Scarlets v Connacht: Teams

Wales international hooker Matthew Rees returns to the Scarlets starting line-up for Sunday's Magners League game against Connacht.

Fly-half Stephen Jones is ruled out for this week's game with a minor ankle injury and hopes to be back next week for the final game of the season against Glasgow.

Richie Pugh also misses out for the hosts after picking up a shoulder injury against Cardiff last week.

Rhys Priestland comes back at outside half with Martin Roberts starting at scrum-half ahead of Tavis Knoyle on Sunday afternoon. Lock Damian Welch gets a chance to impress with a start for the region and experienced 50 Euro cap prop Iestyn Thomas is back in the Scarlets XV.

"We have had a very focused and honest week and as a group got to the core of some issues regarding our last two performances which we have been very disappointed with," said head coach Nigel Davies.

"We dropped off the level of performance we are capable of and need to get back on our feet quickly and return where we have been previously this season, particularly in our European campaign which has in the main been really positive given where this group is in its development.

Honesty

"We are very disappointed with our league position, and while we know we have come close to wins on so many occasions - ultimately the table does not lie.

"We want to put that right this weekend and we know we have just got to put in two massive performances at the end of the season to show people what we are capable of and to excite our supporters again going into next season.

"We need to get some respect back for ourselves as a team and for our support, which has been great this season home and away."

Scotland and Scarlets winger, Sean Lamont said there is still massive potential in the region for next season and getting the foundations right in the next two games would help kick start a re-focus in pre-season training over the summer.

"In the last two games we under performed, it wasn't our game plans or what we'd been coached in the week, there was good stuff we had worked on but we just didn't do what we set out to," he said.

"In both games we were basically outworked - especially last week. In the cold light of day, the boys know that and we did not work hard enough.

"There has been a lot of honesty this week, issues were aired, sometimes it takes meetings like we had on Monday to move you on and hopefully we've all taken it on board - these next two games will tell and of course, we are looking to finish the two games with wins.

"The boys want to do that and the supporters deserve it - they have been loyal to us all season. That said, they will be two tough games with two teams that have been on good form and put some big wins together- - so it will be no mean feat but we know it's something we need to do.

"Both the sides we face still have something to play for - but so do we - we have pure pride to play for. We don't want to end the season on a losing streak so hopefully we can get a change around this weekend and finish these two games on a high note."

Scarlets: 15 Daniel Evans, 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Regan King, 12 Jonathan Davies 11 Andy Fenby, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Martin Roberts, 8 David Lyons (capt), 7 Josh Turnbull, 6 Rob McCusker, 5 Damian Welch, 4 Lou Reed, 3 Rhys Thomas, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Iestyn Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Phil John, 17 Emyr Phillips, 18 Deacon Manu 19 Dominic Day, 20 Tavis Knoyle, 21 Dan Newton, 22 Lee Williams.

Connacht: 15 Liam Bibo, 14 Tiernan O'Halloran, 13 Eoin Griffin, 12 Troy Nathan, 11 Brian Tuohy, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Conor O'Loughlin, 8 Mike

McComish, 7 Ray Ofisa, 6 Andrew Browne, 5 Bernie Upton, 4 Dave Nolan, 3 Robbie Morris, 2 Adrian Flavin, 1 Ronan Loughney.

Replacements: 16 Dermot Murphy, 17 Conor Higgins, 18 Eoin McKeown, 19 Johnny O'Connor, 2 Kieran Campbell, 21 Miah Nikora,

22 Aidan Wynne.