Josh Macleod: Wales back row replaces Jonathan Davies as Scarlets captain
- Published
Josh Macleod made his Wales debut in the shock defeat against Georgia last November
Wales back row Josh Macleod has been named Scarlets captain for the 2023-24 season, replacing Jonathan Davies.
Macleod, 26, led the region in the second half of last season, when Davies was injured.
Macleod won his first Wales cap in November 2022 and was part of this year's World Cup training squad before being ruled out by injury.
"Josh is an exceptional player who leads by example," said Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel.
Macleod, from Pembrokeshire, made his Scarlets debut in 2015, the first of 112 appearances for the region.
He helped Scarlets reach the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup last spring, but is not fit for the start of the new season as a result of the shoulder problem which ruled him out of World Cup contention.
Peel's side begin their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign with a trip to Bulls on Sunday (14:00 BST).
Macleod, who Scarlets say is close to a return to action, said it was a "huge honour" to follow in the footsteps of centre Davies and hooker Ken Owens by leading the west Wales region.
"I enjoyed the captaincy last season, particularly during our run in the Challenge Cup which highlighted how much young talent there is within this squad," Macleod added.
"There were also some standout performances at home in the URC.
"For us, the challenge is to build on the foundations we laid last season, both in the URC and Europe.
"From a personal point of view, It has been frustrating missing a chunk of the summer recovering from shoulder surgery, but I'm not far away and I can't wait to get out there with the boys again."
Davies, 35, was out of action from January as a result of calf and Achilles problems, though he has returned to action in pre-season.
"Jon will continue to be a big part of our leadership team here," Peel said.
"His experience in the game is invaluable and will be a huge help to Josh, as will our other senior players in the squad."