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Plumtree and Hawkins start for Scarlets at Stormers
Taine Plumtree and Joe Hawkins in Scarlets kit
Image caption, Taine Plumtree and Joe Hawkins came off the bench in Scarlets' win against Newcastle

Wales internationals Taine Plumtree and Joe Hawkins will start for Scarlets against Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday (15:00 BST) a fortnight before the Nations Championship.

The pair were part of a seven-strong contingent from Llanelli named in Steve Tandy's squad for the November Tests.

Unlike Blair Murray, Ellis Mee, Eddie James, Sam Costelow and Ryan Elias, they travelled to South Africa for part one of a United Rugby Championship (URC) double-header prior to linking up with the Wales squad.

Back-row forward Plumtree makes his first start of the season after returning from summer shoulder surgery in last weekend's Challenge Cup win against Newcastle.

Hawkins slots in at inside centre with teenage fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones making a first appearance of the season.

Hawkins came off the bench in three of the first four rounds of the season, with James and Joe Roberts paired in midfield.

The 24-year-old started at inside centre in nine of Wales' 13 fixtures last season and has a new rival for the Nations Championship Tests in uncapped Dragons back Aneurin Owen.

Plumtree will look to stake a claim for a spot in Wales' well-stocked back row after featuring eight times under Tandy in 2025-26.

Uncapped wing Macs Page will aim to continue the form that put him in the mix for the Wales squad when making a fifth straight start.

Summer signing Isaac Murray-Macgregor, a Welsh-qualified back who joined from the Crusaders pathway, could make his debut as a replacement.

Lock Tom Allen, who has arrived after finishing Hawke's Bay's National Provincial Championship campaign in New Zealand, and loose-head prop Corey Domachowski, who suffered a pre-season chest injury after joining from Cardiff, are in South Africa but are not involved against Stormers.

Scarlets are chasing a third win in a row after home successes against Benetton and Newcastle.

However, they have lost all five games against the Stormers, who were URC semi-finalists last season and are fresh from running seven tries past Bristol in a 49-12 Champions Cup win.

Stormers: Gelant; Senatla, Simelane, Muller, Zas; Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Pead; Mchunu, Venter, Porthen, Norton, Evans, de Villiers (capt), Roos, Dayimani.

Replacements: Vokozela, Reid, Fouche, Smith, Schickerling, Fourie, Reinach, Ahmed.

Scarlets: Nicholas; I Jones, J Roberts, Hawkins, Page; Leggatt-Jones, Blacker; Mathias, McKee, Harri O'Connor, Groves, Lousi, Plumtree, Macleod (capt), Anderson.

Replacements: G Roberts, S O'Connor, Hawley, Cuckson, Davis, Hughes, Anscombe, Murray-Macgregor.

Referee: Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland).

Assistant referees: Christopher Allison & Juan de Bod (South Africa).

TMO: Eoghan Cross (Ireland).

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