lauret and Antoine Claassen given the night off by the two-time finalists.
Ospreys have made seven changes for the match in Paris, with Cai Evans returning at full-back and Lesley Klim and Luke Morgan on the right and left wing respectively.
Kieran Williams and Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler make up a youthful combination in the centres, with Shaun Venter at scrum-half and Marty McKenzie at fly-half in a new-look back-line.
Meanwhile, Wales centre Owen Watkin faces a battle to prove his fitness before the Six Nations with the prospect of a month out because of a knee injury.
Watkin, 23, limped off during Ospreys’ 40-19 loss to Racing 92 on Saturday and a scan has revealed cartilage damage.
He will have a meeting with a specialist next Tuesday to decide the next course of action.
Wales open their 2020 Six Nations campaign against Italy on February 1 in Cardiff.
Watkin is expected to miss the Ospreys’ Christmas and New Year Pro14 derbies against Cardiff Blues, Dragons and Scarlets with an absence of at least four weeks initially being predicted.
The centre will hope the specialist appointment next week does not result in a longer-term diagnosis.
It will be worrying for Wales coach Wayne Pivac, already without British and Irish Lions Test centre Jonathan Davies for his first Six Nations campaign because of a knee injury.
