The Scarlets hand a first United Rugby Championship start to former Wales U20s prop Kemsley Mathias when they take on the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Friday (5.10pm kick-off). Wales international Rob Evans also returns to the matchday squad for the first time since damaging knee ligaments against the Ospreys on New Year’s Day.
Dwayne Peel makes eight changes, one of them positional, from the team which lost 37-20 to the Sharks.
Haverfordwest-born Mathias — a member of the Wales team which defeated New Zealand at the Junior World Championship in 2019 — is upgraded from the Scarlets bench into the run-on XV at loosehead with Steff Thomas dropping out and 2019 Wales Grand Slam winner Evans making his return.
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Argentina international Tomas Lezana is also on the comeback trail, with the openside playing his first game since suffering an ankle injury in the Heineken Champions Cup loss against Bordeaux-Begles in January.
Ioan Nicholas takes over from the injured Tom Rogers at full-back, with a fit-again Ryan Conbeer stepping in for Cory Baldwin on the left wing and Rhys Patchell has overcome a calf injury to start at fly-half.
Up front, Javan Sebastian replaces the off-limits Samson Lee, Mathias comes in at loosehead and Aaron Shingler and Lezana are drafted into the back row, with Blade Thomson switching to No. 8.
The Scarlets leave Sione Kalamafoni on the bench after last week’s mighty shift against the Sharks, when the Tongan made 19 tackles without missing and carried the ball 18 times for 43 metres. His consistency is a thing of wonder and anyone looking for the best performer on the regional scene this term should start and end their search with the 33-year-old.
He received significant back-up last week from Sam Lousi, another mainstay of the Scarlets pack this season. He packs down at lock alongside Jac Price with head coach Dwayne Peel warning about the strength of the opposition.
“The Bulls are obviously a quality side with a lot of internationals and a big physical pack," said Peel. “Physicality is non-negotiable out here and it is about us matching it, not kicking loosely and also being excited when we have the ball. We saw glimpses last week of some really good stuff when we had the ball. If we can finish a few of those off we will be happy.”
The Scarlets are missing 18 players — 11 injured, seven away with Wales.
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse; 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Cornal Hendricks, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Madosh Tambwe; 10 Chris Smith, 9 Zak Burger, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 3 Jacques van Rooyen, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 5 Ruan Nortje, 6 Marcell Coetzee (capt), 7 Cyle Brink, 8 Elrigh Louw.
Replacements : 16 Joe van Zyl, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Robert Hunt, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Lionel Mapoe.
Scarlets : 15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Steff Evans, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Scott Williams (capt), 11 Ryan Conbeer; 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Dane Blacker; 1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 Daf Hughes, 3 Javan Sebastian, 4 Sam Lousi, 5 Jac Price, 6 Aaron Singler, 7 Tomas Lezana, 8 Blade Thomson.
Replacements : 16 Shaun Evans, 17 Rob Evans, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Morgan Jones, 20 Sione Kalamafoni, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Joe Roberts.
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