Scarlets v Northampton Saint, Parc Y Scarlets, 14.01.12 ko 1.30pm

Righty, no team announcements as of yet, will edit them in from 12noon onwards but thought it best to get a thread started!

What do people think about this one?

Scarlets coming into it off the back of a 3 match winning streak, even if they have been playing uninspiring rugby. The way we've been playing hasn't been great, but we've been getting the wins. Confidence should be pretty high.

Slight worries in the camp this week with injuries to Gareth Davies, Rhodri Williams, Liam Williams and Sean Lamont all being monitored, with the big Scottish winger being the main concern.

Northampton Saints come into this match after showing some brilliant form, including a very good win over Harlequins, with full back Ben Foden in particular, playing very well.

Saints as usual should have the better of it in the pack, but will they be able to break down the big, solid Scarlets backline? Having Foden back should be a huge boost to them, as Pisi struggled massively in the first match between these two sides.

Personally I am very wary of Saints at the moment. They are playing some very good rugby (as highlighted in their 2nd half performance against Castres). Scarlets are going to have to be in top, top form if they even want to compete. Anything resembling our performance against Glasgow last week, will result in a loss for us.

I'm hoping the Scarlets make the step up, if we do, I don't think we'll lose at home. Huge ask though. I'd have Saints down as favourites for this one.

Scarlets team against Northampton Saints, 14th January 2012, kick off 1.30pm at Parc y Scarlets: 15 Liam Williams, 14 George North, 13 Scott Williams, 12 Jon Davies, 11 Viliame Iongi, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Gareth Davies, 1 Iestyn Thomas, 2 Matthew Rees (capt), 3 Deacon Manu, 4 Lou Reed, 5 Dominic Day, 6 Aaron Shingler, 7 Rob McCusker, 8 Ben Morgan.

Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Phil John, 18 Rhodri Jones, 19 Josh Turnbull, 20 Johnathan Edwards, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Stephen Jones, 23 Gareth Maule.

Northampton Team: 15 Ben FODEN 14 Chris ASHTON 13 George PISI 12 Tom MAY 11 Vasily ARTEMYEV 10 Stephen MYLER 9 Martin ROBERTS 1 Soane TONGA’UIHA 2 Dylan HARTLEY (capt) 3 Brian MUJATI 4 Samu MANOA 5 Mark SORENSON 6 Calum CLARK 7 Phil DOWSON 8 Roger WILSON

Replacements 16 Mike HAYWOOD 17 Alex WALLER 18 Paul DORAN JONES 19 Christian DAY 20 Ben NUTLEY 21 Lee DICKSON 22 Ryan LAMB 23 Scott ARMSTRONG

Home win with Saints picking up a losing BP. Won't Morgan be up against some of his compettion now for England slot?

He sure will bedford. Should be interesting. Likely that both Dowson and Clarke will start for Saints since Wood is injured.

It's going to be a huge game for Ben Morgan. I just hope his mind is fully focused now that he's had his call up, and the nerves don't get to him too much now he's playing for a national starting spot.

just added the team for you - http://www.scarlets.co.uk/eng/rugby/4578.php

Morgan vs Dowson will be interesting. They won't line up directly against each other (Dowson will probably wear 6) but it is likely that they are going head to head for the England 8 shirt. Saints felt a little robbed against the Scarlets and some very lamentable defending led to the Scarlets ripping them apart. They'll want revenge and Saints are quite the handful when in good form.

The way the Saints took Quins apart should be a warning but the Scarlets are at home and should be savvy enough to win this one but it will be close.

No idea how this is going to go. I was comvinced we were going to get smashed in the away fixture and look what happened there. This should be close with the losing team picking up a LBP. Who that will be however is anyone's guess!

bluestonevedder wrote:Should be interesting. Likely that both Dowson and Clarke will start for Saints since Wood is injured.

Don't bet on it. Given Saints are out of the competition, Mallinder has saod he will pick a team to suit Saints. I take that to mean a second string.

Easy win for Scarlets.

Happy with the team. Assume Rhys Thomas is injured.

Happy enough with the side. Nervous about Iongi starting, he'll be targetted no doubt. I love our bench though, v v strong that.

Saints team just been added to the OP.

It's a very, very physical side. Scarlets might struggle without the likes of Timani and Lamont. So much for Saints perhaps not taking the HEC seriously after their losses!

Reed and Day are going to have to play the games of their lives for us to be within a chance.

Very strong bench, was a bit suprised Turnbull didn't get picked but I assume he's still getting back to full fitness and Shingler has been playing well (keep your hands off Scotland ). Like you worried about Iongi and shame Lamont is out, but really pleased Liam is back he'll help so much particularly with our counter attacking.

Looks like a very strong Saints side to me - hopefully they don't turn up or we can overwhelm them.

Think it's another match Priest where we'll be living off scraps again. Any error they make we'll have to pounce on, and our kicks will have to be spot on.

Hope Rhys P finds some better form though, he's been fairly wobbly as of late.

That's true, at least we've got Wellies there in case, but Rhys has had a fair few games and hoepfully should be getting into some sort of rhythm and this could be the best game for him to come out all guns blazing before the 6N. (fingers crossed)

I have a really bad feeling that we are going to get thumped big time tomorrow. I know we have a pretty decent side out, and a very good bench to bring on, but after last weekend I have a real fear that we will let ourselves down on the basics like catching the ball.

shhh SS, no negativity here!

We can beat this Saints team, and c'mon, we can't play that badly two weeks in a row. Nige won't allow that.

No Lawes and no Wood, are huge blows to Saints.

Get our defensive scrum working, make sure our line out ticks, we match them in the backs (if not better them). Get at Roberts at SH....anything is possible. We can do this.

Scarelets team boasting almost as many Englishmen as Northampton these days I see

Its another cracking fuxture. Pretty much a full strength Saints side who on papaer should be too much for the Reds but the HC does seem to throw up a lot of home advantage.

Good to see Gareth Davies in the line up, I heard he had an injury and might not have made it. His deputy Rhodri Williams is a capable young man, but Davies has done very well this year.

Dreamer - I didn/t notice that Roberts was playing. It should be interesting to see how warm a reception he gets coming back, as last season he was getting more than his fair share of heat from the crowd.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Scarelets team boasting almost as many Englishmen as Northampton these days I see

Its another cracking fuxture. Pretty much a full strength Saints side who on papaer should be too much for the Reds but the HC does seem to throw up a lot of home advantage.

I'd say a strong Saints side (certainly stronger than I was expecting) but not full strength with Lawes, Wood & Downey missing altogether from the 22 and Doran-Jones (been picked in front of Mujarti in recent weeks), Dickson and Lamb on the bench.

Expect a strong showing from the Saints who will be looking for some revenge. Expect Dowson and Clark to put in big displays to try and push their claims for a starting spot for England. Same with Morgan.

Does anyone feel that Saints deserve comment about putting their best available team forwards despite being out of contention? I am sure that if Wood and Lawes were not out injured they would be in the starting XV.

Saints know they blew the Heineken Cup for this season, but plan to go down swinging. I think they will cop the win. Motivated in part by knowing they under-performed earlier.

Should be an enjoyable, competitive game, but with Wood & Lawes injured, and Lamb & Dickson on the bench, I can't see past an home win for Scarlets.

Three England backrow candidates competing for match day squad places will provide an interesting element.

Well I still think Myler is a very good out half. After all, he guided Saints to the Heineken Cup final last season. I still think lamb is too flakey and makes too many mistakes. So, this is not a loss for Saints. martin Roberts has done a fine job when coming on for Dickson. So not bad there. Saints will miss Lawes and Wood. Still think Saints go balls to the wall and snatch the win.

Rolland out to spoil this game again. What is it with some refs wanting to be the centre of attention?

9-3 according to BBC Radio

Interesting to see that Scarlets, after being very critical of sints tactic of refusing to give them the ball at penalties and line-outs, are doing the same themselves.

As to rolland - the players are yapping away at him non-stop. If they are so blooming stupid they deserve to be penalised - though reversing the penalty against clark was just wrong - shingler was holding the ball and refusing to give it back.

If a penalised player holds onto the ball to stop a quick penalty should an opposing player be penalised for trying to get it off him? Interpretations & pettiness from Rolland

Scarlett's scrum goes backwards then miraculously pulled round from the back & no pen

Saints should have adjusted to the ref quicker, but my god Rolland has been petty. A cynic might say he is trying to make up for something.

Scarlets Try - Iongi scores after a JD2 break

Make up for what??

Making the right decision and sending Warburton off?

I can't comment on the ref but the BBC Radio commentators seem to be saying the Scarlets are a bit fortunate - but makes a change...

That's the second time JD2 has ran at Myler - he is being targetted - Is Lamb injured?

Need a link smirnoff?

Scarlets are perhaps being favoured with Ref's decisions. However that is probably due to saints pissing him off by constant backchat.

is releasing the tackled player still in the law book? doesn't seem it's being enforced much this weekend. Or laying on the wrong side of the ruck.

yes please Artful - no promisese that my laptop can handle a stream but it's worth a try if you've got one

Cheers

between the two 10 metre lines the pitch is awful, what have they done ploughed it?

How can May have been done for sealing off? He was on his feet and the Scarlets should have cleared him out like what happens in every game on the planet about 50 times per game.

Artful_Dodger wrote:Make up for what??

Making the right decision and sending Warburton off?

I'm not questioning the decision, but the weight of public opinion against him in a country where he plies a lot of his trade and has to face their crowds.

Anyway, was meant to be an off the cuff comment, I shouldn't have raised it, lets leave it.

the amount of time i hear roll away and the player doesnt roll away

I think Ben Morgan is having a pretty good game so far. Some nice carries.

Lamb has to come on for Myler 2nd half.

I thought North was going to grab one near the end of the half there.
Looks good for the Scarlets so far.

overlordofthewest wrote:I thought North was going to grab one near the end of the half there.
Looks good for the Scarlets so far.

The commentator was saying he hasn't scored a try in a while. Any idea on how many games it's been?

yep North should defo have held on to that. momentum might even have taken him over. Probably didn't realise he'd got that far ahead of support.

I expect Saints to come out and put in some power 2nd half. Scarlets will have to be very organised.

Lots of talk on TV about Rolland not being consistent! I have to say I agree!

Scored in the world cup but Feb was his last try for the Scarlets.

I think Lamb's flat passing on the gainline would get a lot of mileage out of Scarlets' rush defence. If Saints don't get a score soon they should bring him on asap.

surely 7 was in at the side?