By Tom Pritchard
SCARLETS’ hard-fought win against London Irish in the Challenge Cup on Saturday took their record for the season to six wins and just the one defeat.
It’s a start which new head coach Brad Moaar – who arrived in west Wales after a successful period with Crusaders in Super Rugby – could only have dreamed of.
The 2016-17 Pro 12 champions currently sit second in Conference B of the now Pro 14, as they look to reach the end-of-season play-offs for the third time in four years.
Their start looks even more impressive when compared to how the three other regions – Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Dragons – have fared in the early exchanges.
With five wins in the league, the Parc y Scarlets outfit have won the same number of games as their three domestic rivals combined (Cardiff Blues – 2, Dragons – 2, Ospreys – 1).
So, what is behind this impressive early season form, and what should Scarlets fans expect in the months to come?
That winning feeling! #SCAvLIR #INTHEPACK #YNYPAC pic.twitter.com/ICFSVaALZq
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) November 17, 2019
A well-balanced squad with depth
With the Rugby World Cup causing disruption for club sides at the beginning of the season, and it’s effect still being felt now – two weeks after its conclusion – it didn’t take a genius to work out that the teams with the most depth were in with the best chance of starting well.
Scarlets lost a total of 15 players to the showpiece event in Japan, so you may have expected them to find it hard going. But, clever recruitment in key areas, coupled with a handful of younger players stepping up to the plate means that Mooar and his side have been able to come flying out of the traps.
It is worth looking at the form of their regional counterparts to try and get an overview of where they are at.
Starting with the Ospreys, who beat Scarlets to claim the final Champions Cup place for this season, it is fair to say that they’ve found the going tough.
It must be noted that they have been dealt a tough hand with the injuries they have suffered, but, still, their squad does lack balance. The signing of Wales outside-half Gareth Anscombe is a good example, with some feeling that their money would have been better spent on other areas of the squad – where they are thinner on numbers.
Cardiff Blues were not able to carry out the kind of recruitment they had hoped to, but would still have expected a better return than two wins in the league.
Dragons, also with two wins, have shown signs of improvement under new Director of Rugby Dean Ryan, but you would expect this season to be about consolidation more than anything.
In Llanelli, the absence of Ken Owens, Jake Ball, Gareth Davies, Rhys Patchell and Jonathan Davies – all regular starters – has created opportunities for Taylor Davies, Josh Helps, Kieran Hardy, Dan Jones and Steffan Hughes to come in and really show their capabilities.
Why we shouldn’t be surprised
As alluded to above, Scarlets were in the best position out of the four regions, squad-wise, before a ball was kicked or thrown.
That isn’t the sole reason, however, with fans of the team well aware that talent can only take you so far.
Mooar and his coaching staff, still in the early stages of their tenure, have been able to create a positive atmosphere in the dressing room, and instil a winning mentality which has served the team well in close games, where they have been able to hold on and grind out wins.
The fixture list has been on the more favourable side, with four of their first six Pro 14 games being at home, where they very rarely lose. Having said that, three of those four games were against Connacht, Cheetahs and Bennetton. The Irish province are fourth in Conference B on 19 points, and secured a famous win against Montpellier in the Champions Cup yesterday, while the South Africans scored 161 points in their first three games and the Italians more than gave Leinster a game in the Champions Cup on Saturday.
Mooar’s success with Crusaders – who have won the last three Super Rugby titles – meant that there was no doubting his coaching credentials, with people most interested to see how he would adapt to being the main man.
And you would have to say that it is so far, so good for the Kiwi. He has been able to make the right calls at right times, whether that’s making a substitution or altering the approach slightly, the outcomes speak for themselves.
What should the fans expect this season?
Confidence amongst Scarlets fans is high at the moment, the team are winning games while not necessarily playing at their best, and their internationals will be returning to the squad in the coming weeks.
They have put themselves in a strong position to kick on and challenge for a play-off place in the Pro 14, while they will surely look to target a run in the Challenge Cup.
Supporters will want to see the attacking game continue to develop as the season progresses, with the team unable to cut loose despite threatening to in recent games.
The defence – with the heavy defeat in Edinburgh aside – has been impressive under the direction of Glenn Delaney, stepping up in the key moments and somewhat compensating for their shortcomings with ball in hand.
Expectations have likely increased after what we’ve seen so far this season, but fans should be mindful that they are not the only side welcoming back international players.
There are many challenges to come, but Scarlets have certainly put themselves in a great position.
