Scarlets team to face Connacht

The Welsh region won two of their three festive Welsh derbies but know that completing a season's double over Connacht will be far from simple at the Galway Sportsground tomorrow (Fri, Jan 9, 6.30pm).

Head coach Nigel Davies told a Parc y Scarlets press conference (on Monday): "Connacht have put in some strong performances of late and are very difficult to play against.

"We've lost over there in the past so Friday has the makings of a very difficult game. However, the fact that we're fighting for this league focuses the mind a little bit which isn't a bad thing.

"Connacht's a tough place to go; it's a small field, normally windy and they play a basic game very well. They'll be physical as ever and they'll kick for territory so we'll have to manage that particularly well.

"We've got to be clinical in our approach and we've got to have a tough mentality."

Davies's squad is still light behind the scrum due to long-term injury absentees such as Gavin Evans, Rob Higgitt, Dafydd James and Daniel Evans. In addition, a bug has meant Wales outside-half Stephen Jones training only on Thursday this week so he starts in Galway on the bench, and Wales wing Mark Jones is out due to an appendix operation this week.

However, experienced Wales prop Iestyn Thomas is back fit and takes a place on the bench.

A three-game winning run in all competitions by Connacht was ended at Leinster last Friday, however they have won three of their last four Magners League games in Galway. They have lost all their three games against Welsh opponents this season.

The Scarlets have won two of their last three matches in the Magners League, but away from home in all competitions have slipped to four successive defeats. Their only win on their last five visits to Ireland was 16-9 at Ulster in September.

Connacht have won just one of their last five encounters with Scarlets: 20-18 at Galway last season.

The Magners League continues into the New Year with the prospect of top versus second in the table when

In September the Scarlets beat Connacht 45-3 at Stradey Park, with tries from Jon Davies, Nathan Brew, Mark Jones, Deacon Manu (2) and Morgan Stoddart (2).

Scarlets (at Connacht, Galway Sportsground, Fri, Jan 9, 6.30pm): 15 Morgan Stoddart, 14 Darren Daniel, 13 Regan King, 12 Jon Davies, 11 Gareth Morris, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Martin Roberts; 1 Phil John, 2 Matthew Rees, 3 Deacon Manu, 4 Dominic Day, 5 Vernon Cooper, 6 Simon Easterby (c), 7 Johnathan Edwards, 8 David Lyons; Reps - 16 Iestyn Thomas, 17 Ken Owens, 18 Lou Reed, 19 Dafydd Jones, 20 Gavin Cattle, 21 Stephen Jones, 22 Yannick N'Gog .