Injuries bite for Scarlets, but new boys set for bow
SCARLETS head coach Wayne Pivac has handed four of his summer arrivals competitive debuts for tonight’s Guinness PRO14 opener against Ulster (5.15pm).
South African full-back Clayton Blommetjies, former Ospreys centre Kieron Fonotia, Scotland scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Kiwi back-rower Blade Thomson all start at the Kingspan Stadium as last year’s beaten finalists look to launch their 2018-19 challenge in style.
The Scarlets travel to Belfast without 14 injured players – the likes of Leigh Halfpenny, Hadleigh Parkes, Jake Ball, Samson Lee and new signing Uzair Cassiem are all sidelined – although Pivac is hoping to have a number of them back in the coming weeks.
That said, the New Zealander is still able to field a starting line-up containing 10 internationals with another two on the bench.
Wales hooker Ken Owens leads the side for another season, while fellow British and Irish Lion Jonathan Davies will play his first match in the competition since last October.
Younger brother James Davies has passed a fitness test on the hip problem he picked up in last weekend’s warm-up defeat in Bath and hands the Scarlets a welcome injury boost.
Hidalgo-Clyne, who has
KINGSPAN STADIUM 5.15pm
ULSTER v SCARLETS impressed in both of the Scarlets’ pre-season outings, gets the nod over Wales first-choice nine Gareth Davies, who has to make do with a place on an otherwise inexperienced bench.
With back-row cover limited, Aussie Ed Kennedy is included among the replacements along with highly-rated Wales Under-20s flanker Dan Davis, who caught the eye in the region’s A game victory in Cardiff last weekend.
Rhys Patchell is again tasked with steering the ship from fly-half and is fully aware of the challenge that awaits.
“Ulster take a lot of energy from the fact they play at home in front of a big crowd that makes a lot of noise. It is going to be a big ask,” said the Wales No. 10.
“Last week’s performance against Bath (Scarlets lost 45-12) wasn’t us, we are better than that and this first game of the league is an opportunity to be better than that.
“We have injuries, but you look at when Tadhg Beirne first came here, he sat there waiting, waiting and waiting, had his chance and we didn’t go to war without Tadhg in the end.
“It is an opportunity for boys who potentially would not have expected to play early doors in the season to get a run-out.”
The bookmakers have the Scarlets as second favourites to replicate their 2017 title triumph.
“Last season was OK for us, but last season does not count for much this season,” added Patchell.
Ulster include Ireland and Lions lock Iain Henderson as well as new signings, Aussie wing Henry Speight and fly-half Billy Burns, who has joined from Gloucester.
The match is being broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.
W. Addison; C. Gilroy, D. Cave, S. McCloskey, H. Speight; B. Burns, J. Cooney; A. Warwick, J. Andrew, T. O’Toole, A. O’Connor (capt), I. Henderson, M. Coetzee, N. Timoney, S. Reidy. Reps: A. McBurney, E. O’Sullivan, R. Kane, K. Treadwell, C. Henry, D. Shanahan, A. Curtis, .A Kernohan.
C. Blommetjies; T. Prydie, Jonathan Davies, K. Fonotia, S. Evans; R. Patchell, S. Hidalgo-Clyne; R. Evans, K. Owens (capt), W. Kruger, D. Bulbring, S. Cummins, B. Thomson, J. Macleod, James Davies. Reps: R. Elias, P. Price, S. Gardiner, E. Kennedy, D. Davis, G. Davies, D. Jones, I. Nicholas.
Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Ulster: Scarlets: Referee: