Down but not out, Scarlets will go for broke in search of victory
THEY’VE been here before and, the way their season panned out in the last European campaign, it hardly mattered.
At this point last year the Scarlets had played two Champions Cup rounds and lost both, Toulon away and Bath at home, and were staring an early exit from the competition full in the face.
And yet Wayne Pivac’s squad managed to then win their next four games to finish top of the pool two points ahead of Toulon.
They went on to beat La Ro- chelle in the quarter-final before losing to Leinster in the semi at the Aviva Stadium.
So, two rounds in this time it’s perhaps not seen as entirely ruinous that the Scarlets are stuck to the foot of Pool Four.
Beat Ulster at their Parc y Scarlets fortress — well, Racing 92 turned them over in West Wales in the opening round of pool games — and Pivac (right) may feel that his final season in charge, before he takes over as Wales head coach from Warren Gatland, is recoverable from a European point of view.
Mind you, the main theme for the Scarlets this week hasn’t so much been about them turning things around again but rather what lies ahead for next season after Crusaders’ assistant coach Brad Mooar was unveiled as Pivac’s successor.
It is a distraction, but the Scarlets will still be going all out to get another home win over Ulster, and the return of Samson Lee and James Davies from injury, along with the inclusion of Wales internationals Ken Owens, Gareth Davies and Hadleigh Parkes, though the latter is benched, has given them plenty of ammunition towards achieving their goal, with the memory of last weekend’s Guinness PRO14 defeat at 14-man Glasgow still a raw one.
Though both Leigh Halfpenny and Jake Ball remain side-lined with concussive issues, this is still a powerful-looking Scarlets side. Ulster have already encountered the running skills of centre Kieron Fonotia, who links with British and Irish Lion Jonathan Davies in a highly creative midfield, and the ball-carrying of number eight Uzair Cassiem.
With flankers Will Boyde and James Davies alongside Cassiem, the Scarlets also have a dynamic and well-balanced back-row.
Rhys Patchell will pull the strings at out-half and, weather permitting, is sure to bring the attack-minded back three of Johnny McNicholl, Tom Prydie and Steff Evans into the game.
This time, they may find that there is too much to do salvage this European season but, rest assured, the Scarlets won’t reckon on that and will fancy Ulster’s scalp, home and away.