Match Preview | Scarlets

Glasgow Warriors travel to west Wales to defend the hottest run of form in the United Rugby Championship this weekend, as Danny Wilson’s side head to Llanelli for a Saturday evening showdown with the Scarlets.

A five-match winning streak has seen the Warriors collect 23 points from a possible 25, more than any other team in the competition over the same stretch of fixtures.

That run has propelled Wilson’s men to third in the overall standings, just five points behind leaders Leinster as the race for the playoffs starts to heat up.

Yet whilst the Scarlets may currently be down in 13^th in the standings, a squad filled with international talent will provide a stern test of Glasgow’s character at Parc y Scarlets this weekend.

Here’s how the fixture is shaping up:

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Previous Encounter

It’s the Warriors who currently hold the bragging rights over the men in red, having earned a hard-fought 20-7 victory at Scotsotun back in October 2020.

Tries in either half from Oli Kebble and Ryan Wilson were enough to secure the points for the home side, Adam Hastings contributing 10 points with the boot.

The 15-month gap between meetings is nothing when compared to the length of time since Glasgow’s last visit to Llanelli, however; the Warriors have not set foot in Parc y Scarlets since a Guinness PRO14 clash back in April 2018, with each of the last four matches between the teams taking place at Scotstoun.

Ones to watch

Having returned to the Scarlets in the summer of 2021, the presence of Scott Williams in the midfield will be one that will keep Glasgow’s back line occupied if the Welsh international is selected for Saturday’s clash. The 31-year-old can call upon 58 caps in the red of Wales, as well as an impressive all-around game, as he looks to guide his team to victory.

Fellow Wales international Gareth Davies will be looking to influence proceedings from scrum-half on Saturday evening, having been released from Wayne Pivac’s squad earlier this week. Blessed with rapid acceleration and an eye for the interception, the Carmarthen-born half-back will require close attention from the Glasgow defence.

Tasked with getting his team on the front foot, Sione Kalamafoni is often the first to put his hand up to charge into contact for Dwayne Peel’s side. Only five players have carried more ball than the Tongan this season, with Kalamfoni equally comfortable at number eight as he is on the blindside.

Memorable Moment

Whilst the two sides are familiar foes on a domestic front, it’s a European tie from 2015 that arguably provides one of the strongest memories for the Warrior Nation.

On that day, it was the hulking figure of Taqele Naiyaravoro who stole the show at Scotstoun, running in a sensational hat-trick in a 43-6 demolition of the Welsh side.

Duncan Weir, Tim Swinson and James Malcolm were also on the scoresheet that afternoon, as the Warriors made quite the statement on home soil.

Match Officials

Chris Busby will take charge of Saturday evening’s clash, as the Irish referee is handed the whistle for the 17^th time in the competition.

Elgan Williams and Steffan Edwards will be his assistants at Parc y Scarlets, with Jon Mason on hand as the Television Match Official should he be required.

Broadcast Information

The match is live on Premier Sports 1 this weekend, with kick-off scheduled for 5.15pm.

You can also follow all the action as it happens in our Live Match Centre – simply head over to our website from an hour before kick-off for all the updates from Llanelli.