Wales wing Josh Adams has been released from international camp to start for Cardiff against Ospreys at St Helen’s in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

The 31-year-old is the only Welsh region-based member of Steve Tandy’s squad to be sent out for game time prior to the Nations Championship.

Adams returned from a hamstring injury off the bench at Northampton a fortnight ago and started the defeat by Sharks at Cardiff Arms Park last weekend.

Cardiff are without their six other members of the Wales squad and Ospreys are missing four players.

Fly-half Harri Wilde, who is on loan at Ospreys from Cardiff, is named on the home replacements bench.

Lock Josh McNally is the sole survivor in Cardiff’s starting pack from the Sharks game and captains the side in the absence of hooker Liam Belcher.

Cardiff are without Wales back-rowers Alex Mann, James Botham and Taine Basham, so number eight Alun Lawrence makes a timely return from injury for a first appearance of the season.

Ospreys: Hopkins; Morgan, Watkin (co-capt), K Williams, Giles; Creighton, L Davies; S Thomas, Parry (co-capt), Botha, Ratti, Smith, Wright, Moriarty, M Morris.

Replacements: Daniel, C Jones, Warren, R Davies, Morse, H Williams, Wilde, Boshoff.

Cardiff: Young; Adams, Malan, Emanuel, Bowen; J Evans, Mulder; Southworth, Hughes, Assiratti, McNally (capt), Thornton, Paea, Thomas, Lawrence.

Replacements: Howe, Sio, Sebastian, Manz, de la Rua, A Davies, Sheedy, Darwin-Lewis.

Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales)

Assistant referees: Carwyn Sion & Marc Caudle (Wales)

TMO: Jenny Davies (Wales)