Scarlets confident ahead of challenge against high-flying Ulster

Ulster's only defeat in their last ten matches in all tournaments was to Leinster at the RDS in the RaboDirect PRO12 on 28th December and the Ulstermen have lost just once at Ravenhill in the past 12 months (12-13 to Glasgow in the PRO12 in September) however the Scarlets will be buoyed ahead of tomorrow night's clash after a 33-41 victory on foreign soil last weekend.

With a win against Ulster already under their belts, securing a 17-9 victory over the Ulstermen at Parc y Scarlets in November, the Scarlets will be keen to repeat their forwards dominated performance to do the double over the Irish province.

Scarlets Head Coach Simon Easterby said: "We're going to Ravenhill under-strength but we have to be confident that we can back up what we did in Treviso last Friday.

"We've put into place some of the stuff we did well out here against them earlier in the season and Friday's game is one that we can go and win.

"There are very few games that we can afford to drop points in. There are 45 points up for grabs and there are sides around us that will win and lose over the next three rounds. We've given ourselves a fighting chance with that victory last weekend."

Easterby has made only two changes to the starting XV that took on Treviso last week; tighthead prop Samson Lee comes into the starting line-up for Jacobie Adriaanse, having been released back to the region from Wales camp, and second row Johan Snyman comes in for Richard Kelly who moved to the replacements bench.

Captain Rob McCusker will be looking to fire up his team to secure a performance and a result against a strong Ulster side.

Easterby went on to say: "There's a way of trying to beat Ulster and there's a way of trying to stop the aswell. We need to be as good as we've been when at our best this season to secure a victory."

Scarlets team to take on Ulster, Friday 14th February at Ravenhill, kick-off 7.05pm:
15 Jordan Williams, 14 Kristian Phillips, 13 Gareth Maule, 12 Adam Warren, 11 Frazier Climo, 10 Aled Thomas, 9 Gareth Davies, 1 Phil John, 2 Kirby Myhill, 3 Samson Lee, 4 George Earle, 5 Johan Snyman, 6 Josh Turnbull, 7 John Barclay, 8 Rob McCusker (c)

Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Rob Evans, Jacobie Adriaanse, Richard Kelly, Sione Timani, Rhodri Williams, Olly Barkley, Gareth Owen