SCARLETS: ‘Not the time to retreat’: Hawkins handed first start of the season as Anderson returns for Benetton

The Scarlets have handed Joe Hawkins his first start of the season for Saturday’s visit of Benetton to Parc y Scarlets (5.30pm).

Henry Thomas and Will Evans also come into the pack as the region chase a first URC win after two derby defeats.

Fletcher Anderson is back on the bench after the groin injury that kept him out of pre-season and the first two rounds.

Hawkins and Eddie James reunite the Wales midfield

Hawkins starts at 12 and resumes his Wales centre partnership with Eddie James, who moves out to 13. Joe Roberts drops to the bench.

Director of rugby Nigel Davies said: “I think Joe Hawkins, we always said to him that he will have plenty of rugby at 12, it’s now his opportunity to take that chance forward, and obviously playing with Eddie it looks like what has been the Welsh midfield, so they know each other well.”

He added: “It’ll bring a slightly different dynamic to the midfield area. Not that I’ve been disappointed with the way it’s gone so far, but I think just having a different dynamic is useful.”

The rest of the backline is unchanged from the 38-26 defeat by the Dragons at Rodney Parade. Blair Murray, Ellis Mee and Macs Page make up the back three, and Sam Costelow and Dane Blacker are at half-back.

Henry Thomas and Will Evans in as Macleod returns to seven

Thomas starts at tight-head alongside Kemsley Mathias and Ryan Elias, with Harri O’Connor dropping to the bench.

Evans partners Alex Groves in the second row. Sam Lousi moves to blind-side flanker, and captain Josh Macleod returns to his favoured number seven shirt, with Osian Williams at number eight.

Dan Davis, who started at seven in Newport, is not in the 23.

Fletcher Anderson and Johnny Williams back on the Scarlets bench

Johnny Williams is also among the replacements. The region said he withdrew from the squad last weekend with a hamstring twinge.

Davies said: “It’s good to have Fletcher back and around the squad, and Johnny Williams as well, so both those two sat down on the bench, and I expect them to play quite a big part in the performance on Saturday.”

He said Anderson will be managed carefully: “He’s fine, he’s 100% fit, but as with all these things, coming back from a groin injury, we just have to manage our expectations of him, because chronic injuries are normally chronic due to a lot of load going through there.”

“Not the time to retreat” as Pivac and Patchell return to Parc y Scarlets

In the region’s team announcement, Davies said: “Two defeats from our opening two games isn’t where we wanted to be and we understand the frustration that comes with that, particularly when they are Welsh derbies.”

He went on: “We are two games into a long season, with 20 fixtures yet to play and this is not the time to retreat. It’s the time to have clarity about what is hurting us, address it and go after the next opportunity.”

Davies said former Scarlets Wayne Pivac and Rhys Patchell are now part of the Benetton coaching set-up.

He said: “We know that as part of the Benetton coaching set-up they will be very driven to get a result over their old team.”

Kick-off at Parc y Scarlets is 5.30pm on Saturday, live on Premier Sports.

Scarlets: 15 Blair Murray; 14 Ellis Mee, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Macs Page; 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Dane Blacker; 1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Will Evans, 5 Alex Groves, 6 Sam Lousi, 7 Josh Macleod (capt), 8 Osian Williams.

Replacements: 16 John McKee, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Harvey Cuckson, 20 Fletcher Anderson, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Joe Roberts, 23 Johnny Williams.