SCARLETS HAVE NAMED captain Ken Owens at number eight for tomorrow’s Guinness Pro14 meeting with the Dragons [KO 5.15pm eir Sport/Premier Sports].
Owens is Wales and Scarlets’ first-choice hooker but an injury crisis for Wayne Pivac’s side means the 32-year-old will be redeployed in the back row.
Scarlets are currently missing back row options James Davies, Will Boyde, Uzair Cassiem, Blade Thomson, Aaron Shingler, Lewis Rawlins, Steve Cummins and Josh Macleod.
That nightmarish injury list means Owens will line out in the number eight shirt for the first time, from where Scarlets will hope his ball-carrying prowess can make an impact.
Owens’ selection in the eight shirt comes after centre Hadleigh Parkes started two games at out-half for Scarlets, although he has returned to midfield for tomorrow’s meeting with the Dragons.
Scarlets, who are also missing Leigh Halfpenny due to concussion, are on a concerning run of poor form, having lost their last five games in all competitions.
Head coach Pivac is hoping to turn things around swiftly in what is his final season with the region before taking over from Warren Gatland as Wales boss.
Scarlets (v Dragons):
15. Johnny McNicholl
14. Ioan Nicholas
13. Jonathan Davies
12. Hadleigh Parkes
11. Paul Asquith
10. Dan Jones
9. Kieran Hardy
1. Rob Evans
2. Ryan Elias
3. Samson Lee
4. Josh Helps
5. David Bulbring
6. Ed Kennedy
7. Dan Davis
8. Ken Owens (captain)
Replacements:
16. Marc Jones
17. Wyn Jones
18. Werner Kruger
19. Tom Price
20. Tom Phillips
21. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
22. Steff Hughes
23. Tom Prydie
Murray Kinsella, Gavan Casey and Andy Dunne look back on a busy festive period for the provinces in this week’s Heineken Rugby Weekly.
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Talk about desperate times for this lot.
A big risk that could rival that i famous decision to play Bergamasco at SH.
@Gavin Mitchell: nothing will ever come close to that :)
@Richard: Didnt shalk brits play hooker and backrow (think he played a game at prop for stormers too). And there was an islander (im thinkinking fiji) that played flanker and 11-14.
@Shougeki: Fijian was The Demolition Man Levani Bothia.
@Shougeki: There’s been quite a few in recent years. Malcolm Marx was a flanker till his late teens till he made the change Stander wouldn’t. But lads like Deon Fourie, Dave Ward, Ashley Johnson, Hika Elliot, Craig Burden and Fraser Brown are a few who’ve played the two positions at the top level. Probably down to how the role of the hooker has changed in the modern game.
Most Hookers are quite similar to backrows only tend to be a bit shorter. Bergamasco playing SH is way more different
Front rows dream come true
Well he is a hooker so he gets around.
The guy can play ball, he will do just fine. But losing Beirne and Barclay has killed Scarlets this year.
Scarlets are in the worst injury crisis I’ve seen since Connacht two years ago
@ScewMadd: I remember during Elwood’s reign Connacht named something mad like only a 21 man match day squad with 8 front rowers due to injury.
Scarlets are in a bad way with players missing through injury or signing for other teams. There’s a big chance for one of Leinster or Ulster to capitalise on that disarray this weekend.
They only playing the dragons so should get through this easily
@jay bernard: You are than likely right on that .
I’ve often thought I’d like to see Sean Cronin play at 12 to see how he’d get on. In a meaningless game obviously.