Bundee Aki will make his first appearance of the season for Connacht on Friday night as Pete Wilkins' side look to make it back-to-back BKT United Rugby Championship wins away to the Scarlets.
The Ireland international comes into the starting side as one of two changes from last week’s nail-biting win against the Sharks, with Jack Carty also drafted into the line-up for his first game of the campaign.
Aki hasn’t featured for Connacht since their penultimate URC regular-season game against the Stormers last May, and the 34-year-old replaces Shane Jennings in the side.
His return at inside centre creates some positional switches in the backline, as Cathal Forde shifts across to the 13 shirt, while Piers O’Conor moves to the left wing, with Mack Hansen on the right.
Carty comes in at out-half following last week’s concussion for Josh Ioane, and partners Ben Murphy, with the former Leinster scrum-half starting his third game in a row.
Santiago Cordero completes the backline, retaining his place at full-back.
The pack is unchanged from the comeback win in Galway, with Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham starting across the front row. They have a combined 658 games for the province between them.
Niall Murray and David O’Connor continue in the centre, with Joe Joyce failing to recover in time from a shoulder injury picked up in Round 1 against Munster.
The back row is retained for the third game in a row, as captain Cian Prendergast is flanked by Josh Murphy and Conor Oliver.
On the bench, there’s a likely debut for former Leinster prop Temi Lasisi who provides tighthead cover in the absence of Jack Aungier and Sam Illo.
Wilkins has also gone for a traditional 5:3 split of forwards to backs for the first time this season, as Shayne Bolton comes back into the matchday squad, having missed last week’s win due to a knee laceration.
Connacht were 29-23 winners on their last visit to Llanelli in 2022, but the province have traditionally struggled in this fixture, losing each of their previous 11 games away to the Scarlets.
Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki, Piers O'Conor; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Niall Murray, David O'Connor; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (capt).
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Temi Lasisi, Oisin Dowling, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Shayne Bolton.
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