Scarlets coach Glenn Delaney has backed plans for the creation of a British, Irish and Italian A league competition. It is understood that talks are at an advanced stage for such a tournament to be played next season during the international window. From next season onwards, the revamped Guinness PRO16 will have fewer fixtures played during the international period in a bid to enhance the quality of the league, making room for a developmental competition to be played during the Test window.

Scarlets coach Glenn Delaney has defended Liam Williams after his sending off against the Cardiff Blues which could cost Williams his Wales place at the start of the Six Nations. The Wales full back was sent off in the 37th minute to ruin Scarlets’ chances of a hat-trick of Welsh derby wins, as the Blues ran out victors, 29-20 at Cardiff City Stadium. Williams rushed headlong into a ruck and clashed heads with prone Blues flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes and, after TMO replays, the wing was ordered off.

There will some familiar faces in the Scarlets line-up when they travel to Cardiff Blues on Saturday night as Liam Williams and Leigh Halfpenny return. But there will also be one player making his first start. South African prop Pieter Scholtz has had to show patience, but plenty of resilience, too, as he told Graham Thomas. Given the year Pieter Scholtz has come through, scrummaging against Cardiff Blues should feel like a pushover for the Scarlets prop on Saturday night. The 20-stones South African is set to make his first start for the region after two cameo replacement appearances so far in the Welsh derbies – against the Ospreys and the Dragons.

Scarlets head coach Glenn Delaney insists his team are primed to cope with a Cardiff Blues upswing following the departure of John Mulvihill and the appointment of Dai Young. Delaney – whose team travel to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday evening for the Guinness Pro 14 derby – believes the Blues will respond positively after a week which has seen Mulvihill leave the top job in his third season. “Everyone will expect a response and knowing those lads down there, they’ll give it,” said Delaney.

Morgan Jones is ready to step into Jake Ball’s large boots at the Scarlets – and has even been tipped to fill those of mighty Alun Wyn Jones for Wales. Jones is literally growing into the second row position at the Scarlets and feels big enough these days to shoulder any expectations of him The gangly second row on whom the region took a punt three years ago is blossoming into one of the best young locks in the professional game.

Scarlets head coach Glenn Delaney has labelled Sione Kalamafoni as the region’s “galvaniser” after his try helped them beat the Dragons, 20-3, on New Year’s Day. Second-half tries from the forceful No.8 and replacement outside-half Sam Costelow were enough to get Delaney’s side over the line in a match that will mostly be recalled for the worrying arm injury suffered by Dragons forward Taine Basham. The Wales hopeful is to undergo X-rays on a suspected broken arm and likely lengthy spell out, with the painful injury forcing him off the field after 24 minutes.

The Scarlets will begin 2021 where they started 2020 – as the Welsh region the others are chasing. It’s a status their famous son Phil Bennett believes they can maintain this year and he told Graham Thomas he expects early notice to be served on New Year’s Day at home to the Dragons. Phil Bennett […]

Jake Ball’s decision to put family ahead of Welsh rugby has been backed by his coaches at the Scarlets and with Wales. The 29-year-old second row will leave Welsh rugby at the end of the season to live with his wife and four children in Australia, a decision that has been reluctantly approved by his regional boss Glenn Delaney as well as Wales coach Wayne Pivac. Dai Sport revealed in November that Ball had not seen his wife and three kids for the three months prior to the autumn Tests as his wife, Christie, was expecting their fourth child and the Wales players were expected to live in a Codiv-19-secure bubble.

Glenn Delaney spent years trying to snatch players away from the Scarlets but is now reaping the rewards from one of the best rugby academies in the UK. One of the graduates of the Scarlets school – Dan Jones – kicked 11 of their 16 points on Boxing Day as they beat neighbours the Ospreys in the festive derby which was switched to Llanelli. While coaching at London Irish, Delaney openly admits how the Exiles used to target the Scarlets academy for potential new recruits.

Toby Booth has admitted the Ospreys have given themselves a harder task by taking their Boxing Day derby clash against the Scarlets to the home of their opponents. With the Liberty Stadium pitch being relaid, Booth’s region did not have much choice in the matter but their head coach reckons the move to Parc Y Scarlets has forced a hardening of their mentality for what is always a testing fixture. “It doesn’t affect our preparation. In fact, it means we probably have to be even better. We are putting more pressure on ourselves by playing away, said Booth.

The Ospreys will face another tough away day task on Boxing Day – just a week after their stunning weekend comeback victory at Worcester Warriors. The region made it three successive victories for the first time since April 2019 as they came from 29-18 behind to win 38-29 in their European Challenge Cup tie at Sixways. Now, though, they are poised to lose home advantage for their crunch Boxing Day clash against the Scarlets with the game now set to be played in Llanelli.

Scarlets have been handed a 28-0 ‘victory’ in their cancelled Heineken Champions Cup match with Toulon. The outcome was widely expected after Friday’s game was called off less than two hours before kick-off and has been confirmed by the European Professional Club Rugby today.