Scarlets look set to have a Ball in Belfast
WALES lock Jake Ball hands the Scarlets a welcome injury boost as he returns to the starting line-up for tonight’s Heineken Champions Cup clash with Ulster in Belfast (7.45pm).
After taking a blow to the head in the Guinness PRO14 defeat in Glasgow, Ball was forced to miss last weekend’s 25-24 loss to the Northern Irish province in Llanelli – a result that, barring a mathematical miracle, ended the Scarlets hopes of making the knockout stages.
Head coach Wayne Pivac has had to deal with yet more injury issues in the wake of that latest setback, with Rob Evans and James Davies ruled out and Leigh Halfpenny still suffering concussion symptoms.
But second row Ball has come through his return-to-play protocols and will give the Scarlets a much-need carrying option and ballast up front as they look to salvage some pride at the Kingspan.
Pivac makes three personnel changes – two of them enforced – from the bitterly disappointing loss at Parc y Scarlets. With Evans (ankle) and James Davies (toe) sidelined, Wyn Jones comes into the front row, while Lewis Rawlins switches to the back row.
Injuries to Davies, Aaron Shingler, Josh Macleod, Ed Kennedy and Blade Thomson mean the Scarlets are down to the bare bones in the back row, so Pivac has had to name two second rows, Tom Price and Josh Helps, among his replacements.
Behind the scrum, Hadleigh Parkes replaces the injured Kieron Fonotia and resumes his international partnership with Jonathan Davies, who will make his 150th appearance for the region.
Leigh Halfpenny remains sidelined with concussion so Johnny McNicholl continues in the No. 15 shirt.
“The good thing talking to the group this week is that everybody is determined to go out and build on last week’s performance, right the wrongs of their defence and put in a really good showing in Ulster – we are approaching it as a must-win game,” said Pivac.
“As coaches we are going to be disappointed behind the scenes and we are going to be tough on ourselves and the group.
“But the reality is, it (Europe) could have been different.
“There was a missed conversion against Racing which was the difference between winning and losing, that is how tight that game was, and they are a good side.
“It sounds like excuses, but we have been on the wrong end of tight margins and it has cost us this season.
“We can’t take that back, but what we can do is keep working hard and look for the performances we desire to keep us going in the PRO14.
“That is a really exciting opportunity for us because two years ago we didn’t qualify for the quarter-finals of Europe and that actually aided us in the (PRO14) run-in.
“When our players were getting rests and recovery other teams were going into another massive battle, that is the plus on the negative situation that we have found ourselves in, I guess.”
Ulster, meanwhile, field an unchanged match-day 23 skippered by Ireland captain Rory Best.
TEAMS – Ulster:
Louis Ludik; Henry Speight, Will Addison, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Eric O’Sullivan, Rory Best (capt), Marty Moore, Iain Henderson, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee. Replacements: Rob Herring, Kyle McCall, Tom O’Toole, Matthew Rea, Nick Timoney, Dave Shanahan, Johnny McPhillips, Darren Cave.
Johnny McNicholl; Tom Prydie, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens (capt), Samson Lee, Jake Ball, David Bulbring, Lewis Rawlins, Will Boyde, Uzair Cassiem. Replacements: Ryan Elias, Phil Price, Werner Kruger, Tom Price, Josh Helps, Sam HidalgoClyne, Dan Jones, Paul Asquith.
Scarlets:
The 6ft 3in prop’s regional bow has been delayed by a hamstring problem he sustained in the summer.
But he figured for Bridgend in their surprise Principality Premiership win over Aberavon last weekend and caught the eye with his scrummaging.
Now he is set to step up for the Ospreys, with coach Allen Clarke naming him on the bench for the date in the French capital.
The Welsh region will hope Gajion eventually morphs into the kind of asset Dmitri Arhip became.
Like Gajion, Arhip arrived in Swansea as an unknown. But in time he turned into one of the most feared props in the Guinness PRO14.
The Ospreys are top of their European pool after two wins from their first three matches, including the 51-20 success over Stade last weekend.
A win in France would leave them handily placed to push for a place in the knock-out stages.
They opt to leave out Wales internationals Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones, Adam Beard, Owen Watkin, Aled Davies and George North, while Nicky Smith and Dan Lydiate are injured.
The selection is in keeping with Clarke’s policy this season of targeting games and ensuring individuals are not over-played.
James Hook lines up at fly-half and Scott Baldwin figures at hooker.
Olly Cracknell leads the side from blindside flanker, with Sam Cross at No. 7.
Like Gajion, promising lock Will Griffiths will make his Ospreys debut if he appears off the bench.
“We are expecting the game in Paris to be a difficult challenge,” said Clarke.
“The team selected is one we believe in strongly, and feel that it has what it takes to deliver this weekend. We have plenty of experience through the spine of the team, and some exciting young talent that is determined to perform on the big stage.
“It was important to get this phase of the season off to a positive start last Saturday but now we need to build on it in the Stade Jean-Bouin on Friday night.”
Dan Evans; H Dirksen, C Allen, J Kotze, K Giles; J Hook, T Habberfield; R Jones, S Baldwin, T Botha, L Ashley, J King, O Cracknell (capt), R McCusker, S Cross. Reps: S Parry, G Thomas, G Gajion, W Griffiths, G Volpi, H Morgan, C Evans, J Thomas.
Ospreys: