WALES STAR BALL BACK IN BUSINESS
Lock returns after 9 months out:
THE conditions may have resembled mid-December rather than the heart of the Welsh summer, but the Scarlets opened their seasonal account with an encouraging 28-19 victory over Bristol Bears at a rain-swept Carmarthen Park.
Trailing 19-6 at half-time to a side containing veteran southern hemisphere internationals like George Smith and John Afoa, Wayne Pivac’s side finished strongly, snatching the game with two tries in the final three minutes.
Without the majority of his Wales internationals, Pivac wore a satisfied look at the close after watching a number of his close-season arrivals get their first run out.
And one of them chose to steal the show with a brace of tries on debut.
CLAYTON BLOMMETJIES IS WINNING OVER THE FANS, QUICKLY
A soggy Carmarthen Park under slate-grey skies was a far cry from the South African Highveld, but the former Cheetahs full-back will have been delighted with his first appearance in a Scarlets jersey.
A charismatic personality, Blommetjies has made a big impression since his arrival in West Wales, meeting and greeting the fans and even turning out for a local cricket team.
And at the end of the match, after crossing for a try in each half, he was all smiles, posing for selfies and chatting with supporters.
“He had a couple of nice touches. He is one of those guys who attracts the ball and he popped up in the right places. In the dry he will be a real threat,” said Pivac afterwards.
“Look, he is just one of those guys, he has an infectious personality.
“You talk about a glass half-full guy and a glass half-empty guy, his is a Champagne bottle which you thrash around in the boot of the car for a couple of weeks and then let the top off, that’s Clayton. “He is a lovely guy and he loves the fans.”
A WELCOME RETURN FOR BALL
It has been nine long months for Wales lock Jake Ball recovering from the shoulder dislocation he suffered in Wales’s 2017 autumn series defeat by the All Blacks.
A nerve issue delayed his comeback last season, so he would have been a happy man to get a strong 40 minutes under his belt in Carmarthen.
Ball didn’t do anything flash but gave the Scarlets a strong, closerange carrying option and helped bolster a much-improved pack performance after the break.
“I spoke to him after the game and he really enjoyed it, although he is a bit sore, which is understandable,” said Pivac.
“He will get better with each game, the more contact he gets on the upper body.”
WALES STARS WAITING TO BE UNLEASHED
The Scarlets took on Bristol with most of their Wales squad members rested.
Summer tourists Ryan Elias and Tom Prydie did get a run out, but the the rest are set to get their first taste of action against Bath at The Rec this coming Friday.
British and Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies, who hasn’t played since picking up a foot injury last November, will make his comeback, while you can expect to see the likes of skipper Ken Owens, Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Patchell, Steff Evans, Rob Evans and Co making an appearance.
“Next week will be a dress rehearsal, today was more of a trial,” explained Pivac.
“We have been training two teams and we will probably have a shadow team for round one (of the PRO14) against Ulster.”
KIWI STAR TO MISS OPENING MATCHES
Former Crusaders flyer Johnny McNicholl is set to miss the first two rounds of the Guinness PRO14 after fracturing his cheekbone in a training accident.
McNicholl, who scored a superb hat-trick in last season’s final in Dublin, suffered a clash of heads during a contested training session at Parc y Scarlets and has been ruled out of the matches against Ulster and Leinster.
Back-rower Will Boyde and second row Lewis Rawlins are recovering from shoulder surgery and will also sit out the first few weeks, although there is better news on versatile back Paul Asquith, who is close to making a return from his hamstring injury.
Pivac also revealed that Wales prop Wyn Jones is still a month away from making his comeback from the injury that ended his participation on the summer tour.
GARETH DAVIES CAN EXPECT PLENTY MORE COMPETITION AT NINE
His Wales rival Aled Davies has made the short hope across the Loughor to join the Ospreys, but Gareth Davies won’t be resting on his laurels at Parc y Scarlets this season.
The signing of Scotland international Sam Hidalgo-Clyne came as a bit of a surprise when it was announced in May, but the former Edinburgh half-back looks like being a shrewd acquisition.
It was his blindside snipe and grubber through that set up wing Tomi Lewis for the Scarlets’ second try and he almost created another on the opposite side of the field from an attacking scrum.
Hidalgo-Clyne, capped 12 times for his country, also offers an option at 10 and it was interesting to see him take over the goal-kicking duties in the second half, landing both his attempts, including a superb touchline conversion.
A word too on Kieran Hardy, who was busy in the opening 40 minutes.
The Scarlets, of course, also have Jonathan Evans, who is recovering from an operation on the foot injury he sustained in the PRO14 final in Dublin and Wales Under-20s cap Declan Smith.
It is going to be some battle at nine this season.