Jac Morgan Eyes Ospreys Return After Injury
Wales captain Jac Morgan is expected to make his first appearance since November when the Ospreys face Benetton in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Saturday. The flanker has been sidelined since dislocating his left shoulder while scoring a try against Argentina during the autumn series opener.
Having missed the Six Nations, the 26-year-old British and Irish Lion is poised to strengthen the Ospreys squad as they pursue a URC play-off spot in their match in Treviso (15:00 GMT).
"We are looking at him at the moment and hoping he can have some sort of involvement. We will see how that pans out, but he is chomping at the bit to play, so we will hopefully see him back in an Ospreys shirt pretty quickly," said head coach Mark Jones.
Morgan co-captained Wales at the 2023 World Cup and had missed the first four rounds of the URC due to a calf injury sustained on his return from the Lions' 2025 tour to Australia. He made a brief appearance off the bench in the draw against Dragons at Rodney Parade in October before departing for Wales duty.
"The guys that have been playing while Jac has been injured have done a terrific job, but it's always brilliant when you bring a Lion back into your environment and selection," Jones added. "It's good for the competition for places and competitiveness around training. He has added a great energy to the environment, on and off the field."
This weekend's fixture against Benetton will mark Morgan's first game since it was announced he will transfer to Gloucester along with Dewi Lake in the summer.
"He has put a lot into the Ospreys over the time he has been here, physically and emotionally," Jones said. "We want the whole thing to end on a really positive note. I can't see anything other than a fully-focused, excited Jac Morgan wanting to go out on a high, and as a team we definitely want to do that."
Additional Wales Players Return to Action
Meanwhile, Wales' fit-again number eight Taulupe Faletau is set to return for Cardiff in their match against rivals Bulls. Wales hooker Dewi Lake is also expected to end a six-month injury absence soon. Additionally, six Wales internationals are returning for the Scarlets’ home game against Zebre.
Ospreys Aim for Top Eight in URC
Currently 10th in the URC standings, Ospreys trail the Bulls by just one point, with the Bulls occupying the final play-off position. The upcoming fortnight is critical for Ospreys' aspirations to secure a top-eight finish before they travel to Ulster for the European Challenge Cup last 16.
The team faces Benetton at Stadio Monigo on Saturday and then visits ninth-placed Connacht. Seven members of the Wales squad have returned from Six Nations duty, and the coaching staff plans to rotate players over the next two weeks.
"We are going to break them up and phase them back in," Jones explained. "They have had varying minutes and there are also some personal circumstances, but they will all be seen over the next couple of weeks."
Hooker Dewi Lake, who captained the side in Morgan's absence, and fly-half Dan Edwards had significant playing time with Wales. Scrum-half Kieran Hardy appeared off the bench five times, while flanker Harri Deaves was a replacement against England. Loose-head prop Gareth Thomas, scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams, and centre Owen Watkin did not feature in the Six Nations.
