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Huw Evans Picture AgencyWales captain Dewi Lake will miss the Challenge Cup final pool game against Montpellier in Bridgend on Saturday night.
Hooker Lake came off at half-time with a shoulder injury in the the 23-19 defeat against Zebre.
Ospreys head coach Mark Jones says it was not serious and he had been available for selection this weekend.
“He just took a bang onto his AC joint, which has been grumbling on for a period of time,” said Jones.
“There won’t be any concerns for Dewi moving forward.”
Jones has made 13 personnel changes, with only lock James Fender and Jack Walsh – who switches from full-back to fly-half and captains the side – surviving from the team that started in Parma.
South African flanker Marco de Witt, who signed on a short-term deal in December 2025 as cover for the injured Jac Morgan, will make his Ospreys debut.
Given Ospreys’ previous poor league form heading into Europe, Jones admits he is happy his side are now playing for a last-16 home tie in their final pool game.
Ospreys had only won one United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture before picking up maximum points in their first two Challenge Cup outings against Connacht and Montauban.
And despite the slip-up in Zebre last weekend, a losing bonus-point secured their place in the knockouts in advance of Saturday’s top-of-the-table showdown with Montpellier in Bridgend (20:00 GMT).
Any victory would be enough to secure Ospreys home advantage in the round of 16, while topping the pool is also possible.
“We’ve got one more chance to try and secure a home draw, if you said that to me before the tournament, we’d be saying ‘yes, we’ll take that’,” said Jones.
“We know we can go to any place and compete regardless, but we’d love it if people were coming to us, so we can do it in front of our own fans.”
There will be no reunion with former Ospreys lock Adam Beard who left Swansea to join the French Top 14 outfit at the end of last season.
Beard is still missing after suffering a shoulder injury at the end of December but is expected to return shortly, while Scotland and British and Irish Lions back Stuart Hogg lines up at fly-half.
However, Jones knows Montpellier will still bring a quality side to the Brewery Field.
“We know they’ve got a very experienced squad, with high quality and a lot of depth, so we’re going to have to be at our best to compete and win the game,” he said.
“We’ve selected a good team that’s got lots of energy and some experience on the bench, it’s an exciting way to end the group.”
Number eight Morgan Morris has fond memories of Saturday’s opposition, scoring a try in a player-of-the-match display as Ospreys completed a historic Champions Cup double at Montpellier in 2023.
“They’re a great outfit, we had a great year against them beating them twice, it’s exciting to go against them again,” said Morris.
“They’re going to be a big physical pack and they’re going to try and dominate us up front. That’s the big challenge for us, to deal with that, and then give the ball to our backs, because we’ve got an exciting back line.”
Huw Evans Picture AgencyHow they line up
Ospreys: Nagy; Kasende, Watkin, Cokanasiga, Conbeer; Walsh (capt), Morgan-Williams; S Thomas, L Lloyd, Henry, R Davies, Fender, de Witt, G Evans, Morris.
Replacements: Daniel, C Jones, Hire, L Jones, Moriarty, Morse, Hardy, Hopkins.
Montpellier: Taofifenua; Ducros, Darmon, Cadot, Rates; Hogg, Bernadet; Welsch, Uelese (capt), Tolofua, Tauleigne, Uhila, Becognee, Masibaka, Gleeson
Replacements: Akrab, Erdocio,Hounkpatin, DuGuid, Shand, Baraer, Coly, Tangata.
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
Assistants: Franco Rosella (Ita), Luca Bisetto (Ita)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (Ita).
