Doug Howlett starts on the wing for Munster © Getty Images

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Matches: Ospreys 19 - 14 Munster

Tournaments/Tours: Magners League

Teams: Ireland | Munster | Ospreys | Wales

The Ospreys will be without Wales wing Shane Williams in addition to a host of other injury absentees when Munster visit the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. Skipper Ryan Jones also misses out due to the back injury that ruled him out of Wales' Wallabies humbling.

Ospreys could leap-frog Munster with victory but their only win in their last six matches in all competitions was a 25-24 victory over Clermont Auvergne at Liberty Stadium in the European Cup on October 18. And although Munster have won their last four games against Ospreys in all competitions including a 25-21 victory on their most recent visit to Liberty Stadium, the Munstermen have lost five of their last six away matches.

The reigning Magners League champions are buoyed by the return from injury of former All Blacks star Doug Howlett. The Kiwi has been out of action since straining a hamstring in a European clash with Treviso in the middle of October but reclaims his spot on the right wing for the game in Swansea.

There are four other changes and all four occur in the pack. In the front row, new signing Wian du Preez takes over from Julien Brugnaut at loosehead, while John Hayes returns at tight-head at the expense of Stephen Archer. James Coughlan replaces Denis Leamy at the base of the scrum, while the resting of David Wallace results in a recall for Niall Ronan at openside flanker.

Dan Biggar starts at fly-half for the Ospreys in a backline boosted by the return of Ireland's Tommy Bowe in the back-three. In the pack, Jonathan Thomas and Alun-Wyn Jones are immediately called on after the international break and Jerry Collins wears the captain's armband.

James Hook, Paul Jame and Huw Bennett are all named on the bench for the game, a must-win in the eyes of coach Sean Holley.

"December and January is a very big period for us," he said. "We've got some crucial games that will dictate where the rest of our season goes, in terms of Heineken Cup progression and our hopes of ensuring a top four finish in the Magners League to secure a place in the play-offs. It's a big couple of months for us, the players and all of us at the region know that. And it all starts on Saturday.

"You want to put yourself in a position where you get into these two months with a lot to play for. We have put ourselves in a strong position in Europe and are there or thereabouts in the Magners, and as we know any run of form in that can shoot you up the table."

Ospreys: G Owen; T Bowe, S Parker, A Bishop, N Walker; D Biggar, L Davies; D Jones, R Hibbard, C Mitchell, AW Jones, J Thomas, J Collins (capt), M Holah, F Tiatia

Replacements: H Bennett, P James, C Griffiths, A Lloyd, B Lewis, R Webb, J Hook

Munster: P Warwick; D Howlett, J de Villiers, L Mafi, K Earls; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; W du Preez, D Fogarty, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, O'Connell; A Quinlan, N Ronan, J Coughlan

Replacements:D Varley, T Buckley, D Ryan, N Williams, P Stringer, D Hurley, I Dowling