Wales internationals Gareth Davies and Johnny McNicholl make an immediate return to regional duty when the Scarlets take on Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday (1pm UK time).
The pair started for Wayne Pivac’s national team in last weekend’s ill-fated Six Nations finale against Italy. But with their workloads relatively light over the rest of the championship they go straight back into action for their regional side.
McNicholl starts at full-back in the encounter in Italy, with Davies at scrum-half alongside Rhys Patchell in a team that shows six changes from the one hammered 57-12 by the Bulls in Pretoria last time out.
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Corey Baldwin comes in on the right wing and youngster Joe Roberts starts at outside centre alongside Scott Williams, Roberts having impressed off the bench at Loftus Versfeld. You can read here what Sean Holley said about Williams recently.
Shaun Evans takes over at hooker from the injured Daf Hughes, with Sione Kalamofoni returning in the back-row with Aaron Shingler dropping out because of knee trouble.
Evans demonstrates uncommon versatility in slotting into the middle of the front row, with all four of the former Wales U20s player’s previous starts this term coming at No. 7. The Scarlets had been aiming to convert him to hooker but an openside flanker injury crisis forced them to put the plan on hold and use Evans in the back row.
But with problems now piling up in the middle of the front row, with Ryan Elias away after the Six Nations and Ken Owens, Hughes and Marc Jones all injured, the Carmarthen product heads into frontline duty at the sharp end. Eighteen-year-old academy hooker Lewis Morgan provides back-up from the bench.
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “We have a big block of games coming up, going to Italy this weekend, then five Welsh derbies back to back. It is about getting the mentality right after a trip away.
“We have come in, worked hard and made sure we got our focus straight back on competition. We realise the importance of going away there. The big thing is that our mentality is right, we learn from last week and start the game with intent.”
The Scarlets are without 13 injured players, including Wales internationals Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Rogers, Samson Lee, Ken Owens, Shingler, James Davies and Josh Macleod.
They will not have to face Aisaeli Tuivuaka in Zebre's side, though, after the ultra-dangerous wing who caused the Ospreys problems in Swansea three weeks ago was suspended for a red-card offence against the Stormers.
Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl; Corey Baldwin, Joe Roberts, Scott Williams (capt), Ryan Conbeer; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Kemsley Mathias, Shaun Evans, Javan Sebastian, Sam Lousi, Jac Price, Blade Thomson, Tomas Lezana, Sione Kalamafoni.
Replacements : Lewis Morgan, Rob Evans, Harri O’Connor, Morgan Jones, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Dane Blacker, Sam Costelow, Johnny Williams.
