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DRIVING SEAT: Mike Phillips is selected ahead of Justin Marshall for tomorrow's clash with Saracens

WALES Grand Slam hero Mike Phillips is preferred at scrum-half to former All Black Justin Marshall for the Ospreys' EDF Energy Cup semi-final showdown with Saracens at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow (kick off at 5.15pm).

The Ospreys have picked a strong starting XV to play the useful English side.

Lee Byrne, Gavin Henson, Shane Williams, James Hook, Ryan Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Alun Wyn Jones and Adam Jones - who all starred for Wales in their 29-12 Grand victory over France last Saturday - start for the Ospreys.

Lock Ian Gough is rested following the Six Nations but will be available for the region next weekend and winger Nikki Walker is recovering from an ankle injury picked up in training with Scotland last week.

He is expected to be available for selection next weekend.

There is a place for promising Wales Under-21 outside-half Daniel Biggar on the bench.

Head coach Lyn Jones said they Ospreys are determined to go one better this season after they fell at the final hurdle to Leicester Tigers last year: "Everyone is looking forward to Saturday's match, we had some great experiences in this tournament last season, not least on semi-final day when we produced a fine performance to see off Cardiff Blues.

"Ultimately we were disappointed to lose to Leicester Tigers in the final at Twickenham, but that has just made us more determined to go one better this season."

Jones said: "Our international players are back with us and understandably spirits are high at the moment.

"We've had to take a lot of things into consideration when naming the side for this match, and faced some tough decisions based not only on what the players have gone through but also the busy schedule that lies ahead, making sure they are fit and healthy for all the big games that we have coming up."

He said they are wary of a Saracens team they face again in a fortnight's time when the two clash in Watford in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals: "We face a Saracens side that will be well drilled and well prepared, as always, with a distinct Australian flavour.

"Their build up to this match will have been less affected by international call-ups than is the case for us, and although league results have dipped lately, their form in the cups are a clear sign of how dangerous they can be.

"We know that they will provide us with a real challenge, as would be the case with any opposition at the semi-final stage of a cup competition, so we have to be sure that we are focused entirely on the challenge that lies in store as opposed to dwelling on what has already gone.

Ospreys team: L Byrne, J Vaughton, S Parker, G Henson, S Williams, J Hook, M Phillips, P James, R Hibbard, Adam Jones, A W Jones, I Evans, J Thomas, R Jones (captain), M Holah

Replacements: H Bennett, D Jones, L Bateman, F Tiatia, J Marshall, D Biggar, A Bishop

12:21pm Friday 21st March 2008

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