Scarlets will travel to semi-final without fear, says Halfpenny
No preference over venue for ‘best kicker in world’ Belief high in Welsh camp after win over La Rochelle
Leigh Halfpenny insists Scarlets have no preference as to who wins today’s clash between Leinster and Saracens, saying they are equally happy to travel to Dublin or Coventry for their Champions Cup semi-final.
Halfpenny contributed 19 points in Scarlets’ 29-17 victory over La Rochelle on Friday, converting five out of six penalties, and there were tries by Rhys Patchell and Scott Williams as Wayne Pivac’s team made the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition for the first time in 11 years, to the delight of a record crowd of nearly 16,000 at Parc y Scarlets.
The prize is a daunting trip to either the Aviva Stadium, should Leinster win today, or Wasps’ Ricoh Arena, should Saracens triumph. Such is the confidence of Scarlets that neither prospect fazes them.
“Look at last season,” Halfpenny said of last year’s Pro12 knockout stages, when Scarlets beat Leinster at the RDS in the semis, and then Munster at the Aviva Stadium in the final. “We showed we could go away to big clubs and win. And that’s the belief we have to have in the semi-final.”
Halfpenny – hailed by captain Ken Owens as “the best kicker in the world” after Friday’s victory – was still playing for Toulon 12 months ago.
The 29-year-old won the Champions Cup with the French giants in 2015, scoring 14 points in the final as they saw off rivals Clermont. And he says he can detect a similar spirit in the Scarlets camp now.
“It’s great to hear,” Halfpenny said of the praise from Owens, “but it’s the boys who put the work in and created those penalties and conversions. It’s just an absolute pleasure to be running out with these boys. I’m thoroughly enjoying playing with them.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere [on Friday night]. There were times when we were tested as a team. To be fair, La Rochelle were coming at us in that second half, attacking our line. But the character the boys showed to hold them out, I think, was the turning point.”
La Rochelle had taken an early lead when Romain Sazy was controversially judged to have beaten Halfpenny to a loose ball. But Scarlets scored 29 of the next 32 points to go through, with Pierre Boudehent’s last-minute try for the visitors little more than a consolation.
“We showed immense character in defence,” Halfpenny added. “We’re enjoying going out there and expressing ourselves. The quality this side has is outstanding.
“We want to achieve in Europe and domestically. And I think the quality we have, we have shown we can play with the big sides. It’s going to be a massive game in the semi-finals, whether it’s Leinster or Saracens.”