Davies ready to field star backs

Magners League: Scarlets v Benetton Treviso
Venue: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Date: Sunday, 27 March Kick-off: 1735 BST
Coverage: Full coverage BBC Two Wales & online.

Davies is looking to get the region into the play-offs for the first time

Scarlets coach Nigel Davies is hoping to pick his strongest back-line for what he is calling a must-win match against Benetton Treviso on Sunday.

Davies will have Stephen Jones, Jonathan Davies and George North available for him behind the scrum.

But he has decided to rest skipper and hooker Matthew Rees.

“It’s very exiting for us. We’ll probably be picking from what is going to be our strongest backline for the first time all season,” said Davies.

“I’m exited by the quality of talent we’ll have out on Sunday.

“It’s the Treviso game huge for us.

“We’ve had a couple of weeks off, we’ve been able to refocus and also we’ve been able to welcome back our international players.

“A lot of the boys have come back from the welsh camp with points to prove. They are very eager to get our league season back on track.

“It’s a huge fixture for us. We have to win. It’s as simple as that. We have to win all of our remaining home matches.”

Davies said that apart from the rest of his Wales contingent which also includes Josh Turnbull and Rob McCusker, he felt he had to rest Rees, who played in all Wales’ five Six Nations games.

“Everybody will be back except for Matthew Rees. We’ve given Matthew another week off because he’s led Wales over the last eight weeks. It’s a very intense time in anybody’s life. He’ll be ready to go for the Ulster match.

“The returning international players are very eager and desperate to make sure that we get into the play-offs.

“It’s great to have that type of enthusiasm from the players, particularly at this time of the season.”

“We’ve got a lot of experience against them. We know what to expect. They’re a very competent side; they’ve got a lot of quality players. We’re going to have to play well to beat them.”

Davies will be looking for revenge after the Italian outfit beat the Scarlets on the opening weekend of the Magners League campaign last September.

“I’m comfortable and confident that this group of players that we’ve assembled to put on the park on Sunday will be more than good enough to win this game as long as they perform to a level,” Davies believed.