JUDGEMENT DAY BLOW FOR BIGGAR Ospreys star fails head test
N-G DRAGONS V SCARLETS HEAD-TO-HEADS
SAM Davies will start at outsidehalf for the Ospreys against Cardiff Blues on Judgement Day V at the Principality Stadium today with Dan Biggar ruled out by a head injury.
Wales No 10 Biggar (pictured) suffered a bang above his right eye in a clash of heads during last weekend’s Guinness PRO12 encounter with Leinster at the Liberty Stadium.
He left the field, but then returned for the final minutes, bloodied and bandaged, after passing a pitchside assessment, missing an injury-time penalty that would have given the Ospreys victory.
After the match, he said he was dazed and couldn’t remember much about the last 10 minutes.
The Ospreys then issued a statement over the weekend, saying: “Having resumed playing, Dan reported no further symptoms and his actions caused no undue concern for the medical team at that time.
“Dan will continue to be monitored as part of the HIA (head injury assessment) protocol in case of any delayed reaction.
“The medical welfare and wellbeing of players is the utmost priority of everybody involved at the Ospreys at all times.”
Having undergone a head injury assessment, Biggar has now been deemed unavailable for the Blues game.
So, Davies moves from fullback to his preferred fly-half berth, while Dan Evans reverts to his regular full-back role from the wing, with Dafydd Howells coming in at No.11.
Howells is one of four players drafted into the team for the game (2.45pm), along with fit-again Wales lock Bradley Davies, centre Ashley Beck and back rower James King.
After three straight defeats, the Ospreys will be looking to get back on track and stay on course for a PRO12 playoff spot. Head coach Steve Tandy said: “It’s the business end of the season now and we know what’s at stake over the next few weeks. We’ve got three big games, three tough challenges ahead, starting with the Blues at Principality Stadium and we know what we’ve got to do.
“We are in third place so we can take comfort that it’s very much about us in the run-in, if we put together three winning performances then there’s nothing anyone else can do to stop us reaching the playoffs.”
In the day’s other match, Wales centre Jonathan Davies returns to action for the Scarlets as they look to consolidate their play-off push against Newport Gwent Dragons (5.15pm).
Opportunity knocks for the Scarlets with just three rounds of the regular Guinness Pro12 season remaining.
Sitting in fourth spot in the table, victory over the Dragons in the second fixture of the Judgement Day showpiece (5.15pm) will put them ever-closer a play-off spot.
Head coach Wayne Pivac has selected a near fullstrength side packed with international talent, including a handful of players who will be harbouring hopes of a British Lions tour place this summer.
They have never lost to the Dragons in this fixture and are unbeaten against the Men of Gwent since 2014, but Pivac will be making sure there is no complacency in the ranks, particularly after the Scarlets’stumbled in the final straight last season.
As for the Dragons, it’s all about restoring battered pride after a testing few months on and off the field.
The West Walians go into the match as strong favourites. ROB LLOYD looks at how do the individual battles stack up?
CARL MEYER 6 JOHNNY MCNICHOLL 7
The South African Meyer is a steady influence at the back with a booming boot. Crusaders flyer McNicholl is starting to show signs of the free-running form that lit up the Super Rugby competition.
ADAM HUGHES 6 STEFF EVANS 8
The Dragons are without two of their leading threats out wide in Hallam Amos and Ashton Hewitt, but Hughes is a reliable option. The fleet-footed Evans has been a revelation this season, one of the standout young players in the competition.
TYLER MORGAN 7 JONATHAN DAVIES 8
After a series of injury setbacks, 21-year-old Morgan has been showing glimpses of the form that earned him international honours. Davies is on the verge of a second Lions call and after a sticky start to the season has been a strong midfield presence for club and country.
SAM BEARD 6 SCOTT WILLIAMS 7
Beard has enjoyed a decent first season following his move from Edinburgh, particularly with ball in hand. Williams was man-of-the-match in this fixture last year and will be out to make a big impression again.
ADAM WARREN 6 LIAM WILLIAMS 8
The once-capped Warren had a fine game against the Scarlets in October, but is away from his preferred position of centre against his former team-mate Liam Williams. The Wales international is back in the starting XV and aiming to bid farewell to the Scarlets on a high.
ANGUS O’BRIEN 6 DAN JONES 6
O’Brien has nailed down the No.10 jersey at Rodney Parade this season and makes his 50th appearance for the Dragons on JDV. Jones had a rare off day with the boot last weekend, but has proven a more than able deputy for Rhys Patchell.
CHARLIE DAVIES 6 GARETH DAVIES 7
The former Wasps half-back is the Dragons’ only fit senior scrum-half, a combative player with an astute kicking game. In contrast, Davies will look to fizz around the Principality Stadium, although he is still searching for his World Cup form.
SAM HOBBS 7 SAMSON LEE 8
Hobbs is one of four changes to the Dragons pack as Kingsley Jones looks to shore up the Dragons’ set-piece issues. Lee spearheaded a powerful Scarlets scrum against Treviso and will be tasked to the do the same on Saturday.
RHYS BUCKLEY 6 KEN OWENS 6
Caldicot product Buckley has benefited from an injury to Elliott Dee to have a run of games in the No.2 jersey. Owens is enjoying the season of his career and will want to include a Scarlets play-off as part of it, not to mention Lions selection.
LLOYD FAIRBROTHER 6 ROB EVANS 7
Fairbrother gets the nod over South African Brok Harris having come off the bench to improve the struggling Dragons scrum against Zebre. Wales’s first-choice Evans had no such issues against Treviso and is another of the Scarlets’ internationals in fine form.
MATTHEW SCREECH 6 JAKE BALL 7
The workaholic Screech is a surprise inclusion ahead of the experienced Rynard Landman in the Dragons second row. Wales lock Ball, who started all five Six Nations matches, will be at the heart of the Scarlets’ carrying game.
CORY HILL 8 TOM PRICE 6
Hill has been the big success story at Rodney Parade this season, growing in stature following his Test debut last November. A try-scorer off the bench against Treviso, ex-England Under-20s World Cup winner Price steps in following an injury to Aaron Shingler.
OLLIE GRIFFITHS 8 TADHG BEIRNE 7
Griffiths has been the shining light amid some dark days for the Dragons this season with Kingsley Jones hailing the athletic flanker as having ‘ international rugby player written all over him’. Leinsterman Beirne has proven a superb acquistion down west, putting in huge shifts in defence and at the breakdown, where he sits just one place behind Griffiths in the Pro12 turnover stats.
LEWIS EVANS 7 JOHN BARCLAY 7
The Dragons will need all of Evans’s leadership qualities in an unfamiliar No. 8 position. Scotland international Barclay picked up a bang on his head last weekend and faces a late fitness test.
NIC CUDD 7 JAMES DAVIES 8
A familiar battle between two West Wales foes. Cudd’s expertise at the breakdown is well known and in Olympian Davies he faces a player who leads the Pro12 charts for turnovers this season. Could be the key battle of the lot at the Principality today.