The Scottish side have beaten the Scarlets just once in their last six fixtures with the Scarlets looking to bounce back from their derby defeat to the Dragons last time out.
With a home fixture against Glasgow the following weekend, it’s a timely come-back for Scottish international John Barclay who is back on the field following shoulder surgery over the summer.
Barclay starts in the back row alongside Rob McCusker and Josh Turnbull with Davies leading the side. McCusker will make his 100th appearance for the region.
Easterby said: “We are expecting Edinburgh to be very competitive back at home this weekend. They have key individuals in their team and will be well-organised under an experienced coach in Alan Solomons.
“They have players up front that give them good go forward as well as threats on the wing. It’ll be about imposing our game plan and stopping them from getting their game going.
“Both sides are looking to get some form, so hopefully it will be an entertaining fixture like last week. This time we’ll be working hard to come back with the right result this time.”
Last week saw the Scarlets edged out by the Dragons as a fast start from the Rodney Parade outfit put them out of sight. An early 17-3 lead proved to be too much, consigning Easterby’s side to their second defeat of the season.
For the trip to Edinburgh, livewire scrum half Rhodri Williams starts at scrum half with Aled Davies on the bench. Nick Reynolds comes in on the right wing with another Williams, Wales Under 20 star Jordan, on the left.
“We started slowly last Friday and the Dragons made the most of the Rodney Parade factor,” said Easterby.
“Our contact area was below par and it’s been a big focus for us. We need to get that right.
“It’s a nice wide pitch at Murrayfield so hopefully that will allow us to play with a bit of width. The players are familiar with the ground and we know after last season that we can get a good result up there.”
On new signing Barclay, who has suffered with injury during his brief time at Parc y Scarlets, he added: “John has been a good voice around the group and shown his experience this week.
“It’s going to be a big few weeks for him against his Scottish colleagues. He’ll want to play some good rugby and hit some form over the next three or four weeks.”
