Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions | Chance to impress for Celtic Cup opener

Richie Rees and Thomas Rhys Thomas have named a strong team with an exciting mix of emerging talent and experience.

Alun Lawrence will lead the side while the likes of Dan Fish, Tom James and Macauley Cook all included. Thirteen of the starting line-up have tasted first team action in recent weeks against Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs.

Rees said: “We are hoping to use the Celtic Cup in much the same way as the old Anglo-Welsh tournament in helping to bridge the game between semi-pro and pro levels. With seven successive weekends of action it is going to be a very intense period for the players.

“Many of them won’t have been used to coming under the level of scrutiny that they will be exposed to and it will be a sharp learning curve for them. But it will be great exposure for them.

“The competition is going to be very competitive and it will be down to the players to prove their worth.”

Scarlets A head coach Richard Kelly and assistant Dai Flanagan will be looking for a strong opening performance from the development side, with an average age of 21 in the starting XV.

The region’s squad is a mix of young Scarlets development players, looking to push for the senior side, Scarlets Academy players and some of the region’s best young talent playing in the Premiership.

“We are very excited by this young side that will get a first hit out as a newly formed unit against Cardiff Blues A this Saturday,” said Kelly.

“Saturday will give us an opportunity to further integrate the group; we have players coming out of the 18s programme playing their first year of senior rugby, players coming out of the under 20s programme as well as players on the fringes of the first team all looking to establish themselves.

“The Celtic Cup competition gives us an opportunity as coaches to get a group of players together for a prolonged period of time, giving us the opportunity to see progression within the group week on week.”

Cardiff Blues A: Dan Fish; Morgan Griffiths, Cameron Lewis, Harri Millard, Tom James; Ben Jones, Dane Blacker; Rhys Carre, Liam Belcher, Keiron Assiratti, James Down, Callum Bradbury, Cai Devine, Macauley Cook, Alun Lawrence (capt).

Replacements: Corey Domachowski, Iestyn Harris, Will Davies King, Teddy Williams, Ioan Rhys Davies, Jamie Hill, Alex Varney, Max Llewellyn, Ben Thomas, Dafydd Smith, Aled Summerhill, George Thomas.

Scarlets A: 15 Morgan Williams, 14 Tommy Rogers, 13 Corey Baldwin, 12 Ioan Nicholas, 11 Ryan Conbeer, 10 Ethan Davies, 9 Declan Smith, 1 Rhys Fawcett, 2 Taylor Davies, 3 Javan Sebastian, 4 Josh Helps, 5 Tom Price, 6 Shaun Evans, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Tom Phillips

Replacements; Torin Myhill, Jamie Hughes, Kemsley Mathias, Chris Long, Iestyn Rees, Dafydd Land, Osian Knott, Joe Roberts, Harri Doel, Joseph Miles