Asquith delighted to sign on with the Scarlets

HIS ARRIVAL in Llanelli went under the radar and in a Scarlets squad which contains Leigh Halfpenny, Jonathan Davies and Ken Owens, he doesn’t often trouble the headline writers.

But while Paul Asquith might not seek the limelight, he has quickly become a firm favourite for fans of Wayne Pivac’s side. His priceless ability to play a number of positions behind the scrum, plus his canny footwork and footballing ability, have ensured he has more than justified his move north.

A new two-year Scarlets deal is a reflection of his importance to the men from West Wales. Australian Asquith told

The Rugby Paper: “I’ve signed for another two years. Every club I’ve been at has had a really good culture and it’s the same here.

“It’s a really good environment, I enjoy being around the boys, and I love the type of rugby we play.

“I want to have success in both competitions with the Scarlets. There is a lot of chat among the group about doing well in Europe and getting the Guinness PRO14 title back.

“If I could win one of those, it would be very memorable for me. I’ve learned a lot as a player here working with the coaching staff.”

Asquith joined the Scarlets from Western Sydney Rams in June 2017. He suffered a serious hamstring injury in the Champions Cup quarter-final victory over La Rochelle last March, but is seen as a key man by head coach Pivac. He will play a crucial role in the Six Nations period when the likes of Davies and Hadleigh Parkes will be lost to the Wales squad.

“Inside centre is my preferred position, but I’m happy to play anywhere,” said the 25-year-old.

The Scarlets face real competition to make the PRO14 play-offs after a poor run of form, but Asquith says: “When you suffer a dip in form it can go one of two ways. Your head can go down, but I think the squad has handled it really, really well,” he said.

“You don’t want to change a winning culture too much, so we’ve just trusted our processes and trained hard.”