First home West Wales Derby for Toby Booth will also bring up a momentous achievement for Adam Beard

Tomorrow’s West Wales derby between Ospreys and Scarlets at the Swansea.com Stadium will see Welsh international, and British & Irish Lions second Row Adam Beard make his 100^th appearance for his home region.

It will also See Ospreys head coach Toby Booth oversee his men against Scarlets in Swansea for the first time when they kick off the highly anticipated match up at 17.15 on Saturday evening.

Both sides go into the game off the back of an away win against fellow Welsh Regions, with Ospreys defeating Cardiff 22-6 at the Arms Park, and Scarlets avenging their first defeat to the dragons at Parc-Y-Scarlets a fortnight ago with a 38-19 victory over the Gwent region.

Other major team news is George North returns to the Ospreys 23-man matchday squad after a year out of action after suffering a torn ACL last April, with Liam Williams also returning from a slight hamstring injury.

Despite taking the reins at the Swansea based region in 2020 this will be Booth’s first home West Wales Derby experience, but he understands that the home fixture will have a significant effect on the supporters,

“We know how important this game is to supporters and people associated with the club. 

“All derbies are significant, but we know for a lot of people this derby is even more significant. It’s also a reflection on the progress we are making as a team.”

With Scarlets running out 22-19 victors in the first instalment of the derby in Llanelli, Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel will be looking for a repeat of that result.

Another victory for Peel will extend his sides lead at the top of the Welsh Shield table, they’re currently nine points ahead of tomorrow’s opponents who sit in second, a victory will also boost their European Champions Cup qualifying hopes in the overall United rugby Championship table.

“It is obviously a big game with a lot at stake, it is perfect, both sides with something to play for. The Ospreys have been going well, they have been physical, and we are expecting exactly that.

“It was a tight match in our last game, and I am expecting another close encounter again. For us, it is about implementing our game-plan and stepping up to that physicality. To be fair to our pack, they have been physical of late, I am expecting that to be a good match-up.”

A win for either side would give themselves a well needed boost in their hopes for the Champions Cup spots, and to be crowned the first Welsh shield champions.

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