Scarlets Look Ahead to Business End of Season

With this season’s Six Nations done and dusted for another year, the Scarlets can now concentrate on an exciting ‘business end’ to the season.
Obviously, in the back of everyone’s minds is the ‘biggie’ on Good Friday – the Champions’ Cup Quarter Final at Parc y Scarlets against La Rochelle. Temporary seating will be arriving next week in order to accommodate the 15,400 set to descend on Llanelli for the biggest fixture in the history of the stadium thus far.
However, with the Scarlets still competing for silverware in both competitons this year, this week’s fixture against Munster is foremost in the mind with the Scarlets facing a tricky run-in to the end of the season.
Scarlets’ victory in Thomond Park last season proved a pivotal point and coupled with the emphatic victory in the Pro12 Final, it leaves the Munstermen with a point to prove on Saturday.
It will be a tough challenge for the Scarlets, with Hooker, Ryan Elias admitting, “They have a really good crowd, very much like the Scarlets crowd, they get behind their players. It will be a tough game on Saturday.”
Despite reports that injured Second Row, Jake Ball would feature on the bench this weekend, Head Coach, Wayne Pivac confirmed that he was never going to be fit for the La Rochelle game. “He is improving, but it is slow progress, but certainly we believe we’ll get some rugby out of him in a few weeks,” he added. There is currently no set date penciled in for his return, but he had another scan yesterday and will see the surgeon again tomorrow, so more will be known then.
With the Internationals ‘excited’ to be returning home, the focus this week has been on integrating these players back and ensuring that the selection for Munster is the correct one to meet the target of a home semi-final and maintain the pressure on Leinster who are currently top of the table.
Pivac revealed that this is an individual process, but nine front-line players would not feature against Munster.
“Generally, it’s how they’ve come through, the minutes they’ve played and the handover report from the Welsh squad medical team to our medical team, which has been done,” he continued. “Individiual player interviews were carried out yesterday to find out not only physically but mentally, as well with the amount of volume of work they’ve had over that period.”
He added, “It’s not just the games, it’s also the training and what that takes out of the players. Some Internationals will be involved but they will be the ones who haven’t had much game time in recent weeks.”
This is not ideal preparation with such an important fixture on the horizon, but Pivac believes that the transition period last season was successful, adding “Some guys came back the first week, some had a week or two off. Clearly, we’re not in a position to give the guys two weeks off now!”
“It’s been a bit of a juggling act,” he continued. “Certainly, we’ve got an eye on next week in terms of preparation, it’s been an interesting exercise.”
“It comes back now on the coaches and the strength and conditioning department and medical team to make sure the preparation is spot on in terms of how much volume we give the boys during the week,” he revealed. “Already, we’re tweaking that at this stage with already less training time than last year.”
On the injury front, Pivac revealed that Wyn Jones is on track to be back in action before the end of the season. The only returning International causing any concern is Rob Evans who has picked up a knock but is being monitored closely.
It is highly unlikely that Jonathan ‘Foxy’ Davies will play any rugby this season. “We’ve ruled him out,” added Pivac, “My personal view is that as much as Foxy would like to play this year, it’s in everyone’s best interests to get that type of injury 100% right and you wouldn’t dream of risking it, if it wasn’t 100% right.”
One player who will be chomping at the bit to play on Saturday is Munster-bound, Tadhg Beirne, with Pivac revealing, “He doesn’t train much these days! People worry about the amount of games, but the boys will tell you he’s usually on the physio table most days having a good relax…he’s been on the physio table the last couple of days.”
“I don’t think Tadhg would let me rest him this week even if we’d wanted to,” joked Pivac! “It’s been well documented that he’s off and we’re obviously sad to see him go, but he’s playing against the club that he’s going to, so he’ll want to put out a massive performance. It would be amiss of us not unleash him, should he be fit to play.”
With injuries in the back three, the Scarlets have already signed England International, Tom Varndell, for the rest of the season, who is relishing the ‘massive opportunity.’
“I wanted to play a high level, wanted an opportunity. The Scarlets was that opportunity and I took it with both hands,” revealed the former Bristol Wing.
“I met Wayne on the Sunday and started training on the Monday,” he added. “So, it was pretty quick!”
Having played European Cup Rugby for both Leicester and Wasps, Varndell is hoping he can draw on his experience as he aims to add something to the squad revealing that so far he has loved every minute with the Scarlets and is now an honorary Welshman!
Speaking about new-signing for next season, South African Number 8, Uzair Cassiem, Pivac revealed, “He can play across the back row, but Number 8 is where we see him playing for us. He’s a strong ball- carrier, got good skills with ball in hand. We think he’ll be a good signing for us and will be available for the whole season.”
Cassiem had been previously linked with a move to French giants, Toulon, but opted to join the Scarlets, stating “The Scarlets are known throughout the world and are playing some great rugby at the moment. When I met with Jon and Wayne it was clear to see the ambitions of the club and the environment at the Scarlets is just what I am looking for.”
This is a true statement of intent from the Scarlets with Pivac adding, “It’s a sign from the board of the direction they want to take the club in, it’s the same direction as we’d like to go as a management group and clearly a playing group. The players want to be playing for Championships.”
“He continued, “We had a taste of it last year, obviously, and you want to have those great days. It’s all about winning at the end of the day. They’re special moments and you want to replicate those.”
“The whole community is behind the team and the expectation now is that we perform, and we’ve got to deliver a squad that can do that on a regular basis,” he added.
“It’s a lot of hard work, not just by the squad, there’s the backroom staff who are out there in the community, finding sponsorship and marketing the team and what we do as a club – it’s a big effort from a lot of people.”
Cassiem joins Blade Thomson and Kieron Fonotia in joining the Scarlets for next season, with Pivac confirming that a Scrum Half has also been added to the books in place of Ospreys-bound Aled Davies, adding “Maybe one or two more players to come.”
He continued, “We’re just finalising the squad at the minute and there’ll be some guys that we’re looking at within the squad to see whether we re-sign or maybe replace based on injuries or where we see their careers at the moment.”
“It’s an on-going process, we won’t stop the recruitment because once we finish next year’s squad we’re straight in to the following year’s squad which we’re looking at now.”
There is still no news with regards to which region gets the signature of former Scarlet, George North with Pivac joking, “We’re like everybody else…..waiting!”