How much can we expect from the Scarlets this season?

First topic message reminder :

Stuart Barnes said the other day that he thought Nigel Davies might be the most underrated coach in the British Isles. He is doing a good job of coaching exciting rugby into a home grown squad now brimming with recognised international talent. Rhys Priestland, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams and George North have all made big names for themselves in the RWC 2011.

As well as them Scarlets have young tyro Scrum Half Knoyle who has previously shown exceptional talent, now slightly off form but sure to regain it soon. Young Adam Warren the 20 year old inside center who I think has scored every game he has started this year from inside center, Liam Williams looking like JPR Williams illegitimate grandson at fullback yesterday. Jordan and Rhodri Williams are very healthy prospects for the future halfbacks.

The pack are not to be messed with either this year, a good squad of front rowers, Iestyn, Rhys, Rees, Gardiner, Rhodri Jones, and Ken Owens.

Three second rows really proving their worth in Lou Reed, Dominic Day and Damien Welch, great lineout work yesterday, good carrying in the loose.

Back row seems to be firing with Ben Morgan, Rob McCusker, Josh Turnbull as first choices but with the excellent Aaron Shingler and experienced regional players like Richie Pugh and Jonathan Edwards as back up and a young man called Kieran Murphy who looks pretty useful too.


All looks very positive for the Scarlets, a tough group in the HEC but a winning start. The Celtic League seems to get tougher every year but they have had a decent enough start while missing some big names.


Edit by RD - a none of the above option added

Jimmy:

That was Llanelli!

Scarlets, Northampton, Ospreys and two of Clermont, Ulster, Edinburgh or Blues have a chance at dropping down into the Amlin. The best 3 runners-up. I think.

Amlin looks pretty tough this year.

Cymroglan wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:Thanks for including 'none of the above' .

I think unfortunately for the Scarlets that's the way it's heading now.

Wow was searching for this thread worth it ?

I think it was. I had a strong opinion at the time & was grateful for the amendment.

I think the comments by the Scarlets supporters were fair & reasonable but the poll was not that's all.

I think it takes more than one season to really come on and blast one's way to big victories. Scarlets are on the up. I wouldn't consider thie season to be a failure if they don't win silverware. They are entertaining and winning. A lot. I would be happy with that.

An American Football coach said:
"Season 1, knock on the door. Season 2, bang on the door. Season 3, beat the door down"

At that start of this season, I never expected the Scarlets to do anything major in the Amlin or HEC, and I've been proven right. We've had a couple of good wins and that's it.

My aim this season was to progress further in the LV and get a play off spot in the Pro12. That is still possible. I will be disappointed if we don't reach the play offs. It's a gradual step up from last season, then next season we can build again. We have a ridiculously young squad, who hopefully will be together for years to grow and improve together.

Whilst I'm disappointed with the loss yesterday, I'm still proud of my team. We're heading in the right direction, but I'm not expecting miracles.

Their still too inconsistent for me, they are showing signs but not following it through.

Why pull out all the stops to beat Northampton away, and then roll over at home?

Historically Llanelli are a side that raise their game for the big one but then are half asleep against teams they should put to the sword.
They should of built on the away win at Northampton and got to the quarter finals, they have blown that chance now. I can't see them fronting up in Castres.

Of course we've blown our chance. We should have won one fo the Munster games, and we had our chances to win yesterday. We didn't take our chances.

We switched off for the first 20mins of the 2nd half, no excuse, but we do still have something to build on.

for a lot of the match yesterday, our oldest player in the backline was Rhys P at 24. We've got huge scope for players to improve and grow.

Doesn't stop the loss hurting though

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:Thanks for including 'none of the above' .

I think unfortunately for the Scarlets that's the way it's heading now.

To be honest we are out of the HC, but realistically thats not a suprise. After all bar Scarlets supporters most folk thought we would have done well to have finished third in the pool at the start of the season. And I believe as it stands we have a chance of getting into the Amlin.

We are sitting a few points off the play offs in the Rabo, so that is a trophy that is not beyond reach.

We are currently top of our LV= pool, so again it is a trophy that is not beyond reach.

The season is far from over.

What can we expect from the Scarlets...?

I predicted they would not win anything but they have a slim chance in the Rabo as they are unlikely to be in the top two so they would get an away fixture in the play off's. The LV is a Mickey Mouse cup, only the bottom clubs show any interest as a way into the HC for some.

The main objective not only the Scarlets but all regions with dwindling crowds and interest is to at least break even, this will be a major achievement.

glamorganalun wrote:The main objective not only the Scarlets but all regions with dwindling crowds and interest is to at least break even, this will be a major achievement.

I believe that we are meant to be up on the average gate (from last season) by something like 8%. I appreciate that this is probably due to a decent run of results, and that there have been a few cases of free tickets being given out to bump up the figures. However I do know of a number of people personally who either never attended a Scarlets match before or who went once or twice a season who have been to a handful of games this season, and plan on seeing a few more. So I think we are starting to get on top of the attendance issues, even though there is a long way to go before we can expect a bumper crowd for Aironi/Treviso matches played on a Thursday night.

Scarletspiderman:

The crowds have improved at the Scarlets, I hope they can step it up in the RABO to keep the crowds coming in. What the hell has happened with the ground, it is really poor for a new stadium? Have Swansea City reserved been told to wreck the pitch so that major games get played at the Liberty?

alun: too many games being played on it + we had some sort of fly infestiation + a ludcrously wet winter = the state of our pitch. Not good. We've hosted a fair few concerts/events on it this season as well so that can't have helped!

Dreamer:

Great to hear the stadium is being well used but it is suposed to be a top rugby stadium not a park pitch. I did hear it was not good for the New Years day game not helping in the scrums. I have noticed watching the games on TV from the comform of my home near Newport, you have had a lot of rain when we have had no rain at all. I watched Swansea City a couple of week ago and that pitch is unbelievably good, hence my shock at the state of PYS. I thought the ground staff were using sheep to cut the grass like the Oval in Treorchy when I was at school there (not much fun when your face hits the deck).

Yeah it's a bit bad this season, I've heard that we are without a full time groundsman (not 100% sure on that, tis just rumours), but if that's true, then taht can't help.

Something needs to be done for next season for sure, just really hope the weather dries up a bit so we can get some new growth on it. It looked like a carpet all of last season.

I heard a cook was looking after the pitch on another thread but yed the pitch looked reat last season. I thought the pitch had plastic thread mixed in to improve wwear etc. Cheer.