Dan Thomas goes straight into the Scarlets starting line-up for Friday’s United Rugby Championship game with Connacht (7.35pm kick-off) after arriving on loan from Bristol Bears.
The west Walians have drafted in the openside as an emergency signing amid a glut of back-row players being off limits. The arrangement will last for two weeks, helping the Welsh side cope with their immediate issues. Vaea Fifita and Sam Lousi are both suspended, with Blade Thomson, Tomas Lezana, Aaron Shingler, Dan Davis, Carwyn Tuipulotu and Lewis Rawlins all unavailable.
It leaves the Scarlets’ resources stretched to breaking point in a key area of the team. But the expectation is Thomas will fit in well, starting at The Sportsground and for the home clash with Leinster next weekend.
The blond-haired flanker was on the Scarlets books at the outset of his career before heading for Gloucester and then moving onto Bristol, for whom he has been one of English rugby's most consistent performers. You can read about the curious case of Dan Thomas here.
He will pack down alongside Josh Macleod and Sione Kalamafoni as Dwayne Peel’s team look to build on their 36-12 win over Zebre. Peel makes two other personnel changes from the side that defeated the Italians, with Steff Evans coming in at centre for the injured Scott Williams while Steff Thomas takes over from the incapacitated Wyn Jones, who has a knee injury.
The Scarlets have a young front five aside from Ken Owens and may be missing Fifita and Lousi but they will once again look to Kalamafoni to give them go-forward. The No. 8 has made an extraordinary start to the season, with 86 carries over the first five rounds of matches, 30 more than his nearest rival, along with 55 tackles. There are hard workers and then there’s Kalamafoni. Little wonder Tom Shanklin last weekend described him as "phenomenal".
Certainly, Peel appreciates what the Tongan is doing for the Llanelli-based region.
“Everyone here is a massive fan of his,” said the head coach. “You see it week in, week out. He’s always giving it everything. He’s been a fantastic player for us, a fantastic Scarlet. A lot gets talked about overseas signings. I think in terms of quality and what he’s given he would be right up there with anyone that the Welsh regions have signed.”
Untypically, Connacht have been having problems in attack this season, scoring the fewest points (59) in the URC. They have managed the fewest offloads (24) and try assists in the competition in the early rounds, while their discipline also hasn't been great. But, historically, they have been a handful at home, a team that can respond to local support to ambush visiting sides.
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran; John Porch, Byron Ralston, David Hawkshaw, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty (capt), Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray, Leva Fifita, Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Jarrad Butler, Colm Reilly, Cathal Forde, Alex Wootton
Scarlets : Leigh Halfpenny; Johnny McNicholl, Steff Evans, Jonathan Davies (capt), Ryan Conbeer; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Steffan Thomas, Ken Owens, Harri O’Connor, Jac Price, Tom Price, Josh Macleod, Dan Thomas, Sione Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Kemsley Mathias, WillGriff John, Morgan Jones, Iwan Shenton, Dane Blacker, Rhys Patchell, Corey Baldwin.
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