Two of the form teams in the GUINNESS PRO12 meet in Llanelli tonight as table toppers Leinster look to pocket their fourth successive away win in the competition.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, November 25
SCARLETS (6th) v LEINSTER (1st), Parc y Scarlets, 7.35pm (live BBC 2 Wales)
Team News: Leinster welcome back a number of newly-capped Ireland internationals, most notably Dan Leavy, James Tracy and Luke McGrath, while there are a number of other changes to the side that accounted for Zebre last time out.
There is one change in the back-line with Rory O’Loughlin coming back from injury to don the number 13 jersey. The Leinster Academy back has featured in five PRO12 games already this season and has recovered from a shoulder injury picked up in the win over Benetton Treviso. He will partner Noel Reid in midfield.
The province’s back-three again consists of two UCD clubmen with Barry Daly and Adam Byrne, who scored a hat-trick of tries last time out, on the wings and captain Isa Nacewa at full-back. Jamison Gibson Park and Ross Byrne continue together at half-back.
In the pack, Peter Dooley comes in at loosehead prop and joins Ireland internationals Richardt Strauss and Michael Bent in the front row with Bent winning his 70th cap for Leinster. Mike McCarthy is again selected at lock but is joined this time by Ian Nagle.
Finally, there is one more switch in the back row where Dominic Ryan comes in at blindside flanker, which means Leavy moves to the openside with fellow international Jack Conan continuing at number 8.
Terenure College prop Oisín Heffernan is in line to make his debut should he be introduced as a replacement, while Academy back rower Peadar Timmins is involved in a Leinster matchday squad for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac has named Kiwi Johnny McNicholl in the starting line-up for the visit of the league leaders to Parc y Scarlets.
McNicholl will make his Scarlets debut on the right wing as the PRO12 makes a return after two weeks of Anglo-Welsh Cup action. The 26-year-old, who played for Canterbury and the Crusaders back home, is the only change to the side that secured a 27-3 victory over Glasgow Warriors three weeks ago.
The Scarlets, who have Kildare native and Leinster Academy graduate Tadhg Beirne on their bench, are in sixth position in the PRO12 table at present, nine points behind Leo Cullen’s Leinster.
SCARLETS: Aled Thomas; Johnny McNIcholl, Steff Hughes, Hadleigh Parkes (capt), Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Jonathan Evans; Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Werner Kruger, Tom Price, David Bulbring, Aaron Shingler, James Davies, Will Boyde.
Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Dylan Evans, Peter Edwards, Tadhg Beirne, Josh Macleod, Aled Davies, Dan Jones, Gareth Owen.
LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa (capt); Adam Byrne, Rory O’Loughlin, Noel Reid, Barry Daly; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Peter Dooley, Richardt Strauss, Michael Bent, Mike McCarthy, Ian Nagle, Dominic Ryan, Dan Leavy, Jack Conan.
Replacements: James Tracy, Andrew Porter, Oisín Heffernan, Ross Molony, Peadar Timmins, Luke McGrath, Tom Daly, Zane Kirchner.
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Leo Colgan (Ireland), Elgan Williams (Wales)
Television Match Official: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Scarlets to win: 8/13; Draw: 14/1; Leinster to win: 7/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Michael Bent (Leinster) – “I think the break was great being honest. We had a week off which allows the body and mind to refresh but then last week we had a really good week to focus back in and put serious time into detail and plays and certain things that we really wanted to focus on. Same this week as we focused on the match itself where we are able to lock it all down and get it right.
“The Scarlets have played a few (Anglo-Welsh Cup) games but they’ve used those games to blood younger lads too, so it’s been a very different team out to what we’ll face on Friday. They’ll have taken some time off too I’m sure so I really think both teams will be in a good place come kick-off time.
“They finished off their last (PRO12) game with a comprehensive win against Glasgow Warriors where the Warriors only scored one penalty. They’ll see this as a great opportunity to kick-start the next block of games. But we have our own targets too and we don’t want to give up our position at the top of the PRO12 and we’ll be giving it everything to ensure we don’t.”
Wayne Pivac (Scarlets) – “We’ve had to work really hard after a poor start to the season, credit to the guys that they’ve got themselves into the position where they can now be fighting for hopefully that top four in the future.
“Leinster had a good win last out, going to Zebre isn’t an easy place to go. You don’t get to the top of the table by accident. They have a strong squad and it’ll certainly be a good challenge. We’ve talked a lot about what we want to achieve and what we want out of the game. It’s really focusing on maintaining the small improvements we’ve made over the last few weeks.
“Across the board, we’re playing for each other. We want to show that to the fans and the people supporting us that it means a lot to the boys to pull the jersey on and playing well over the 80 minutes. Not just playing well but winning well as well, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Scarlets – Points: Rhys Patchell 61; Tries: Will Boyde, Jonathan Evans, Liam Williams Steffan Evans 3 each; Leinster – Points: Isa Nacewa 47; Tries: Adam Byrne 4
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Scarlets – Played 8, Won 5, Lost 3, 22 Points; L 23-13 v Munster (home), L 20-9 v Edinburgh (away), L 19-8 v Ulster (away), W 17-8 v Connacht (home), W 22-6 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 31-27 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 26-15 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 27-3 v Glasgow Warriors (home); Leinster – Played 8, Won 7, Lost 1, 31 Points; W 20-8 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 33-25 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 33-20 v Edinburgh (away), W 31-19 v Ospreys (home), W 16-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 25-14 v Munster (home), W 24-13 v Connacht (home), W 33-10 v Zebre (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, September 6, 2013 – Scarlets 19 Leinster 42, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, November 30, 2013 – Leinster 36 Scarlets 19, the RDS
Saturday, September 13, 2014 – Leinster 42 Scarlets 12, the RDS
Sunday, March 7, 2015 – Scarlets 23 Leinster 13, Parc y Scarlets
Friday, October 16, 2015 – Scarlets 25 Leinster 14, Parc y Scarlets
Friday, November 6, 2015 – Leinster 19 Scarlets 15, the RDS
MATCH FACTS:
– The Scarlets have won their last five GUINNESS PRO12 encounters since their 19-8 defeat in Ulster in round 3
– The Welshmen have won their last five matches in all competitions at Parc y Scarlets since Munster won there on the opening weekend of the new season – their only home defeat to an Irish province in the last three years
– Leinster have lost just one of their last eight matches in all tournaments: 22-16 in Montpellier in the European Champions Cup on October 23
– The Leinstermen have won their last three away games in the PRO12 but have not won four in a row on the road in the Championship since 2013
– Leinster’s only defeat to a Welsh region in the last twelve months was 23-13 at the Newport Gwent Dragons at the end of January
– The last five clashes between the two sides have all gone the way of the home side on the day, while Leinster’s most recent success at Parc y Scarlets was 42-19 during the opening round of the 2013/14 campaign
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