Ryan Elias takes over Scarlets captaincy for Edinburgh clash

Wales hooker Ryan Elias takes over the captaincy for the Scarlets’ EPCR Challenge Cup tie against Edinburgh Rugby at Parc y Scarlets on Friday night (20:00; S4C).

With Josh Macleod sidelined by the knee injury he picked up in Clermont last weekend, Elias is handed the armband to lead a much-changed starting line-up.

Injuries and suspension mean there is a reshuffle of the back division.

Ioan Nicholas, impressive off the bench in France, starts at full-back. Ryan Conbeer comes onto the left wing with Steff Evans switching to the right. Tom Rogers is undergoing his return-to-play protocols after going off late on against Clermont following a knock to the head.

With Johnny Williams banned following his red card last weekend, Wales and British & Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies is recalled at inside centre to partner Six Nations squad call-up Joe Roberts. Sam Costelow is another going through concussion protocols so Ioan Lloyd reverts to the No. 10 slot. Kieran Hardy gets the nod at scrum-half.

Both props change with Steff Thomas and Harri O’Connor coming in for Kemsley Mathias and Sam Wainwright, who are named on the bench.

The second row pairing of Alex Craig and Jac Price remains the same, but there is a change in the back row with Ben Williams replacing club captain Macleod, who is set to be out for a number of months. Dan Davis has overcome the knock to the hip which forced him off at half-time last weekend, while Vaea Fifita again wears the No. 8 jersey.

On the bench, Gareth Davies returns to the match-day 23, as do Charlie Titcombe and Tomi Lewis.

Head coach Dwayne Peel said: “It has been disappointing to go from last year’s high in Europe to this year’s low. There has been a lot of hard work gone in and we haven’t had the results to show for it. It is important to finish this block of matches on a positive so we can springboard into the matches to come in the second half of the URC.”

Scarlets team to play Edinburgh at Parc y Scarlets on Friday, January 19 (20:00)

15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Steff Evans, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 Ryan Conbeer; 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Kieran Hardy; 1 Steff Thomas, 2 Ryan Elias (capt), 3 Harri O’Connor, 4 Alex Craig, 5 Jac Price, 6 Ben Williams, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Vaea Fifita.

Reps: 16 Eduan Swart, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Morgan Jones, 20 Shaun Evans, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Charlie Titcombe, 23 Tomi Lewis.

Players unavailable because of injury

Josh Macleod, Sam Costelow, Tom Rogers, Sam Lousi, Wyn Jones, Teddy Leatherbarrow, Eddie James, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Johnny McNicholl, Taine Plumtree, Ken Owens, Dan Jones, Iwan Shenton, Isaac Young.

Ryan Elias wedi’i enwi’n gapten ar gyfer gêm Caeredin

Bachwr Cymru Ryan Elias bydd yn cymryd yr awenau fel capten i’r Scarlets am gêm Cwpan Her EPCR yn erbyn Caeredin ym Mharc y Scarlets ar nos Wener (20:00; S4C).

Gyda Josh Macleod wedi’i anafu yn ystod gêm Clermont penwythnos diwethaf, mae Elias yn arwain ochr sy’n dangos sawl newid i’r XV i ddechrau.

Mae anafiadau a gwaharddiad yn golygu sawl newid ymysg yr olwyr.

Mae Ioan Nicholas, a serennodd oddi’r fainc yn Ffrainc, yn cychwyn fel cefnwr. Ryan Conbeer sydd yn dod ymlaen i’r asgell chwith gyda Steff Evans yn newid i’r asgell dde. Mae Tom Rogers yn dilyn protocolau dychwelyd i chwarae yn dilyn ergyd i’w ben yn hwyr yn gêm Clermont.

Yn dilyn gwaharddiad Johnny Williams, mae canolwr Cymru a’r Llewod Jonathan Davies wedi’i alw i mewn yng nghanol cae fel partner i aelod o garfan Chwe Gwlad Cymru Joe Roberts. Sam Costelow sydd hefyd yn dilyn protocolau dychwelyd i chwarae felly mae Ioan Lloyd yn symud i safle’r maswr. Kieran Hardy sydd i ddechrau fel mewnwr i’r Scarlets.

Mae’r ddau brop yn newid gyda Steff Thomas a Harri O’Connor yn dod i mewn yn lle Kemsley Mathias a Sam Wainwright, sydd wedi’u henwi ar y fainc.

Yn yr ail reng mae Alex Craif a Jac Price yn parhau, ond mae yna newid i’r rheng ôl gyda Ben Williams yn cymryd lle capten y clwb Josh Macleod, sydd allan gydag anaf hirdymor. Mae Dan Davis wedi gwella o anaf i’w glun a welodd yn gadael y cae ar hanner amser penwythnos diwethaf, wrth i Vaea Fifita gwisgo crys rhif wyth eto.

Ar y fainc, mae Gareth Davies yn dychwelyd i’r 23, yn ogystal â Charlie Titcome a Tomi Lewis.

Dywedodd y prif hyfforddwr Dwayne Peel: “Mae wedi bod yn siomedig iawn i fynd o lwyddiant llynedd yn Ewrop i’r pwynt isel yma eleni. Mae llawer o waith caled wedi mynd i mewn ac nad ydym wedi cael y canlyniadau i ddangos hynny. Mae’n bwysig i ni orffen y bloc o gemau yma ar nodyn uchel fel y gallwn gamu’n hyderus i mewn i ail hanner y URC.”

Tîm Scarlets i chwarae Caeredin ym Mharc y Scarlets ar Ddydd Gwener, Ionawr 19 (20:00)

15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Steff Evans, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 Ryan Conbeer; 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Kieran Hardy; 1 Steff Thomas, 2 Ryan Elias (capt), 3 Harri O’Connor, 4 Alex Craig, 5 Jac Price, 6 Ben Williams, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Vaea Fifita.

Reps: 16 Eduan Swart, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Morgan Jones, 20 Shaun Evans, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Charlie Titcombe, 23 Tomi Lewis.

Chwaraewyr ddim ar gael oherwydd anaf/gwaharddiad

Josh Macleod, Sam Costelow, Tom Rogers, Sam Lousi, Wyn Jones, Teddy Leatherbarrow, Eddie James, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Johnny McNicholl, Taine Plumtree, Ken Owens, Dan Jones, Iwan Shenton, Isaac Young.