Few gave the Scarlets much of a chance in South Africa - where they had not won in four years of trying - but their win has opened the door to the play-offs.

No many Welsh teams beat Leinster and the Scarlets hadn't managed it for seven years. But a win over the Irish giants has revived the Scarlets' hopes of making the URC play-offs.

Judgement Day Part Two on Saturday will see the Dragons take on a Scarlets team who have no margin for error.

Judged by the standards of the season so far, there is work to do for all four teams on Judgement Day this Saturday.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel has laid down the challenge to his players to remain in the top eight of the United Rugby Championship. Peel’s men have held onto to sixth place – but closed the gap between themselves and fifth-placed Cardiff to just two points – after a gritty, hard-earned 30-24 win over Edinburgh that extended their unbeaten run at home to six games.

Dwayne Peel is looking forward to his Scarlets team going to the home of their biggest rivals, the Ospreys in an all-Welsh showdown in the last 16 of the European Challenge Cup. The match, scheduled for the weekend of 5 April, will see the two Welsh regions face off in a contest that promises to add another chapter to their history of fierce contests.

Dwayne Peel has warned his Scarlets youngsters they are in for a Shed-load of abuse on Friday night – and he couldn’t be happier. The Scarlets coach sends his team across the border to face Gloucester, knowing that a victory over the in-form English club will put them in sight of a place in the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup and the last 16.

Dwayne Peel has refused to confirm the departure from the Scarlets of Wales fly-half Ioan Lloyd, who is poised to join Cardiff for the 2025-26 season. Lloyd, who has slipped down the national team reckoning for the No.10 shirt, will leave the Scarlets after two seasons in Llanelli.

Wales wing Blair Murray gave Warren Gatland a pre-Six Nations nudge as he scored twice for the Scarlets in a 32-15 Welsh derby win over the Dragons at Parc Y Scarlets. With two more tries from skipper Josh Macleod and fellow wing Ellis Mee it meant the Scarlets welcomed in the new year with a bonus-point to move up to sixth place in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Scarlets skipper Josh Macleod is a man making up for lost time in a big way. The luckless flanker has been plagued by injuries over the past few years, including a ruptured Achilles, knee ligament damage, shoulder surgery and hamstring issues. That’s severely limited his regional appearances – just three last season – and restricted him to only the two Wales caps.

Steve Diamond is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the English rugby coach often stirs interest along with his two sugars. Diamond is a gruff northerner, who is about as removed from Twickenham – both socially and geographically – as you can get, now that he is employed by Newcastle Falcons rather than Sale Sharks.

Scarlets skipper Josh Macleod scored two of his side’s five tries as they gained ample revenge for their European defeat to the Georgian side Black Lion as they won 36-18 t Parc Y Scarlets to move to six points in EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 3. Gareth Davies, Johnny Williams and replacement scrum half Archie Hughes were the other try . Sam Costelow kicked 11 points to complete the job.