Dwayne Peel’s side will be without veteran Scrum half Gareth Davies who misses out with minor hip issue so Efan Jones comes in for his first start of the season to partner Ioan Lloyd at half back.
Wing Tom Rogers has recovered from a calf injury incurred on Wales duty and returns in the backline alongside Ellis Mee and full-back Ioan Nicholas. The 26-year-old will make his 100th appearance for the Scarlets having made his debut for the club as a 17-year-old in 2015.
Centre Joe Roberts is set for his first appearance of the campaign after recovering from a knee injury. Roberts partners fellow Wales international Eddie James in midfield.
Wales prop Kemsley Matthias comes into an all-changed front row along with Sam Wainwright and hooker Shaun Evans, who makes his seasonal bow for injured Marnus van der Merwe.
Jac Price forms a new second row partnership alongside Craig who skippers the side in the absence of Josh Macleod. Flanker Macleod’s place in the back row goes to Jarrod Taylor alongside join Dan Davis and Vaea Fifita.
Recent arrival, Australian tight-head prop Archer Holz is set for his Scarlets debut from the replacements bench, which also includes academy forwards Sam O’Connor and Isaac Young.
Twenty-one-year-old scrum-half Archie Hughes has recovered from an ankle injury picked up in pre-season and is also named in the match-day 23.
Head coach Dwayne Peel said:
“We are taking on a side who have been going well in the Top14, but you have to enjoy going to France and relish the challenge of playing in front of a noisy, partisan French crowd.
“Two seasons ago, we went on to reach the semi-final of this competition and it was a great time for the club. Traditionally we have been a team that enjoys Europe, we have the depth in the squad that allows us to rotate and still be competitive and we want to be in those knockout matches. It is going to be a tough pool with some good teams, but we back ourselves as a good team as well.”
Scarlets XV to face Bayonne:
15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Eddie James, 11 Ellis Mee; 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Efan Jones
1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 Shaun Evans, 3 Sam Wainwright, 4 Alex Craig (captain), 5 Jac Price, 6 Jarrod Taylor, 7, Dan Davis, 8 Vaea Fifita.
Replacements:
16 Isaac Young, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Archer Holz, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Max Douglas, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Charlie Titcombe, 23 Macs Page.
[Lead image: Scarlets Rugby]
