United Rugby Championship: Johnny Williams, Josh Macleod and Tom Rogers boost Scarlets against Munster

Johnny Williams made his Wales debut against Georgia in November 2020

Wales backs Johnny Williams and Tom Rogers and flanker Josh Macleod all return from injury for Scarlets' trip to Cork to face Munster in the United Rugby Championship on Friday.

Wing or full-back Rogers and Macleod both start along with Dane Blacker who replaces Gareth Davies at scrum-half.

Centre Williams is over a calf injury suffered in October and on the bench.

Munster make three personnel changes and one positional switch to the side that beat Ospreys two weeks ago.

They also have South Africa lock RG Snyman on the bench, his first appearance since rupturing a knee ligament against the Scarlets in October 2021.

Patrick Campbell starts at full-back, Calvin Nash returns to right wing with Shane Daly switching to the left.

Hooker Diarmuid Barron starts on his 50th Munster appearance.

In addition to the three personnel changes from their bonus point victory over Edinburgh last month, Scarlets make two positional changes.

Steff Evans switches from left to right wing to make way for Rogers who has recovered from a hamstring injury.

Macleod's return to the back row after a knee problem sees Vaea Fifita move into the second row with Morgan Jones joining Davies and Williams among the replacements.

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Since joining from Newcastle in 2020, Williams has won five Wales caps while Rogers, 24, made two Wales appearances under Wayne Pivac, against Canada and Argentina in July, 2021.

Macleod, 26, missed out on a Wales debut cap in the 2020 Six Nations under Pivac, suffering a hamstring injury after being named in the squad to face Scotland that year.

He fought back to fitness and made his debut as Wales lost to Georgia in November, 2022 - the defeat that heralded the end of Pivac's reign and Warren Gatland's return as Wales boss.

Blind-side flanker Macleod captains the side against Munster, alongside open-side Dan Davis who makes his 50th Scarlets appearance.

Ken Owens, Wyn Jones, Rhys Patchell, Leigh Halfpenny and Kieran Hardy are unavailable because of international duty, while Ryan Conbeer, Daf Hughes, Tom Price, Aaron Shingler, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Ryan Elias, Corey Baldwin, Alex Jeffries, Callum Williams and Samson Lee remain on the region's injured list.

Scarlets are two from the bottom of the URC table while Munster sit among the play-off spots in fifth.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: "It is a big test and it is something we need. We have been on a good run, but there are not many bigger tests than going to Munster.

"Over the last couple of weeks we have been growing and getting better and the boys are in a good space. Obviously, there are areas we need to work on and we know It is going to be a massive step for us. We need to be able to compete and push ourselves against the likes of Munster over there."

Munster: Patrick Campbell; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O'Donoghue (capt), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Mark Donnelly, Keynan Knox, RG Snyman, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Jack Crowley, Jack O'Sullivan.

Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl; Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Ioan Nicholas, Steff Evans; Sam Costelow, Dane Blacker; Kemsley Mathias, Shaun Evans, Sam Wainwright, Vaea Fifita, Sam Lousi, Josh Macleod (capt), Dan Davis, Sione Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Taylor Davies, Steff Thomas, Javan Sebastian, Morgan Jones, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Gareth Davies, Dan Jones, Johnny Williams.

Referee: Ben Blain (SRU)

Assistant referees: Andrew Cole & Sam Holt (IRFU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)