The Scarlets hand talented youngster Joe Roberts a start in their United Rugby Championship clash with the Dragons in Llanelli on Saturday (7.35pm).
At 21, the Coleg Sir Gar product is considered a player with a significant future, with the centre performing strongly in his only previous appearance in a run-on Scarlets side in the league, against Zebre last month, and making an impact off the bench against Cardiff last Saturday. One of his interventions at the Arms Park startled former Ospreys coach Sean Holley from a TV commentary box. With the Scarlets 28-14 ahead well into the final quarter, Jonathan Davies kicked ahead from near his own line.
As Matthew Morgan went to gather on the home 22, he was engulfed by Roberts, who had fairly blown upfield in pursuit of the clearance. “My goodness!” said Holley. “The pace on Joe Roberts. The kick goes downfield…look at him — he’s like a steam train going down the touchline.”
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Roberts has a good passing game and at 6ft and 14st 6lb he has an appetite for defence. He is also fast enough to play wing. “He’s one I’ve liked since I’ve been here,” said Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel.
“I didn’t know too much about him when I came back to the Scarlets last summer. I knew he’d come through the academy and had a knee injury a couple of years back, but he’s impressed me.
“He had a knee issue around Christmas, which dampened his season a bit, but he’s back and he’s in good form. He’s young and he’ll take time but his ceiling is high. Not only is he quick but he’s also aggressive and I’m looking forward to having more time with him on the park. He’ll fit nicely in that 13 shirt, though he can play 12 as well and he can figure on the wing. He has that physicality about him that I quite like.”
Peel makes seven personnel changes from the side that won 49-14 in the capital, recalling Corey Baldwin and Steff Evans out wide, with Ryan Conbeer unavailable for personal reasons and Tom Rogers having picked up an ankle injury. Roberts steps in at outside centre and Kieran Hardy features at scrum-half.
Up front, Shaun Evans figures at hooker for the injured Ryan Elias, Morgan Jones steps in at lock for Jac Price, who was involved in a clash of heads with Elias against Cardiff, and Tomas Lezana is named in the back row.
The Dragons may be winless since October but they name six internationals in their pack for the trip west, including Ben Carter, with the in-form Harrison Keddie and loosehead prop Aki Seiuli the only non-Test players in Dean Ryan’s eight.
Ryan will hope his side can match the Scarlets up front and he’ll want Gonzalo Bertranou and Sam Davies to control matters from half-back. Sione Kalamafoni is a proven dangerman for the Scarlets with his ball carrying but the Dragons don’t have any specific plans to target him while acknowledging he’s a threat. “He’s a big ball carrier for them and if they get going forward they have a lot of pace off the back," said Ryan.
“We are well aware we need to stifle opportunities for people who get forward. I don’t think we are talking about specific plans, but we have to stop momentum in their game, either from offering cheap turnovers or from structured plays that they have which bring Kalamafoni into it more.
"Scarlets have come out of their South Africa trip and found some real form, so we need to be at our best."
Scarlets: Liam Williams; Corey Baldwin, Joe Roberts, Jonathan Davies (capt), Steff Evans; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Steff Thomas, Shaun Evans, Javan Sebastian, Sam Lousi, Morgan Jones, Aaron Shingler, Tomas Lezana, Sione Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Daf Hughes, Rob Evans, Harri O’Connor, Blade Thomson, Josh Macleod, Dane Blacker, Angus O’Brien, Johnny Williams.
Dragons : Josh Lewis; Jared Rosser, Adam Warren, Jack Dixon, Rio Dyer; Sam Davies, Gonzalo Bertranou; Aki Seiuli, Elliot Dee, Leon Brown, Ben Carter, Will Rowlands, Harrison Keddie (capt), Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements : Taylor Davies, Josh Reynolds, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Ben Fry, Rhodri Williams, Will Reed, David Richards.
