HUW BENNETT, Ryan Bevington, Dan Biggar, Ian Evans, Ryan Jones, Justin Tipuric and Shane Williams are all with the national squad ahead of the Wales match against Australia next weekend in the Millennium Stadium.

That should please Eric Elwood more than it will Ospreys coach Sean Holley when the sides meet in Galway this evening.

Tom Habberfield, Will Price and Tom Prydie, who are with the Wales Sevens side, are also unavailable and Jonathan Thomas, Kahn Fotuali’i, Ben John, Alun Wyn Jones, Eli Walker, Gareth Owen, Nikki Walker and Paul James are on the injured list making this week a good one to face a Welsh side in the PRO12.

Connacht are hopeful of shaking off a losing streak following recent defeats to Ulster, Harlequins and Toulouse. Ospreys won 16-15 at the Sportsground last year as well as twice in Wales during 2011 but, with the team seriously weakened here, Connacht will sense their opportunity.

However this is a similar Ospreys team to the one that started off the season while the Welsh players were at the World Cup.

Connacht make three forced changes from the side that faced Toulouse last week. Lock Mike McCarthy is serving a two-week ban for a high tackle, while Michael Swift is nursing a knee injury and Eoin Griffin is recovering from a hamstring problem.

Dave Gannon retains his place in the second row and is joined by George Naoupu coming in for Swift. TJ Anderson, John Muldoon and Ray Ofisa make up the back row. A new centre partnership puts Samoa international Henry Fa’afili alongside Dave McSharry.

These are the games Connacht need to win if they are to maintain their Heineken Cup status for next year. Two points behind Ulster is comfortable enough. But they don’t want it any more than that at this stage of the season.

CONNACHT: G Duffy (c); B Tuohy, D McSharry, H Fa’afili, T O’Halloran; M Nikora, P O’Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Ah You; D Gannon, G Naoupu; TJ Anderson, J Muldoon, R Ofisa. Replacements: E Reynecke, R Loughney, S Maguire, M Kearney, E Grace, F Murphy, N O’Connor, M McCrea .

OSPREYS: B Davies; T Bowe, A Bishop, A Beck, R Fussell; M Morgan, R Webb; D Jones, R Hibbard, A Jarvis; I Gough, J King; T Smith (c), C O’Toole, J Bearman. Replacements: M Davies, C Griffiths, J Rees, J Goode, G Stowers, T Issacs, S Parker, H Dirksen.

Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

Verdict: Connacht