PEEL DESPERATE TO END ON A HIGH
SCARLETS boss Dwayne Peel is demanding his players go all guns blazing in their final match to pip the Ospreys for a Welsh Champions Cup berth.
The Ospreys threw the battle wide open with the 56-34 defeat of their Welsh rivals on Saturday, a game Peel said his side were their own worst enemies in.
The result means the Scarlets can’t finish above Edinburgh or Glasgow in eighth place, meaning there will be no Welsh representation in the United Rugby Championship play-offs.
It leaves the Scarlets and Ospreys battling it out to finish top of the Welsh Shield, the competition within a competition which guarantees a Champions Cup spot for the winners.
The Scarlets still have the edge, with a five-point advantage over their big rivals.
But Saturday’s reverse means they now need to secure maximum points in their remaining game at home to the Stormers on May 21.
The Ospreys have two matches left, each at home, against the Dragons next weekend and then the Bulls.
Peel (circled, above) said: “We want to finish the season well. We have to dust ourselves down.
“The players have had nine weeks back to back so we will have some time off this week which is needed and then we will hit the two weeks into the Stormers game with everything we have got so we can finish well in front of our fans.”
Peel was left to rue a dismal start to the second half as his side struggled to contain an Ospreys onslaught that ended with the hosts crossing for eight tries.
“I thought the first 20 of the second half we weren’t in the fight, to be honest,” said Peel.
“There were a couple of lapses of concentration from our side which shows a bit of weakness.
“They kicked the ball out, we weren’t ready for a quick throwin, they scored off that phase.
“We gave a rubbish penalty at a ruck which gave them access and then we turned the ball over twice and one of them cost us a yellow card.
“It seemed we weren’t ready to go to the next job, we let error compound error and there were also a couple of missed tackles here and there.
“It was disappointing, we were our own worst enemy in the first 20 minutes of the second half and that is what cost us.
“I thought we were in a good place at half-time.
“I felt we were in control and scored some nice tries.
“We had spoken at half-time that territory was important in this game.
“We showed in the first half, when we had a good period of territory we put them under pressure and scored points.
“In the second half, we didn’t have that because we couldn’t sustain any pressure.”