Wayne Pivac is expecting a titanic battle with neighbours Ospreys as the Scarlets look to become the ‘king’ of Welsh rugby.

Tomorrow sees a huge west Wales derby as a Scarlets team boosted by the return of previously injured and international players travel to the Liberty Stadium.

It is the first of six GUINNESS PRO12 Wales derbies in the coming weeks and third-placed Scarlets head into the contest just six points below league-leaders Connacht, with Ospreys eighth and the other Welsh sides ninth and tenth.

Pivac said: "Our whole season has been built on improving on last year, we've made no secret about it – we want to improve.

“One of those improvements is our statue within Wales and we'd like to be king of the group if you like: highest up in the points table and in doing so finishing in the top four.

"The self-belief is growing in the group, there's a lot for us to play for selfishly, a place in Europe like everybody and the top four. We're in there but it's a case of improving week on week.

"Ospreys are a very proud team as we all know. They're still within a very good chance of getting in to Europe and upsetting a few teams along the way. It's a massive game for them as it is for us and we're expecting a titanic struggle.

"It's a derby against our close neighbours and there's a lot riding on the game.”

Scarlets captain Ken Owens leads the side following his involvement with Wales and he is joined in the XV by fellow internationals Gareth Davies, Rob Evans, Jake Ball and John Barclay, with Samson Lee named on the replacements bench.

Morgan Allen also returns at No.8 after recovering from a foot injury but Liam Williams misses out with a hamstring strain.

Ospreys will also welcome most of their internationals back, with Scott Baldwin, Aaron Jarvis, Dan Lydiate and Rhys Webb among those in the side – which also includes the highly-regarded Sam Underhill who missed their last match through injury.

But Justin Tipuric will have to sit out the match and Dan Biggar is among the replacements.

Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy said: "The Scarlets game is always huge for us and our supporters and this weekend is no different. We know the Scarlets are coming here full of confidence so it's important that we rise to the challenge.

"It's been a difficult year, as we always knew it would be, but we've seen in adversity that we have a great spirit and some incredible young talent coming through, boys who are just 19, 20, 21, 22, who are getting some fantastic experience under their belt and showing that they can compete at the highest level.

“Yes, we've got some fresh injury concerns, with 12 players unavailable, but are strengthened by some real quality coming back into the group from international duty.

“This is a chance, against a side who have been at the top all season, for these players to really say something about who we are and what we want to achieve, this year and in the future.”

Ospreys have slipped to successive defeats in the GUINNESS PRO12, away at Connacht and Leinster, but at Liberty Stadium the Welshmen have suffered only one reversal in their last nine matches in all tournaments.

And their only defeat in their last seven encounters with Scarlets was 10-22 at Parc y Scarlets in January 2015 – and you have to go back even further, until September 2007, for their previous loss against their Welsh rivals at the Liberty Stadium.

As for Scarlets, they have lost just one of their last four GUINNESS PRO12 fixtures but their only victory in their last four away games in the tournament was by a single point at Ulster on February 21.

At Liberty Stadium, 3pm. Live on Sky Sports
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 20th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Ian Davies, Wayne Davies (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: John Charles (WRU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

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