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History will be made in Welsh rugby tomorrow when Regan King lines up alongside his son for the Scarlets in their derby clash with the Dragons.

Veteran Kiwi King, 35, will start in the centre, while his 18-year-old son Jacob Cowley will be waiting in the wings to join him from the bench.

They will be the first father and son pairing ever to play together for the Scarlets and the first in regional rugby.

However, there has been precedent in the old club era.

Back in 1998, Swansea prop Keith Colclough, then 40, and his 19-year-old hooker son Dean became the first father and son combination to appear together for a senior Welsh club during a 71-19 thrashing of Bridgend.

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Examples in top-level sport are pretty rare, perhaps the most famous one being former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen coming on as a substitute for his father Arnor in Iceland’s international against Estonia in 1996.

Cowley has come over from New Zealand to take up an Academy contract with the Scarlets having previously played his rugby at Hamilton Boys School in Waikato.

(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)

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He has had a couple of outing for Llandovery at Welsh Premiership level and has now been promoted to the regional ranks.

Like his father, he is a centre, although he can also slot in on the wing.

The classy King is in his second spell with the Scarlets having spent three years away with Clermont Auvergne.

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He has played a key part as the region have started the season with a bang, winning their first five Guinness Pro 12 matches to top the table.

Now he will be accompanied by his son in what will be a memorable family occasion.

Meanwhile, Welsh international Harry Robinson makes his regional return in the Parc y Scarlets clash with the Dragons having recovered from a major neck injury.

Robinson feared he might never play again when a heavy collision during a game against Edinburgh in March saw two of the discs in his back slip and go onto his spinal cord.

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But after surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation programme, he returned to action for Llanelli RFC earlier this month and now lines up on the wing for the regional side.

“It’s a huge relief. It was a lucky escape really,” said the 22-year-old.

“When the injury first happened I wasn’t too sure if I’d actually be able to come back and play rugby again. It was pretty frightening.

“I had the two discs that had gone into the spinal cord removed and they fused vertebrae three, four and five together. It was a big operation.”

(Image: Getty Images)

The three-times capped Robinson, who joined the Scarlets from the Blues in 2014, found support and guidance from team-mate Ken Owens, who had surgery last year for a second slipped disc.

“It’s great to be back on the pitch,” said the speedster. “I’m really looking forward to getting back into the main picture.

“I’m just thankful to be able to put my boots back on in training. I’ll just take it a game at a time and see what happens in the future.”

Scarlets head Coach Wayne Pivac has made six changes, two positional, to the side that maintained a 100 per cent record with a dramatic last-gasp victory over Munster last weekend.

Tom Williams comes in on the wing, as Hadleigh Parkes joins King in the centre in place of Gareth Owen, who’s out with a hamstring strain.

Scarlets: Aled Thomas; Tom Williams, Regan King, Hadleigh Parkes, Harry Robinson; Steven Shingler, Rhodri Williams; Phil John, Ken Owens (capt), Peter Edwards, Jake Ball, Lewis Rawlins, Aaron Shingler, John Barclay, James Davies.

Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Dylan Evans, Will Taylor, George Earle, Jack Condy, Aled Davies, Dan Jones, Jacob Cowley.