West Wales will come to a complete standstill as European champions London Wasps head into town to tackle Celtic League winners Llanelli Scarlets in a game that will provide both sides with a good gauge of their pre-season standing.
The Scarlets won the Celtic League in most dramatic fashion last year when they beat Ulster in the final match of the season while Wasps captured the Heineken Cup by beating hot favourites Toulouse at a packed Twickenham last May, with Wales hero Rob Howley scoring an injury time winning try.
But with Howley currently sidelined with a wrist injury, new signing Matt Dawson will be looking to press his case for a starting berth in Friday night’s intriguing tie.
And even though the England international hasn’t had long to mingle with his new teammates at the Causeway Stadium since his summer switch from Northampton Saints, Dawson can already see why Warren Gatland’s men sit at the top of the European pile. ‘When you are here [at Wasps] you realise why they have won the European Cup and league championship for two years,’ he said.’ A lot of things are very different, there is a work ethic here which is above any club I’ve been associated with.
‘Warren has a knack of getting the best out of players and that is what I want. It is a new challenge.’ And challenges don’t come much bigger than in front of a partisan Stradey crowd, eager to see how Gareth Jenkins’ side cope with the loss of star man Stephen Jones who left for Montferrand in the close season.
‘I said on a number of occasions last season that the standard at top end of the Celtic League was comparable with the Zurich,’ said Jenkins. ‘This fixture brings together the two top teams from last season to prove that point.’
A bumper crowd is expected after season ticket sales reached a massive 4,000 and fans are urged to turn up early for the 7.05pm kick-off.
Scarlets: G Evans, A Havili, M Taylor, S Finau, T Selly, G Bowen (capt), M Phillips, I Thomas, M Rees, J Thiel, V Cooper, A Jones, A Powell, G Thomas, S Quinnell.
Replacements: tbc
Wasps: M Gisbergen, J Lewsey, A Erinle, P Richards, T Voyce, J Brooks, M Dawson, T Payne, T Leota, W Green, G Skivington, R Birkett, J Worsley, J O’ Connor, L Dallaglio (capt).
Replacements: B Gotting, H Nwume, J Hart, M Lock, J Haskell, M Priscott, E Thrower.
