Scarlets get set for new season with three big summer friendlies

The Scarlets have confirmed three pre-season fixtures, following clearance from the WRU, as part of their build-up to the start of the 2012/13 rugby season which includes an exciting and high profile game against London Welsh at home.

Heart and Soul Rugby country will welcome the newly appointed Aviva Premiership club, coached by Lyn Jones to Parc y Scarlets on August 25th 2012.

The first home game of the season, against London Welsh, will also be a final farewell to former Scarlets and Wales prop Iestyn Thomas as the region’s pre-season friendly brings his hugely successful Benefit Year to an end.

Thomas was forced to retire from his playing career prematurely during the 2011-12 season due to injury.

The Richmond-based club and Championship winners, who recently won their appeal to compete in the English Premiership start their Aviva Premiership campaign with fixtures against Harlequins and Leicester Tigers so will be looking to be put through their paces by an energised and motivated Scarlets squad.

The Scarlets will be looking to build on their positive and intense pre-season training and conditioning programmes with some tough opposition which includes travelling away to Richard Hill’s Worcester Warriors on Saturday August 18th at Sixways Stadium. Worcester last faced Scarlets in the LV= Cup in November 2009 when the Welsh region secured a 32-17 victory at Parc y Scarlets.

The Scarlets will also compete in the South of France against French club Narbonne on Friday 10th August, as part of a return visit to the Issoire region for a week long training camp which proved a huge success last year. The Scarlets will use the away fixture to combine their pre-season match preparations with some core team building and training regime which the Scarlets coaching team say is vital ahead of the new season.

Scarlets Head Coach, Simon Easterby said: “Getting the intensity and balance of the pre-season preparations right is crucial in how you affect the start of your competitive season.

“We want to get our players physically and mentally in the very best shape and create strong cohesion after the arrival of some new players and personalities into the squad. It’s about really uniting this group at important at this time in our pre-season and setting the foundations for our team ethic and performances in the weeks to come.

“Last year’s trip to France was a real success and brought things together well and the boys will be put through their paces out there again with some challenging activities off the field as well as the game against Bayonne.

“All three fixtures will give the wider Scarlets squad an opportunity to perform and show their progression over the summer and for the coaches the chance to see how our work over the summer is stacking up. These games are key to us in how we approach and select for our first competitive fixtures in the RaboDirect PRO12 which kicks-off in early September and we want to get off to a very positive start.”

Easterby added: “The London Welsh fixture will be a great one, and we look forward to welcoming Lyn Jones and his side to Parc y Scarlets for what proves to be a great afternoon of summer rugby at our home.

“It’s quite a fixture to host given the history and connection of Llanelli Rugby with London Welsh and we hope that our supporters will come out in numbers to support our players and the return to Llanelli of a London Welsh and West Wales rugby contest.”