It’s time for Cassiem to deliver, declares Pivac
South African signing Uzair Cassiem is handed only his second Scarlets start of the season against Ulster tonight (7.35pm), with head coach Wayne Pivac telling the Springbok: “It’s time to deliver”.
Cassiem, a summer signing from the Cheetahs, was part of the Boks squad beaten by Wales last December, but the No. 8 has endured a frustrating first few months in Llanelli, not helped by an early-season calf injury and a two-week suspension.
“He has to start performing,” said Pivac, ahead of the Guinness PRO14 clash at Parc y Scarlets.
“We signed him to get a job done. He has had a frustrating start with injury and suspension. When you are learning to play in a different environment with a different team, it takes a bit of time.
“It was no different when Foxy (Jon Davies) came back. They sound like excuses, but it is a reality.
“However, at some stage guys need to start performing and we are at that stage and the team know it.”
Cassiem comes into a Scarlets side showing five personnel changes from the disappointing 31-21 loss to Edinburgh last time out.
With no members of Warren Gatland’s Wales squad released for the resumption of PRO14 action and with injuries still hitting his squad hard, Pivac has had to dig deep into his resources.
As well as their long-term absentees, the Scarlets are also missing back-rower Blade Thomson, who has been given a few weeks off to recover from the concussion he suffered early on in the defeat at Murrayfield, while fellow back-rower Josh Macleod is sidelined for a month because of a stress fracture of the foot.
Ed Kennedy joins stand-in skipper Will Boyde and Cassiem in a new-look back row.
“Blade is having a bit of time out following that head knock against Edinburgh. He has seen a specialist and is in good hands,” explained Pivac. “We have a programme in place for him so he won’t be playing for the next few weeks. Josh first felt it (his foot injury) in the Kings game, he is a moon boot at the moment and hopefully he will be back in three to four weeks.”
Some positive news is the return of wing Tom Prydie following a shoulder injury and he slots in on the wing in place of Morgan Williams.
Hooker Marc Jones, signed from Sale Sharks in August, makes his first start for the West Walians with Ken Owens and Ryan Elias away with Wales.
And there is a surprise at scrumhalf with Kieran Hardy getting the nod over Scotland international Sam Hidalgo-Clyne. Lewis Rawlins is back from a shoulder issue, having had a recent run-out for Llanelli RFC in the Principality Premiership, and is named among the replacements.
However, Wales prop Samson Lee is still recovering from the hamstring problem which prevented him playing a part during the autumn Test series.
After eight rounds only a point separates second-placed Ulster and the Scarlets in the Conference B table. It will also be the first of three outings against the Northern Irishmen over the next month.
“We need to be up for this game.”
SCARLETS:
Johnny McNicholl; Tom Prydie, Kieron Fonotia, Paul Asquith, Ioan Nicholas; Dan Jones, Kieran Hardy; Phil Price, Marc Jones, Werner Kruger, Steve Cummins, David Bulbring, Ed Kennedy, Will Boyde (capt), Uzair Cassiem. Replacements: Daf Hughes, Dylan Evans, Simon Gardiner, Lewis Rawlins, Dan Davis, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Clayton Blommetjies, Morgan Williams.
M Lowry; R Baloucoune, L Ludik, J Hume, H Speight; B Burns, D Shanahan; E O’Sullivan, A McBurney, M Moore, A O’Connor (captain), K Treadwell, M Coetzee, S Reidy, N Timoney. Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, T O’Toole, I Nagle, G Jones, J Stewart, D Cave, A Kernohan.
ULSTER: