URC team news: Welsh derbies take centre stage on New Year’s Day
Ioan Nicholas returns from injury for Scarlets.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) round kicks off on New Year’s Day with two Welsh derbies as Dragons host Scarlets and Ospreys take on Cardiff.
Check on the team news, match officials and predictions for the matches.
Dragons RFC v Scarlets
Back-row tyros Harri Keddie and Harry Beddall win call-ups to the Dragons starting line-up as they host Scarlets at Rodney Parade.
Head coach Filo Tiatia makes four changes to the side narrowly beaten by Cardiff and reshapes his back-row with the two additions named alongside Wales international ace Aaron Wainwright.
Fit-again hooker Oli Burrows also returns up front while there is a positional change for Ryan Woodman who moves into the second-row.
The final change comes in the back division where there is a recall for David Richards on the wing.
Prop Wyn Jones could make his 100th appearance in the URC from the replacements bench where there are also returns for Joe Westwood and Ewan Rosser.
Meanwhile, Scarlets will take the pitch fielding a reshuffled side from the Boxing Day clash with the Ospreys.
With the short turnaround between festive URC fixtures, head coach Dwayne Peel has made six personnel and five positional changes to his starting line-up.
Ioan Nicholas has recovered from a foot injury and comes in at full-back for his first appearance since the Sharks game in October, with Ellis Mee moving to the left wing.
In midfield, Joe Roberts switches from wing to his preferred outside centre slot where he partners Eddie James, who wears the number 12 jersey. Joe Hawkins and Gareth Davies continue at half-back.
Up front, there is a new look to the front five.
Kemsley Mathias has overcome the groin issue that forced to miss the Ospreys game and starts at loosehead prop, packing down alongside Marnus van der Merwe and Henry Thomas.
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With Jake Ball sidelined with the knee injury he sustained on Boxing Day, on-loan Harvey Cuckson is recalled to the second-row, while Max Douglas moves into the engine room from the back-row.
Skipper Josh Macleod has come through his head injury protocols to lead the team from openside so Taine Plumtree moves across the back-row to blindside flanker. Fletcher Anderson, who made more carries than any other player in round eight of the URC, continues in the number eight shirt.
Among the replacements, Tonga international Sam Lousi will make his 100th Scarlets appearance if he comes off the bench.
Loosehead prop Josh Morse, who made his URC debut last weekend, and 18-year-old fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones – both home-grown academy products, are also included in the matchday squad.
The teams
Prediction: Scarlets by 5
Dragons RFC: 15 Angus O’Brien (cc), 14 David Richards, 13 Fine Inisi, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Che Hope, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Harry Beddall, 6 Harri Keddie, 5 Ben Carter (cc), 4 Ryan Woodman, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Oli Burrows, 1 Rodrigo Martinez
Replacements: 16 George Roberts, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Cebo Dlamini, 19 Levi Douglas, 20 Thomas Young, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Joe Westwood, 23 Ewan Rosser
Scarlets: 15 Ioan Nicholas, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Eddie James, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Joe Hawkins, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Fletcher Anderson, 7 Josh Macleod (c), 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Harvey Cuckson, 4 Max Douglas, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Josh Morse, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, 23 Macs Page
Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
Kick-off: 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Referee: Ben Connor (WRU, 6th league game)
Assistant Referees: Carwyn Sion (WRU), Gareth Newman (WRU)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU)
Live on: S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC TV
Ospreys v Cardiff Rugby
Jack Walsh and Sam Parry are set to co-captain the Ospreys in their URC derby showdown with Cardiff on Thursday.
Garyn Phillips starts for the region at loosehead, with Sam Parry lining up at hooker and Tom Botha completing the front-row.
Rhys Davies and Ryan Smith will run out in the second-row, with James Ratti at blindside, Harri Deaves takes up the other flank and Morgan Morris starts at eight.
Kieran Hardy starts at scrum-half with Dan Edwards at 10. Keiran Williams partners Owen Watkin the centre.
In the back three, Jack Walsh starts at full-back, with Keelan Giles on one wing and Iestyn Hopkins on the other.
Meanwhile, Keiron Assiratti returns as Cardiff make five changes for their New Year’s Day trip to Bridgend.
The Wales tighthead has recovered from a calf complaint and is the only change to the matchday 23 that claimed a Boxing Day victory over Dragons.
Assiratti packs down in an all-international front-row with club captain Liam Belcher and Danny Southworth who steps up from the bench.
George Nott, Alun Lawrence and Johan Mulder also move into the starting XV for the United Rugby Championship clash at Dunraven Brewery Field.
Cardiff have again opted for a 6-2 split on the replacements bench with the likes of James Botham, Taulupe Faletau and Aled Davies providing experience.
The teams
Prediction: Ospreys by 3
Ospreys: 15 Jack Walsh (cc), 14 Iestyn Hopkins, 13 Owen Watkin, 12 Keiran Willians, 11 Keelan Giles, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Morgan Morris, 7 Harri Deaves, 6 James Ratti, 5 Ryan Smith, 4 Rhys Davies, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Sam Parry (cc), 1 Garyn Phillips
Replacements: 16 Dewi Lake, 17 Steffan Thomas, 18 Rhys Henry, 19 James Fender, 20 Morgan Morse, 21 Gwilym Evans, 22 Phil Cokanasiga, 23 Max Nagy
Cardiff Rugby: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Harri Millard, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Mason Grady, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Alun Lawrence, 7 Dan Thomas, 6 Alex Mann, 5 George Nott, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Liam Belcher (c), 1 Danny Southworth
Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Rhys Barratt, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Rory Thornton, 20 James Botham, 21 Taulupe Faletau, 22 Aled Davies, 23 Jacob Beetham
Venue: Dunraven Brewery Field, Bridgend
Kick-off: 17.30 IRE & UK / 18.30 ITA / 19.30 SA
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 48th league game)
Assistant Referees: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)
TMO: Craig Evans (WRU)
Live on: BBC Wales, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC TV
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