Scarlets fullback Johnny Mcnicholl will make his Prcinipality Stadium debut this weekend against Newport Gwent Dragons in Judgement Day V and says he’s thrilled at the prospect of an afternoon of running rugby at the national stadium.
Mcnicholl would be forgiven for looking forward to the season’s end after what has been an incredibly long season for him on a personal level having come to the Scarlets off the back of a full season with Crusaders and Canterbury in New Zealand but he says he’s raring to go for the Judgement Day clash this weekend.
Looking ahead to the derby clash Mcnicholl said; “I’ve been wanting to play out there for years! Watching Welsh rugby at the Millennium Stadium, as it was called, I was amazed that you could play rugby under a roof. Now we’ve got one at home back in New Zealand, in Dunedin, I’ve played in that and you know you’re going to get a dry game you’re going to get a nice hard, dry pitch. For a winger/fullback like myself you know it’s going to be running rugby. I can’t wait!”
After securing a bonus point win over Benetton Rugby at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday evening the Scarlets moved back into fourth position and into play-off contentions ahead of the derby afternoon at the Principality.
Mcnicholl went on to say; “I believe we need to win most of our games now to get into the top four. I hope we do and I think we can do it as well.”
The Scarlets will be looking to keep their winning momentum alive with a East v West derby clash victory this weekend before the final two rounds of the regular season against Connacht, away from home, and a huge West Wales clash against Ospreys at Parc y Scarlets in the final round of the season.
Looking ahead at the round 22 clash Mcnicholl said; “It could be a quarter-final in a way if we’re not in the top four as results can go either way. There’s not far to go! There’s plenty left in the tank!”
Newport Gwent Dragons v Scarlets at the Principality Stadium on Saturday 15th April, kick-off 5.15pm.
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