With over 10,000 tickets having already been sold for Saturday’s clash Owens insists his players are relishing the red-hot atmosphere of a derby. But the 31-year-old has warned his side to beware of the quality of an Ospreys squad looking to avenge last season’s derby day defeats.
“It’s going to be a great match as most derby games are,” said the Wales hooker.
“They are always enjoyable games due to the edge and the suspense they provide. Form tends to go out of the window in derbies and it’s about who turns up on the day and wins the physical confrontation.
“They’ve been going well and had a great start to the season. They are playing some good stuff and some key players are really excelling for them.
“We are a long way off where we used to be when derbies between ourselves and the Ospreys used to be one sided in their favour. There’s two competitive sides who want to have a go at each other and really kick on.
“We’ve had the upper hand over the Ospreys for the last couple of years which will probably frustrate them. They’ll be looking to come down and put the record books straight a little bit.”
The Ospreys have started the season strongly with three wins out of their first four Guinness PRO14 encounters.
But head coach Allen Clarke believes they will have to go up another level if they are to beat last season’s PRO14 finalists.
“Yes we will have to go up another level,” he said.
“The mental aspect of the game is going to be critically important. When you’ve got people within your ranks who have been successful and are world class like Alun Wyn Jones it gives you tremendous inner belief and confidence.
“When the fixture list comes out everybody looks for the first round of derbies. I live in an environment where there are a lot of Scarlets fans and a lot of Ospreys fans.
“That rivalry is daily and it will come to boiling point at three o’clock on Saturday.”
The Scarlets have suffered a blow ahead of Saturday’s clash with former Springboks No 8 Uzair Cassiem suspended for two weeks.
A disciplinary hearing found the South African guilty of an infringement of Law 9.12, having made contact with an opponent’s eye area.
He has the right to appeal the decision.
