Scarlets v Clermont Auvergne - Teams and Prediction
CHALLENGE CUP QUARTERFINAL: Having beaten two French teams in their last two Challenge Cup ties, Scarlets will be bidding for the hat-trick when they host three-time winners Clermont Auvergne at Parc y Scarlets on Friday.
The Welsh region triumphed 20-7 at Aviron Bayonnais in Round 4 of their Pool B games in January and then last weekend knocked out Brive 19-7 in the Round of 16 at home.
While Scarlets were cruising to the top of Pool B with four wins from four, Clermont were struggling in the Champions Cup and duly dropped into the Challenge Cup after three successive defeats.
However, last Friday they stunned 2020 Challenge Cup winners Bristol Bears 33-26 at Ashton Gate as they stepped up their bid for a fourth EPCR title.
Wales and British & Irish Lions fullback Leigh Halfpenny returns to the Scarlets starting XV as the lone change for Friday’s quarterfinal.
Halfpenny, part of Wales’s 2023 Six Nations squad, replaces Tom Rogers at full-back, while the only other change to the match-day squad is on the bench with Dan Jones coming in for Rhys Patchell.
With consistency in selection key to Scarlets’ recent run of form, head coach Dwayne Peel has largely kept faith with the 23 that saw off Brive last weekend in the Round of 16.
Halfpenny, Steff Evans and Ryan Conbeer make up the back three, Joe Roberts and Johnny Williams continue at centre, while Sam Costelow has overcome a dead leg that ended his game against Brive to take his place alongside Gareth Davies at scrumhalf.
Up front, it’s as you were, with Kemsley Mathias, Wales captain Ken Owens and Scotland international Javan Sebastian in the front row, Tonga duo Vaea Fifita and Sam Lousi at lock and Aaron Shingler, skipper Josh Macleod and the experienced Sione Kalamafoni in the back row.
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “It will be a great occasion. Clermont have a massive history in European rugby and have some quality, star names. That is what it is all about, a big team, a big crowd, it is a challenge we are all excited about.”
Key stats:
Scarlets
Steff Evans has made a tournament-high nine clean breaks in the EPCR Challenge Cup this season.
Of the players left in the competition, Scarlets hooker Ken Owens has made the most dominant tackles (7).
Gareth Davies made 18 kicks in play last weekend – the most in the Round of 16.
Clermont Auvergne
Clermont conceded the fewest contact metres in the Round of 16 (47).
They lost just one ruck against Bristol.
They made 121 carries at Ashton Gate, the second-highest average in the competition.
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Clermont by five points
Teams:
Scarlets: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Steff Evans, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Ryan Conbeer, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Joshua Macleod (captain), 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Vaea Fifita, 3 Javan Sebastian, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16 Shaun Evans, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Morgan Jones, 20 Carwyn Tuipulotu, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Dan Jones, 23 Ioan Nicholas
Clermont Auvergne: 15 Alex Newsome, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Irae Simone, 12 George Moala, 11 Alivereti Raka, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Baptiste Jauneau, 8 Fritz Lee (captain), 7 Lucas Dessaigne, 6 Killian Tixeront, 5 Paul Jedrasiak, 4 Thibaud Lanen, 3 Cristian Ojovan, 2 Etienne Fourcade, 1 Etienne Falgoux
Replacements: 16 Jean-Maxence Jules-Rosette, 17 Giorgi Beria, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Edward Annandale, 20 Jacobus Van Tonder, 21 Sébastien Bézy, 22 Jules Plisson, 23 Bautista Delguy
Date: Friday, April 7
Venue: Parc y Scarlets
Kick-off: 20:00 (19:00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Adam Leal (England), Sara Cox (England)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (England)