DAVIES HANDS WALES A REMINDER
JONATHAN Davies has been handed a glowing reference just a week before Warren Gatland decides whether to offer him a Six Nations recall.
The Bancyfelin product has found himself largely out in the cold at international level over the past year, with previous Wales coach Wayne Pivac looking elsewhere for his midfield options.
But the return of Gatland, the coach who rated him so highly, could yet be a decisive turning point in Davies’s bid to feature at the World Cup later this year.
Scarlets captain Davies has been praised for his form and leadership as the region have turned around their fortunes in recent weeks.
Regional coach Dwayne Peel has been impressed with his “excellent” form and revealed he led the way in preparing the team for Saturday’s derby win over Cardiff.
Peel said: “We are seeing confidence and momentum on the back of the hard work we have put in.
“I am pleased for players like Foxy who has played every game bar one and has been excellent for us, particularly in the last couple of weeks.”
Davies is sure to come into Gatland’s thinking as he was one of his most consistent performers during the New Zealander’s first stint at the helm for Wales.
But he faces stiff competition for a spot in the squad, with the likes of George North, Nick Tompkins and the Ospreys trio of Owen Watkin, Joe Hawkins and Keiran Williams also in contention.
Meanwhile, Peel is targeting another success when the Scarlets face the Cheetahs in the European Challenge Cup this Friday (8pm).
“We have now won four of the last five games going back into Europe,” he said.
“The Cheetahs is another massive game for us with us topping the pool.
“We are obviously delighted with the (Cardiff) win, it was a big win for us.
“I think the team talk was done by Ken and Jon when they spoke about backing up last week’s win against the Dragons.
“We knew the physical exchanges would be huge, especially at the breakdown.
“We started brightly and when we got on top with the ball we were creating problems.”