Tough challenge ahead for Scarlets’ young guns

Scarlets Premiership Select XV head over the bridge on the weekend for the second round of the British & Irish Cup campaign taking on Championship side Bristol Rugby.

The young side, with an average age of only 20, will be looking to take the positives from last weekend’s 6-35 home defeat to Bedford Blues, into Sunday’s game against a very strong Bristol side.

Scarlets PSXV Head Coach Dai Flanagan said: “We have a big challenge ahead of us on the weekend. We are a very young group with the oldest player only 24 years of age taking on a very experienced Bristol side.

“We’ve only had one session as a group this week so the preparations have been tough. What we will be looking for from the young side is improvement in their game management.

“We have to learn from last week and move on. It’s nice to have players like Tom Williams and Rhodri Williams from the senior regional side to bring pace and some experience and particularly game management from the likes of Rhodri.”

Scarlets Premiership Select XV side to take on Bristol at Ashton Gate on Sunday;

15 Will Thomas (Llandovery), 14 Tom Williams (Scarlets), 13 Jacob Cowley (Scarlets/ Llandovery), 12 Billy McBryde (Scarlets Academy / Llanelli), 11 Nathan Edwards (Llanelli), 10 Josh Lewis (Scarlets / Llanelli), 9 Rhodri Williams (Scarlets), 1 Wyn Jones (Scarlets / Llandovery), 2 Kirby Myhill (Scarlets), 3 Will Taylor (Scarlets), 4 Josh Helps (Scarlets Academy/ Carmarthen Quins), 5 Jack Jones (Llanelli), 6 Tom Phillips (captain, Scarlets / Llanelli), 7 Owain Morgan (Llanelli), 8 Jack Condy (Scarlets / Llanelli)

Replacements: Ryan Elias (Scarlets / Carmarthen Quins), Rhys Thomas (Llanelli), Ben Leung (Scarlets/ Llanelli), Ben Thompson (Quins),  Shaun Evans (Carmarthen Quins), Connor Lloyd (Scarlets / Carmarthen Quins), Matthew Pearce (Scarlets Academy / Llanelli)