RUGBY/Scarlets v Connacht:GRANTED THE league is very much in its formative stages after only one round of matches but for Connacht, normally consigned to the bottom of the table from early on, it makes for sweet reading – they stand atop for the first time ever after last week's excellent dissection of the Dragons. Now comes the hard part, staying there.
Having drawn a blank with nine away defeats in each of the two seasons, their last win on their travels was against the Dragons, by 13-11, in April 2008.
Eric Elwood has made only one unforced change to last week’s victorious outfit with Mike McComish starting in place of the injured Ezra Taylor.
The Scarlets last week let victory slip in a 62-point thriller in Treviso and will want to avoid starting with successive losses for the first time. Nigel Davies has recalled big guns Stephen Jones, Matthew Rees and Sean Lamont for their first start of the season.
SCARLETS: A Fenby; G North, R King, J Davies, S Lamont; S Jones, M Roberts, P John, M Rees (capt), R Thomas, L Reed, J Fa’amatuainu, J Turnbull, J Edwards, R McCusker. Replacements: K Owens, I Thomas, P Edwards, D Day, N Cudd, T Knoyle, G Maule, R Priestland.
CONNACHT: G Duffy; T Nathan, N Ta’auso, K Matthews, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy (capt); B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan, M Swift, B Upton, M McCarthy, R Ofisa, M McComish. Replacements: A Flavin, R Loughney, R Sweeney, D Nolan, S Conneely, C Willis, M Nikora, T O’Halloran.
Referee: Neil Paterson (SRU).
Previous league meetings: (07-08) Scarlets 34 Connacht 11; Connacht 20 Scarlets 18; (08-09) Scarlets 45 Connacht 3; Connacht 14 Scarlets 17; (09-10) Connacht 16 Scarlets 10; Scarlets 58 Connacht 10. Betting (Paddy Powers): 2/9 Scarlets, 25/1 Draw, 3/1 Connacht. Handicap odds (Connacht + 10pts) 10/11 Scarlets, 22/1 Draw, 10/11 Connacht.
Forecast: Scarlets to win.
