Josh Macleod will make his 150th appearance for Scarlets when they face Dragons RFC in the final round of the BKT United Rugby Championship on Saturday at Parc y Scarlets. The captain leads a side that has made four personnel changes from last weekend’s narrow loss to the Ospreys in Bridgend.

The milestone gives the home side a focal point, but the changes tell their own story. Eddie James is out with a knee injury, while Johnny Williams remains sidelined with a shoulder issue and Marnus van der Merwe is unavailable with a calf problem. Max Douglas, who will play his final game for the club before a summer move to Japan, keeps his place in the second row alongside Jac Price.

There is movement across the back line as well. Macs Page shifts from wing to outside centre, Blair Murray moves to left wing and Ioan Jones is handed only his second Scarlets start at full-back. Joe Roberts goes to inside centre, with Joe Hawkins and Dane Blacker continuing at half-back for a fifth successive game. The pack also has a different look, with Josh Morse named for his first URC start at loose-head prop, Archer Holz coming in at tight-head prop and Ryan Elias continuing at hooker.

Further back, Taine Plumtree switches to No. 8 and Jarrod Taylor comes in at blindside flanker. Fletcher Anderson misses his first match since arriving in November after picking up a groin issue against the Ospreys, while Gareth Davies is on the bench after signing a new contract with the club this week. Sam O’Connor and Jac Davies are among the replacements after helping Llandovery RFC win the SRC title last weekend, and Osian Williams is also included as a Wales U20s back-rower.

Nigel Davies said Macleod’s 150-game mark matters because he “represents so much of what the Scarlets are about,” adding that the skipper is “not just our captain, he is a standard-bearer and one of the emotional leaders of this group.” He said Macleod has faced setbacks that might have stopped others, but has repeatedly returned stronger. The coach also said the squad wants to finish the season the right way for departing players and supporters after a 34-week campaign, and close on an upbeat note in a competitive Welsh derby at home. Saturday’s fixture kicks off at 17:15, with Scarlets ending the season against a Dragons side that has no room to ease up either.