Centre stage for debutant Barkley

The Scarlets are fired up and ready to go as they take on Edinburgh Rugby at Parc y Scarlets in the RaboDirect PRO12 on Saturday 22nd February, kick-off 2.30pm after the disappointment of last week’s postponed game against Ulster, at Ravenhill, which fell foul of the weather.

Scarlets head home this weekend in the first of their tough back-to-back domestic fixtures which will see them welcome Munster to the Parc for a St David’s Day celebration after this Saturday’s clash against Edinburgh.

Head Coach Simon Easterby has made three changes, one positional, to the side that was named to take on Ulster last weekend with Welsh internationals Emyr Phillips and Samson Lee returning to bolster the side.

Former England international Olly Barkley will make his Scarlets debut at Parc y Scarlets this weekend having joined the region earlier this month. Lining up at inside centre alongside Adam Warren Barkley, who won 23 caps for England, will bring experience to the backline.

Scarlets Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “Olly brings a lot of experience to our squad both from his distinguished test and club career in England; he adds much needed cover for us as we have so many players unavailable during the international call ups as well as some long term injuries we have in midfield.”

The Scarlets brought a four game losing run in the RaboDirect PRO12 to an end with a six try 41-33 victory over Benetton Treviso in round 13. The Scarlets have won six of their last seven fixtures against Edinburgh, the loss being 23-26 at Murrayfield on 30th March 2012, whilst Edinburgh’s only victory at Parc y Scarlets was 17-16 in December 2009.

With six out of the nine remaining games to be played at Parc y Scarlets Forwards Coach Danny Wilson said: “We’re in a rather fortunate position that we have a number of home games remaining in the run-in to the end of the season and will probably be the difference between us and a number of others.

“We’ve played a lot of the big guns away from home already and we’re targeting the remaining points to get us back into the position that we want to be in; there are 45 points up for grabs and they are there for the taking.

“We perhaps haven’t been as consistent at home as we’d have liked so far this season; we’ve put in the performances but haven’t managed to secure the results consistently.

“The wins on the road are great, of course they are, and will prove vital in the final standings, but there are no games that you want to perform best at than those at home in front of a passionate home crowd.”

Scarlets to take on Edinburgh, Saturday 22nd February kick-off 2.30pm at Parc y Scarlets;

15 Jordan Williams, 14 Kristian Phillips, 13 Adam Warren, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 Frazier Climo, 10 Aled Thomas, 9 Gareth Davies, 1 Phil John, 2 Emyr Phillips, 3 Samson Lee, 4 George Earle, 5 Johan Snyman, 6 Josh Turnbull, 7 John Barclay, 8 Rob McCusker (c)

Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Rob Evans, Jacobie Adriaanse, Richard Kelly, Sione Timani, Rhodri Williams, Gareth Maule, Gareth Owen