EXCITEMENT BUILDING FOR THE SCARLETS’ BIG TIGERS CHALLENGE

Billed as the European rugby contest of the weekend, the Scarlets say they are relishing the opportunity of hosting former Heineken Cup champions Leicester Tigers at Parc y Scarlets this Saturday in the crucial Heineken Cup Pool 5 showdown.

A near capacity, vocal Parc y Scarlets crowd of around 13,000 is expected to further boost the home team’s spirit, pride and determination to defend its strong home record this season in which they have only lost one game out of nine at Parc y Scarlets, as they face the power of a formidable Leicester Tigers team.

The Scarlets have made big strides this season winning 13 and drawn one of their 19 competitive games this season. They sit at the top of Pool 5 in the Heineken Cup on 15 points with two European games to go this weekend against the Tigers and then away in Perpignan.

The Scarlets field a strong team with the experience and leadership of Wales and British and Irish Lions duo Stephen Jones at outside half and Matthew Rees at hooker, with the power of Australian former international David Lyons at no8 and some wise, experienced heads in the pack with the addition of Iestyn Thomas and Vernon Cooper (68 European appearances).  In the backs, the Scarlets will be looking for some X-factor from a host of players capable of firing including Regan King, Jon Davies, Morgan Stoddart and Sean Lamont.

And there is no shortage of recent experience and memories of the big European occasions on the coaching team either with recently retired Scarlets star players Skills Coach Mark Jones and Defense Coach Simon Easterby both acknowledging this as the Scarlets “biggest game in the last three years”.

Stephen Jones is one of European rugby’s most experienced players, the 2^nd highest European points scorer on 839 points with 800 of those in Scarlets colours. He has made an impressive 76 appearances in the Heineken Cup and was the architect of the Scarlets last home victory against the Tigers in the 2001/02 season when they beat the English giants 24 – 12 with all the points coming from the boot of the experienced 10.

Stephen Jones said:  “It’s exciting – this is a great fixture for us and to put ourselves in this position across all three of our competitions shows how far and how quickly we have developed and progressed this season as a squad.

“We have had to develop a squad and what’s quite impressive is the speed at which we have done that over the past 18 months.  These occasions are great for this region and for our supporters as well as the players because you want to come up against the best.

“Big games like this are tough affairs that challenge you as a person.  Leicester are a well-drilled side, they have a big physical presence and play a different brand of rugby which they are very good at – so it will be a conflict of styles at the weekend.

“This is our biggest European game to date here at Parc y Scarlets with what’s riding on it.  There is huge intensity and enthusiasm within the group here and that excitement and anticipation carries you through all week.  We’ve got a great squad here, and to be a senior player you come to train here with a lot of the younger guys who just want to play for their region and play for Wales and that enthusiasm and commitment is great – it energises you.

“We have learnt some lessons this season but we have developed as a result of them and learnt quickly.  We have faith in our ability, we are playing some decent rugby and there are all the ingredients this Saturday for a cracking game.  We respect Leicester and all they bring and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Head Coach Nigel Davies said:  “This is a massive game for us. What makes this match against Leicester Tigers so huge is the fact that we have not been in this sort of position in the Heineken Cup during the time I have been back here and now we have 15 points from three wins with two matches to play.

“Naturally we are extremely pleased to have earned those 15 points – it was what we had targeted at this stage, so at least we are on course – while always realising you have to win your home games in the Heineken Cup.

“We are delighted to be where we are at the top of the group but we have worked hard to put ourselves in this position and we deserved to be there.

“However, we appreciate that Leicester have an enormous amount of experience – on and off the pitch – and for them to come through those top end games, as they so regularly do, is huge as it certainly builds belief and confidence in a side.

“But we are at home, where we have a very good home record, and we all know we let ourselves down in the Round 2 match at Welford Road.

“Against Leicester in Round 2 we were very competitive in the first half but then during a 15 minute period in the second half we had the ball but didn’t deal with the pressure they put us under and if you give a side like that half chances they generally take them and punish you,” said Davies.

“It was a high intensity game against one of the best teams in Europe and we expect more of the same on Saturday, when we know we cannot afford to let our game slip for a single second.”

Scarlets starting XV v Leicester Tigers, Parc y Scarlets, 15/1/11, kick-off 1735: Rhys Priestland, Morgan Stoddart, Regan King, Jon Davies, Sean Lamont, Stephen Jones, Tavis Knoyle, Iestyn Thomas, Matthew Rees (capt), Simon Gardiner, Lou Reed, Vernon Cooper, Rob McCusker, Josh Turnbull, David Lyons.

Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Rhodri Jones, Phil John, Jonny Fa’amatuainu, Ben Morgan, Richie Pugh, Martin Roberts, Gareth Maule.