Connacht vs Scarlets Prediction: Westerners set to sink Scarlets

Scarlets find themselves in a bad run of form at present and things won’t get any easier when they travel to Connacht on Saturday (17:05). Sitting in 14th place in the standings, only the Dragons and the Sharks are below the Scarlets heading into their 11th game of the campaign. 

Connacht, on the other hand, find themselves in a congested mid table and can’t afford to slip up at home against a Scarlets side that have only recorded two wins in the United Rugby Championship this season. 

Match Odds 

Connacht are the overwhelming favourites to come out on top at the Galway Greyhound Stadium at 1/20 in the match winner market. 

Scarlets are 17/2 to spring a surprise across the Irish Sea, while a tie on Saturday evening is available at 28/1. 

Team News 

Starting with the hosts, Connacht will have to do without prop Finlay Bealham after he was a late call-up to the Ireland squad ahead of their next Six Nations clash with England. 

Bealham had been in line to start against the Scarlets, but was quickly pulled out of a scrummaging session this week when the news came from Dublin he was back in the national squad. 

Ireland’s gain is Connacht’s loss, as Bealham joins Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen in the Irish squad under Andy Farrell, while Dylan Tierney-Martin, Oisin McCormack, John Porch and Shayne Bolton are all injured. 

As for Scarlets, eight of their players were named in the 2024 Six Nations squad for Wales and most of them will be missing this weekend. 

Scarlets are blessed and cursed with having Wales’ two fly-halves in their ranks, with Sam Costelow and Ioan Llyod both competing for a starting role against France on March 10th. 

Head coach Dwayne Peel will have limited options for what looks set to be a tough trip to Galway Greyhound Stadium. 

Connacht -21 handicap @ 5/4 

Looking at the Scarlets recent results, it seems set to be a long evening for the Llanelli outfit in Galway. 

The Scarlets' last win was on December 2nd and they have gone on to lose their following seven games in all competitions. 

Defence has been the real concern for Peel and his coaching team, as in just their last three games against Clermont, Edinburgh and Munster they have conceded a total of 111 points. 

The loss of their Wales internationals has further weakened a side that were already struggling at the wrong end of the URC table. 

Connacht on the other hand have won three of their last four games in all competitions and go into this game on the back of a 16-12 win at Cardiff. 

More success against a Welsh side looks to be just around the corner for the Westerners, who are capable of overcoming the -21 handicap on offer against this porous Scarlets’ defence. 

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