Llanelli Scarlets v Cardiff Blues: Guinness PRO12 preview
Last Updated: 02/04/16 4:12pm
Samson Lee returns for the Scarlets for their PRO12 derby clash with Cardiff on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
Welsh international Lee came off the bench in the region's 25-16 victory over the Ospreys last weekend but starts against the Blues, where he will go head-to-head with Wales' most capped player Gethin Jenkins.
Peter Edwards drops to the bench where he is joined by George Earle and a fit-again Gareth Owen who take the places of Will Boyde and Harry Robinson.
The Scarlets go in to the game in third place and with their eyes firmly on a top-four finish, with a home victory seeing the side move a step closer to securing a spot in next year's Champions Cup.
Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac said: "There will be a lot of intensity in terms of personal battles for Wales jerseys and some thrilling individual match-ups right across the park.
"We know they're playing very well and scoring a lot of tries. They're trying to get up the table to qualify for Europe.
"From a team point of view it's definitely one game at a time for us. We're in a position where we can control our destiny."
Cardiff welcome back their record appearance holder Taufa'ao Filise, who has clocked up 213 games for the club, ahead of the trip west.
Hooker Matthew Rees is also recalled to face his former region, but the Blues are without injured players Blaine Scully, Alex Cuthbert, Cory Allen, Chris Dicomidis and Sam Hobbs.
Like their opponents, the game is a must-win for Cardiff as the race for a top six place hots up.
Head coach Danny Wilson said: "A top six finish is a challenge for us to get, but with four games to go we have got something big to fight for which maybe in previous seasons hasn't always happened.
"This game becomes the biggest of our season; to give ourselves the opportunity to carry on with that quest for the top six.
"Every game is simply huge now and we have got to get a victory. We know to win away from home, at one of the toughest places to go in the Guinness PRO12 and get a result, it is going to need to be top drawer display from us."
Scarlets: 15 Michael Collins, 14 Steff Evans, 13 Regan King, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Dan Jones, 9 Gareth Davies; 1 Rob Evans, 2 Ken Owens (c), 3 Samson Lee, 4 Jake Ball, 5 David Bulbring, 6 John Barclay, 7 James Davies, 8 Morgan Allen.
Replacements: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Dylan Evans, 18 Peter Edwards, 19 George Earle, 20 Maselino Paulino, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Aled Thomas, 23 Gareth Owen.
Cardiff Blues: 15 Rhys Patchell, 14 Dan Fish, 13 Garyn Smith, 12 Rey Lee-Lo, 11 Tom James, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Lloyd Williams; 1 Gethin Jenkins (c), 2 Matthew Rees, 3 Taufa'ao Filise, 4 Josh Turnbull, 5 James Down, 6 Sam Warburton, 7 Ellis Jenkins, 8 Josh Navidi.
Replacements: 16 Kristian Dacey, 17 Brad Thyer, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Jarrad Hoeata, 20 Manoa Vosawai, 21 Lewis Jones, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Aled Summerhill.
Watch Scarlets v Cardiff Blues live on Sky Sports 1 HD on Saturday from 2.45pm. Catch the match for £6.99 on NOW TV. No contract.
