On-loan second rows Harvey Cuckson and Alex Groves are handed their Scarlets debuts for Saturday’s BKT United Rugby Championship round four match against Lions at Ellis Park (12:45 UK time; Premier Sports).
With Scarlets missing six second rows because of injury, the pair are given their opportunity in Johannesburg.
Head coach Dwayne Peel has made seven personnel changes from the defeat to the DHL Stormers in round three.
Behind the scrum, Ioan Nicholas comes in at full-back with Blair Murray switching to the wing. Tom Rogers is missing because of injury.
Macs Page is handed his first start of the season and partners skipper Johnny Williams in midfield, while there is a change at half-back with Sam Costelow linking up with Archie Hughes, who replaces Gareth Davies.
Up front, Archer Holz comes in at tight-head, packing down alongside Alec Hepburn and Marnus van der Merwe. Cuckson and Groves are named in the second row, while it’s as you were for the back row of Jarrod Taylor, Dan Davis and Taine Plumtree.
On the bench, there could be a Scarlets debut for Llandovery’s former Wales U20s second row Dan Gemine, who has been training with the squad in the opening months of the season.
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “The Lions are always a difficult proposition at home, you are playing at altitude and it is a place where they look to run teams off their feet, they are also a physical, athletic team so we will have to manage that. Winning here last season was big for us and a lot of the boys here were part of that squad. We have to bring the same physicality and intensity again. Ellis Park is one of the great rugby stadiums, always a great place to play. We have been disappointed with the results so far, but we are only two games in, it is a long season and things can change quickly in rugby.”
Scarlets team to face Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday, October 18 (12.45pm UK time; Premier Sports)
15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Ellis Mee, 13 Macs Page, 12 Johnny Williams (capt), 11 Blair Murray; 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Archie Hughes; 1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 3 Archer Holz, 4 Harvey Cuckson, 5 Alex Groves, 6 Jarrod Taylor, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Taine Plumtree.
Reps: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Dan Gemine, 20 Ben Williams, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Joe Hawkins, 23 Joe Roberts.
Unavailable because of injury/illness
Max Douglas, Tristan Davies, Tom Rogers, Jake Ball, Josh Macleod, Sam Lousi, Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, Eddie James, Jac Price, Osian Williams, Will Evans, Dom Kossuth.
