By Simon Thomas
Wales scrum-half Gareth Davies will be aiming to celebrate a major career landmark in winning style when the Scarlets host Cardiff in the first Welsh derby of the season on Saturday.
Davies will become just the third player – after front row duo Ken Owens and Phil John – to make 250 appearances for the Scarlets since the start of the regional era.
“It’s quite a good achievement, I think, ” said the 34-year-old.
“There are some big names with that many appearances, so it’s quite an honour for me really to be associated with the likes of them.
“I think this is my 17th season here. It’s been a good shift so far, but hopefully there is plenty more to come. I just want to keep playing for as long as I can. I still feel pretty good. I am the oldest in the squad now, but I still feel like I am in my late 20s.
“I am keeping myself fit and strong and still playing some good stuff, I think.
“Seventeen seasons sounds like quite a lot, but the years have just flown, which just shows how much I have enjoyed myself.
“This club means absolutely everything to me and I absolutely love being here.”
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With club captain Josh Macleod sidelined, the 77-cap Davies skippered the Scarlets in last weekend’s courageous 20-20 draw with Benetton out in Treviso.
“I did it a couple of times last season as well and I have quite enjoyed it,” he says.
“It’s a role I like doing and, as an experienced player, I feel like quite a natural leader in the squad.”
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Looking at this weekend’s derby, Davies said: “We beat Cardiff twice last season, so we will take a bit of confidence from that.
“But it’s a different team now and a new season and obviously a massive challenge for us.
“Cardiff play some really nice attacking rugby, so we know it will be a tough game and we have got to improve again from our efforts in Treviso.
“We have strengthened our pack and the forwards put in an outstanding shift last weekend.
“We have got some exciting backs as well, so if we can have a platform from the big boys up front hopefully we can be a really quality team.”
Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt commented: “The Scarlets beat us twice last year and it’s always very tough down in west Wales.
“I know it’s a bit cliched, but form goes out of the window with any of the Welsh derbies.”
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Club captain Josh Macleod makes his return from injury to lead the Scarlets.
The Wales flanker will make his first appearance since January in a side showing four personnel changes from last weekend’s 20-20 draw out in Treviso.
There is a reshuffle in the back division. With Sam Costelow recovering from the illness that forced him to miss the Benetton clash, the Wales pivot returns to the No. 10 jersey, Ioan Lloyd switches to full-back and Tom Rogers moves to the right wing in place of Ellis Mee, who is named among the replacements.
Johnny Williams and Macs Page continue in midfield, whilst up front, Kemsley Mathias continues at loose-head in an all-international Wales front row alongside Ryan Elias and Henry Thomas, who will make his URC debut.
In the back row, Vaea Fifita is ruled out with the knee injury he picked up against Benetton which forces a reshuffle.
Jarrod Taylor moves to blindside, Taine Plumtree switches to No. 8 and Macleod starts in his favoured No. 7 shirt.
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Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “We were all disappointed with how the match in Treviso finished, but there has been plenty to build on for this weekend.
“We have always had close battles with Cardiff, they will be buoyed from that win against Zebre in round one so it is important we are on our mettle and impose ourselves on the game.
“We want to make Parc y Scarlets a difficult place for teams to come and after three successive away games it is great to be back at home in front of our supporters again.”
Scarlets team to play Cardiff on Saturday, September 28 (5.15pm Premier Sports)
15 Ioan Lloyd; 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Macs Page, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Blair Murray; 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Gareth Davies; 1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Alex Craig, 5 Max Douglas, 6 Jarrod Taylor, 7 Josh Macleod (capt), 8 Taine Plumtree.
Reps: 16 Marnus van der Merwe. 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Jac Price, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Efan Jones, 22 Eddie James, 23 Ellis Mee.
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