European Rugby Champions Cup: Ospreys host Benetton Treviso at Liberty Stadium

The high-flying Ospreys host Benetton Treviso in the European Rugby Champions Cup on Sunday aiming to continue their perfect start to the campaign.

Steve Tandy’s side have won all six of their Guinness PRO12 fixtures so far this term to sit top of the early table.

Now in their first European game, the Ospreys entertain Treviso at the Liberty Stadium looking to get off to a good start in their Pool 5 campaign as they bid to improve on a best-ever Heineken Cup quarter-final finish achieved in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Tandy, who has named an unchanged team following last week's 26-15 victory over Cardiff Blues, said: "This is the start of a new challenge for us as a group.

"We've had a good run of results in the PRO12 but that doesn't count for anything on Sunday. We'll go into the game level on points with Treviso, and knowing that we'll be trailing either Northampton or Racing Metro after they play Saturday. That's the reality of what this weekend is about.

"We haven't been focusing on results over the last six weeks, we've been consistent since pre-season in that we are concentrating on the performance and ensuring that we get the right balance in the week leading up to the game and then on matchday. We are pursuing excellence in everything we do. We haven't always achieved that this season, and there'll be times we fall well short with such a young group, but that has to be the target.

"We are proud of the start we've had in the PRO12 but aren't getting carried away with ourselves. We know that there are some tough tests ahead over the coming weeks and months and we'll start to find out a lot more about the players in this group when we have our backs to the wall. That will happen, and it's important that we accept and prepare for it. There'll be ups and downs, but what we can guarantee is that we will keep focused and keep doing the right thing."

The two sides have already met at the Liberty this season – with the Ospreys coming out 44-13 winners in the opening game of their PRO12 season, running in five tries to the visitors’ one.

While the Ospreys have gone on to win every game since, the Italians have lost all of theirs, sitting rock bottom of the PRO12.

This trip to the Liberty looks another tough ask for Umberto Casellato’s side, who are the sole Italian representatives in the competition and have failed to get past the group stages of the Heineken Cup in the past.

In team news, Angelo Esposito comes in on the wing for Treviso with Michele Campagnaro dropping out.

Joe Carlisle and Alberto Lucchese form a new half-back pairing while Francesco Minto replaces Mat Luamanu at number eight.

Antonio Pavanello returns to skipper the side from the second row while Albert Anae is added at hooker.

Ospreys: 15 Daniel Evans, 14 Jeff Hassler, 13 Andrew Bishop, 12 Josh Matavesi, 11 Eli Walker 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb; 1 Nicky Smith, 2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Dmitri Arhip, 4 Lloyd Peers, 5 Alun-Wyn Jones (c), 6 James King, 7 Sam Lewis, 8 Dan Baker.

Replacements: 16 Scott Otten, 17 Duncan Jones, 18 Aaron Jarvis, 19 Rynier Bernardo, 20 Joe Bearman, 21 Justin Tipuric, 22 Martin Roberts, 23 Sam Davies.

Benetton Treviso: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Angelo Esposito, 13 Luca Morisi, 12 Enrico Bacchin, 11 Ludovico Nitoglia, 10 Joe Carlisle, 9 Alberto Lucchese; 1 Matteo Zanusso, 2 Albert Alfred Anae, 3 Rupert Harden, 4 Antonio Pavanello (c), 5 Tomas Vallejos, 6 Simone Favaro, 7 Alessandro Zanni, 8 Francesco Minto.

Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Romulo Acosta, 18 Salesi Manu, 19 Marco Fuser, 20 Meyer Swanepoel, 21 Marco Barbini, 22 Michele Campagnaro, 23 Edoardo Gori.

Watch Ospreys v Benetton Treviso live on Sky Sports 2HD on Sunday, with coverage from 12.30pm.