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The Scarlets have released summer signing Chris Apoua after the prop ruptured an Achilles in training.
The 34-year-old tight-head joined the Llanelli region from Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika in August, but was injured soon after linking up with Nigel Davies’ squad and will miss the entire 2026-27 season.
“The club can confirm that Chris will be returning to New Zealand and we wish him well with his recovery,” a Scarlets statement read.
Apoua, who played provincial rugby in New Zealand with Northland and Southland, leaves the director of rugby short in an area he had moved to strengthen.
Davies will now assess the market, with Australian Archer Holz and Wales internationals Henry Thomas and Harri O’Connor the senior tight-heads on the books, backed by Jac Pritchard and Yestyn Cook, who both featured for Wales at this summer’s World Rugby U20 Championship.
Wales back-row forward Taine Plumtree will also miss the start of the season after a summer shoulder operation, though he should be back before the Nations Championship.
The 26-year-old is targeting the double-header in South Africa against the Stormers on Saturday 24 October and the Bulls seven days later.
That leaves four fixtures before the tour: United Rugby Championship games against Cardiff, the Dragons and Benetton, plus a Challenge Cup opener against Newcastle Red Bulls.
Centre Johnny Williams also had shoulder surgery over the summer and is due back in October, as is fly-half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, who suffered a quad injury at the U20 Championship.
The teenager will back up the Wales pair of Sam Costelow and Gareth Anscombe this season, while fellow playmaker Elis Price is likely to miss the campaign after surgery on ruptured knee ligaments.
The Scarlets travel to Exeter Chiefs on Saturday for the first of three pre-season matches, naming a 30-man squad containing six debutants.
Summer arrivals Anscombe, John McKee, Harvey Cuckson, George Roberts and Isaac Murray-Macgregor all travel, along with a host of senior academy players.
Anscombe is handed the number 10 jersey for the first time since his move from Aviron Bayonnais, partnering Dane Blacker at half-back, while McKee packs down at hooker between Josh Morse and Gabe Hawley.
Ioan Nicholas, Callum Woolley and Macs Page form the back three, with Wales international Joe Roberts alongside fellow Burry Port product Gabe McDonald in midfield.
The bench carries a considerable age range: 17-year-old Tenby fly-half Madoc Evans, who would be among the youngest players to represent the Scarlets in the professional era, and 36-year-old British and Irish Lion Gareth Davies, heading into his 19th professional season.
“The focus in pre-season has been about cranking up the dial to play with the level of speed and intensity we want to, and challenging our skills with that. This is the next stage of our preparations against an Exeter squad packed with quality,” Davies said.
“It is an opportunity to see young players who have trained well over the summer, test some new combinations and also give some of our new boys a chance to pull on the jersey for the first time.”
The Scarlets host the Dragons in Llandovery on Friday 11 September and welcome Saracens to Llanelli a week later, before opening the URC at home to Cardiff on Saturday 26 September.
15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Callum Woolley, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Gabe McDonald, 11 Macs Page; 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Dane Blacker; 1 Josh Morse, 2 John McKee, 3 Gabe Hawley, 4 Gabe Cahsay, 5 Harvey Cuckson, 6 Tristan Davies, 7 Josh Macleod (c), 8 Dom Kossuth.
Replacements: George Roberts, Sam O’Connor, Rhys Fawcett, Harri O’Connor, Sam Lousi, Jac Price, Osian Williams, Joe Denman, Dan Davis, Gareth Davies, Madoc Evans, Ioan Jones, Jac Davies, Isaac Murray-Macgregor, Iori Badham.