Scarlets spot for Leggatt-Jones after Wales U20s release

Teenage fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones has been released by Wales Under-20s to play for Scarlets against Connacht in the United Rugby Championship on Friday (19:45 GMT).

The URC fixture is rearranged from round two in October when the Llanelli side could not travel to Galway due to Storm Amy.

The game now clashes with the Six Nations and none of the Scarlets’ senior Wales players have been released.

However, it has been deemed Leggatt-Jones will benefit more from club action than the under-20s’ final fixture against Italy in Newport on Sunday (13:00 GMT).

Scarlets interim director of rugby Nigel Davies said: “With the squad as it is, it was key that he was available to us.

Scarlets have used Sam Costelow and Joe Hawkins at fly-half this season, but both are with Steve Tandy’s Wales squad.

That meant Leggatt-Jones made his first senior start against Benetton before the Six Nations and he pulled the strings against Edinburgh a fortnight ago.

The Llandovery College student started the first three rounds of the junior Six Nations and came off the bench in Ireland last Saturday.

Wales Under-20s head coach Richard Whiffin said: “It was our decision and in the best interest of the player.

“Whether it was Friday night with Scarlets or Sunday with Wales, it would be a great experience.

“For him to keep getting minutes at the top end shows how good a player he is to be backed by his club team, and that will help his development.

Costelow has remained with the Wales squad to recover from an ankle injury suffered against Scotland.

He is in camp ahead of the Principality Stadium fixture against Italy along with hooker Ryan Elias, flanker Josh Macleod, centres Hawkins and Eddie James and Ellis Mee, Blair Murray and Tom Rogers in the back three.

Scarlets are stretched, but have been boosted by the return of centre Johnny Williams, who missed the trip to Edinburgh with a calf injury.

“Almost two thirds of our team are away with Wales at the moment, but I am really happy with the side that we are able to select,” added Davies, who names his team at midday on Thursday.

“It’s a really competitive team with some exciting players in it, so I am not dismayed. We have a strong squad and these boys are capable of fronting up.”

Scarlets would climb above Dragons into 14th place with victory in Galway.

Connacht would leapfrog Ospreys into ninth and a bonus-point victory would move them level with Bulls in the last play-off spot.