Scarlets v Cardiff Rugby, 5.15pm KO, Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli
Wales scrum-half Gareth Davies will be aiming to celebrate a major career landmark in winning style in this big derby day clash. Davies will become just the third player – after front row duo Ken Owens and Phil John – to make 250 appearances for the Scarlets since the start of the regional era.
“It’s quite a good achievement, I think, ” said the 34-year-old. “There are some big names with that many appearances, so it’s quite an honour for me really to be associated with the likes of them. I think this is my 17th season here. It’s been a good shift so far, but hopefully there is plenty more to come.
“I just want to keep playing for as long as I can. I still feel pretty good. I am the oldest in the squad now, but I still feel like I am in my late 20s. I am keeping myself fit and strong and still playing some good stuff, I think. Seventeen seasons sounds like quite a lot, but the years have just flown, which just shows how much I have enjoyed myself. This club means absolutely everything to me and I absolutely love being here.”
Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt commented: “The Scarlets beat us twice last year and it’s always very tough down in west Wales. “I know it’s a bit cliched, but form goes out of the window with any of the Welsh derbies.”
Ospreys v DHL Stormers, 7.35pm KO, Brewery Field, Bridgend
Ospreys coach Toby Booth says they can take a lot of self belief and confidence from having beaten the Stormers away from home last season. The Swansea side claimed a famous 27-21 bonus point victory out in Cape Town back in April, on the way to reaching the URC play-offs.
Giving his thoughts on the Stormers, Booth said: “They have got good athletes, they want to be positive. They will try and keep the game quick and try and stretch you with kicking, passing and offloading. “So it’s going to be a defensive challenge for us, similar to what we experienced out there.
“But the good thing is we have experienced it and won against that type of game. So we should take a lot of belief from the fact we can do it and we will have to do it again because they are a very good team, a very tough opponent. If they get their own way, they are a handful. So to win over there gives you confidence and it builds self belief.”
Due to a fixture clash with a Swansea City football match, the game has been moved from the Swansea.com Stadium to Bridgend’s Brewery Field.
Connacht Rugby v Hollywoodbets Sharks, 7.35pm KO, Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Having won two trophies in the space of five months, the Sharks will now be looking to replicate that success at league level, starting with their trip to Galway. John Plumtree’s Sharks beat Gloucester to win the EPCR Challenge Cup in May, and then defeated the Lions in the Currie Cup final last weekend.
Yet they only won four of their 18 BKT URC matches last season, finishing down in 14th in the table. The Sharks head into the campaign suitably boosted by a first Currie Cup title since 2018, with full-back Jordan Hendrikse having landed a last minute penalty from well inside his own half to secure the 16-14 victory over the Lions in Johannesburg.
Coach John Plumtree said: “I was just really proud of the boys. They showed the never-give-up attitude we have tried to instill in them.”
Connacht boss Pete Wilkins admitted he was left with “very much mixed feelings” following his team’s 35-33 defeat away to Munster in Round 1, saying there was “huge disappointment” after putting themselves in a position to claim “a famous result”, but that it was also a “really promising performance. I think we’ll see the positives of that and it’s important we build on it against the Sharks.”