Wilson delighted with Rugby Champions Cup qualification

Scarlets secured their place in next season’s European top flight competition, Rugby Champions Cup, with a 34-23 victory over fellow Welsh region Newport Gwent Dragons at the Parc on Friday evening.

The West Wales side bounced back in style after a disappointing defeat to the Cardiff Blues at the Millennium Stadium in the Easter Sunday Judgement Day challenge.

Forwards Coach Danny Wilson, speaking after the game, said that they’d remained focused in the week and knew the importance of the team’s performance in the first of two back-to-back home Welsh derbies which will bring the domestic season to a close.

He said: “It was important that we cemented that place [in the RCC] and perhaps more importantly the style we did it in as well. It was important that we secured a performance.

“We’ve been disappointed with elements of our performances recently, especially the first half against the Blues, and it was important that we bounced back. We did that [tonight]. We got what we needed – the points to get into Europe.”

With the European rugby map now defined after months of trials and tribulations the region’s forwards coach went on to explain the importance of securing their place in the newly formed competition, he said: “It’s huge. It’s important financially but it’s the competition that everybody wants to be a part of. I think it was important Scarlets were in it again.

“We perhaps didn’t cement our place last year losing to Treviso. It’s a slightly different scenario this year, it was important we cemented that place in style.”

Scarlets will bring the 2013-14 season to a close with a huge derby against Cardiff Blues with an opportunity to right the wrongs of Judgement Day at Parc y Scarlets. Danny Wilson went on to say: “Our target this week will be the same as this one. For the last two games we said we wanted to get some pride back in our performance, in the derbies.

“The most important thing for this game was a performance that we could be proud of and that’s the same for next week.

“Our first half performance was pretty poor and we want to put that right; for us as a group on the last game of the season but more importantly for this passionate support that we get in this region.

“We’ve hopefully gained some confidence off the back of this one going into the last game and last derby.

“It has a huge relevance, it’s a derby; put aside the points, you want to win your home games and you definitely want to win your home derbies and we want to do that next week. We’ve got another chance to do that next week and I know these boys will be bouncing to do so.”

Wilson moves on from the Scarlets at the end of the season, returning on a consultancy scrum coach basis next season, and he admits that it’s going to be a difficult evening next Saturday; “It will be emotional but all of that is secondary to a performance and a win and there’s no better way for players and coaches to move on than to get a win and a home win and hopefully we can pick that up next week.”