French test for Ospreys in pre-season

The Ospreys will head to central France for a pre-season training camp in early August, with the highlight of the trip being a game against French giants Clermont Auvergne.

The team will head to the picturesque town of Issoire in the Puy-de-Dome area of Auvergne, 25 miles away from Clermont Ferrand, home of Clermont Auvergne, on Tuesday 7th August, and will play this year’s T14 semi-finalists in Issoire on Friday 10th August, KO to be confirmed.

The two sides have met four times in competitive fixtures previously, with honours even at two wins apiece. They were last paired in the 2009/10 Heineken Cup, both teams progressing from a tough group at the expense of Leicester Tigers before eventually bowing out at the quarter-final stage.

Clermont Auvergne will provide a stern test for the Ospreys in pre-season, with familiar face in their ranks including the likes of French stars Julien Bonnaire, Morgan Parra, David Skrela, Wesley Fofana and Aurelien Rougerie, along with former All Black Sitiveni Sivivatu, his compatriot and ex-Scarlet Regan King, and former Osprey Lee Byrne.

Further details of the fixture will be confirmed closer to the date.