Only fullback Barry Davies has yet to serve in a senior international side, but has represented Wales at under 18 level back in 1999.
The all-capped pack includes three Wales players who didn’t compete in the World Cup – prop John Davies, skipper Vernon Cooper and No 8 Scott Quinnell – while coach Gareth Jenkins can still name an international centre pairing of Matthew Watkins and Mark Taylor, despite club captain Leigh Davies being out with a knee injury.
World Cup fly-half Stephen Jones said: ‘It’s great to be back at the club – we’ve had a good couple of days training.
‘The youngsters have performed very well since we’ve been away – I’m sure they’ll be unhappy at seeing us all come straight back in, but we all realise that if we don’t perform, the jersey will be taken away from us.
‘It was very difficult for the first few days, trying to get back into the old routine because we haven’t been at the club for six months.
‘Getting to know the calls and the routines was a bit tricky at first.’
Jones is wary of going to Scotland this weekend.
‘It’s going to be a very difficult game – it’s a hard place to win at – but it’s great to have a game before the Heineken Cup starts. That game against Northampton is going to be very difficult – the English have set the standard and we have to try to keep up with them.
‘Northampton have a lot of great players and they’ll be coming to Stradey Park with some world champions in their side.’
Glasgow boss Hugh Campbell has a similar situation as he welcomes pack his World Cup troop.
One of them, Cameron Mather, Glasgow’s captain, returned as quickly as possible from RWC duty in time to play against Ulster in the Celtic Cup semi-final 10 days ago.
However, he had not been an original selection for the World Cup, joining the Scotland squad for the last three games, and he was eager to resume his role in leading Glasgow from the blind-side flank in the cup-tie.
He is now joined by Glenn Metcalfe at full back, Andrew Henderson at inside centre, Graeme Beveridge at scrum half, Jon Petrie at No.8, and Gordon Bulloch as hooker.
“It’s great to have all of our World Cup players back in the team,” said Campbell
In all 10 changes have been made in the team who started in the cup semi-final that Glasgow lost to Ulster. Euan Murray and Calvin Howarth also return to the starting line-up, the latter resuming at stand-off in a completely recast back division.
Beveridge and Howarth replace Sam Pinder and Daniel Parks as half-backs, and in the shuffle behind them Rory Kerr switches from full back to left wing, Sean Lamont from left to right wing, and Graeme Morrison from inside to outside centre. David Millard and Gareth Maclure drop out. In the pack Petrie, Bulloch, and Murray replace Paul Dearlove, Scott Lawson, and Matt Proudfoot.
Llanelli Scarlets: B Davies; M Jones, M Taylor, M Watkins, S Finau; S Jones, D Peel; I Thomas, R McBryde, J Davies, V Cooper (capt), C Wyatt, D Jones, S Easterby, S Quinnell.
Replacements: P John, A Gravelle, A Jones, I Boobyer, M Phillips, G Bowen, G Evans.
Glasgow Rugby: 15 Glenn Metcalfe 14 Sean Lamont 13 Graeme Morrison 12 Andrew Henderson 11 Rory Kerr 10 Calvin Howarth 9 Graeme Beveridge 1 Euan Murray 2 Gordon Bulloch 3 Lee Harrison 4 Andy Hall 5 Nathan Ross 6 Cameron Mather (captain) 7 Donnie Macfadyen 8 Jon Petrie
Relplacements TBC
