Fans to protest before Scarlets' opener with Munster

Josh Macleod will captain Scarlets for a third season

United Rugby Championship: Scarlets v Munster

Venue: Parc y Scarlets Date: Saturday, 27 September Kick-off: 17:30 BST

Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Sport Online and BBC Sounds

Scarlets fans are set to protest against controversial plans to cut the number of regions before their team's opening league game against Munster.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has proposed halving the number of professional regions from four to two.

Supporters opposed to the change are planning a "save our Scarlets" march from Llanelli town centre to Parc y Scarlets prior to the match on Saturday.

"It's showing the real community spirit here in west Wales and it's great to be part of," said captain Josh Macleod, who has spent the past 13 years at his boyhood club.

"There's a lot of love shown from fans. They turn out in numbers and it shows the club means something to them."

Macleod is chairman of the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) which has already spoken out against the WRU's "radical option".

He said he is also honoured to "carry the weight" of the Scarlets captaincy into a third season.

But it looks set to be his toughest as skipper given the uncertainty hanging over the future of the Welsh regions, players, coaches and staff, with a final decision expected in October.

He said: "The players have been amazing. Some have needed an arm around them, but the majority have just cracked on, done their job as best as they can and tried to focus on what's happening on the pitch, in the here and now."

Team news

Macleod leads a side that sees the return of Wales pair Jake Ball and Joe Hawkins.

Lock Ball shelved retirement plans for a return to a club where he previously spent nine seasons and believes he still has "heaps to offer" at the age of 34.

He starts with centre Hawkins, 23, who returns to Wales in a bid to reignite his international career after a two-season stint at Exeter.

Hawkins is named in an all-Welsh international back line, while fellow summer signing Tristan Davies starts at blindside flanker.

Wales Under-20s hooker Harry Thomas is handed his first URC start, while scrum-half Gareth Davies is entering his 18th season as a Scarlet.

Niall Scannell makes his 200th appearance for Munster.

In contrast, Dan Kelly makes his debut after joining from Leicester Tigers with fly-half JJ Hanrahan starting having returned to his home province.

Springboks lock Jean Kleyn is fit to start while five Ireland internationals involved in the summer tour are named in the squad, including starts for Alex Kendellen and Craig Casey, who captains Munster for the first time. Conor Bartley is in line for his debut off the bench.

"Munster are always in the mix come the final couple of games of the season, so as a benchmark, it's a good place to start," said Macleod.

"Our focus at the start of the year is always to make our home ground a tough place to come, a place that people don't want to come."

Scannell said: "It's been a really interesting pre-season, it's been hard work, it was a long slog but we feel we're in a really good place going into Saturday.

"Based on how they [Scarlets] finished last season, and with the same coach and set-up, we have a fair idea what's coming our way."

How they line up

Scarlets: Murray; Rogers, Roberts, Hawkins, Mee; Costelow, G Davies; Mathias, H Thomas, H Thomas, Ball, Lousi, T Davies, Macleod (capt), Plumtree.

Replacements: Myhill, Hepburn, O'Connor, Douglas, Taylor, Blacker, Williams, Page

Munster: Haley: Daly, Kelly, Nankivell, Abrahams; Hanrahan, Casey (C); Loughman, Scannell, Jager; Kleyn, Wycherley; O'Donoghue, Kendellen, Gleeson.

Replacements: Barron, Wycherley, Bartley, Ahern, Coombes, Patterson, Crowley, O'Brien.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)

Assistants: Craig Evans (Wales), Marcus Caudle (Wales)

TMO: Colin Brett (Scotland)