Sam Costelow fails to capitalise on a stolen lineout and kicks the ball straight out to hand the hosts a good early attacking position.

Chris Horsman
Former Wales prop on BBC Radio Wales

It's fantastic to see this old ground with plenty of travelling Scarlets supporters.

About 400 Scarlets fans have made the trip up to Gloucester and set up camp in the Shed so there's already a great Anglo-Welsh atmosphere here.

French referee Jeremy Rozier blows his whistle and Santiago Carreras gets us underway...

Image source, Getty Images

It's been a big week for Caolan Englefield, the scrum-half has signed a new contract to remain at Gloucester and now gets the nod to start in Europe.

The 25-year-old joined the Cherry and Whites in June 2023 following the collapse of London Irish.

He has since played 28 games, although all but one of his eight Premiership appearances this season have come from the replacements' bench.

"He's been a really exciting addition last year and he's developing really well. I think him and Tommy [Tomos Williams] have been a great combo the last couple of games," director of rugby George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"Caolan is really growing into a brilliant player, he started for us away at Northampton, that fixture we won there, and I thought he really showed his class."

Image source, Rex Features

Gloucester have apologised for the use of a Russian flag on prop Kirill Gotovtsev's club shirt and said it will no longer be featured going forward.

Since 2015, the club has included national flags on the Premiership shirts of any player who has been internationally capped.

But a Gloucester statement on Wednesday said that following "internal discussion and Kirill's blessing" the Russian flag will no longer appear on 37-year-old Gotovtsev's shirt, while other nations will continue to be recognised.

Russia has been banned from international and cross-border competition by World Rugby since 2022 following the country's invasion of Ukraine.

"We remain entirely supportive of World Rugby's 2022 sanction regarding the conflict in Ukraine," the club statement, external said.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: "We've been competitive this year but going to Kingsholm where Gloucester have been going well of late, will be a good measure for us.

"It's is an awesome place to play. You get called every name under the sun. You make an error, they let you know about it. They will undoubtedly be after us in The Shed.

"But that will be a brilliant experience, particularly for the younger players in the squad and an exciting opportunity for us as a group."

Gloucester head coach George Skivington has been full of praise for his Welsh contingent with four Wales internationals involved tonight against Scarlets.

"Before the professional era the Wales-Gloucester derby games were frequent and pretty ferocious. There's a big history," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"Our Welsh lads are flying the flag pretty well and making headlines. They're doing some great stuff and we're very proud of them.

"There's a Welsh team coming to town and people know they'll be fighting with individuals for competition for Six Nations spots and bragging rights.

"There'll be a heavy Welsh contingent on the field and likely off the field."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Sam Costelow celebrates is 24th birthday today.

Amazingly he is the oldest member of this baby-faced Scarlets backline that has an average age of 22.

What a shame Gareth Anscombe was ruled out of this one to deny us a Wales number 10 showdown just days before Warren Gatland names his Six Nations squad.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Macs Page makes his first European start as Dwayne Peel makes six changes from the league win over Dragons.

Scrum-half Archie Hughes, 21, takes over from Gareth Davies while Eddie James starts alongside 20-year-old Page in midfield.

Ioan Lloyd, linked in recent days with a move to Cardiff next season, returns at full-back.

Prop Kemsley Mathias and number eight Vaea Fifita return while Taine Plumtree switches to flanker and Max Douglas moves to lock.

Scarlets: Ioan Lloyd; Ellis Mee, Macs Page, Eddie James, Blair Murray; Sam Costelow, Archie Hughes; Kemsley Mathias, Marnus van der Merwe, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Max Douglas, Taine Plumtree, Josh Macleod (capt), Vaea Fifita.

Replacements: Shaun Evans, Alec Hepburn, Gabe Hawley, Sam Lousi, Jarrod Taylor, Gareth Davies, Joe Roberts, Ioan Nicholas.

Image source, Getty Images

Christian Wade returns for Gloucester as George Skivington tweaks a winning team following an impressive Premiership victory here against Sale.

Wade missed that game but is back on the wing while there is a new half-back pairing in Santi Carreras and Caolan Englefield.

Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams is rested on the bench while Carreras moves from full-back to replace injured Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe.

That switch means George Barton returns at 15 while Wade's return allows Max Llewellyn to shift to his preferred position at centre.

The only change in the pack sees tight-head prop Ciaran Knight join the front row.

There has been a late change to the replacements bench with Cam Jordan ruled out through illness so Skivington now opts for a 5-3 forwards-backs split on his bench with the addition of Jacob Morris.

Gloucester:George Barton; Christian Wade, Chris Harris, Max Llewellyn, Josh Hathaway; Santi Carreras, Caolan Englefield; Mayco Vivas, Jack Singleton, Ciaran Knight, Freddie Thomas, Arthur Clark, Jack Clement, Lewis Ludlow (capt), Ruan Ackermann.

Replacements: Seb Blake, Jamal Ford-Robinson, Kirill Gotovtsev, Freddie Clarke, Albert Tuisue, Tomos Williams, Charlie Atkinson, Jacob Morris.

Image source, Getty Images

Welcome to Gloucester where a weekend of European rugby kicks-off.

It's the third round of four pool matches which means results will go a long way to deciding teams' fate.

It's finely poised in Pool 3 between these two sides who both claimed a home win to compensate for defeats in France in the opening rounds.

The winner will take a big step towards to the knockouts while a second defeat leaves the loser's hopes hanging by a thread.

Last season's finalists Gloucester are fifth, two points and two places behind Scarlets - semi-finalists in 2023.

So ahead of kick-off, let's take a look at the teams.