Steff Evans has admitted the Scarlets’ defence has too many holes even though they are sitting pretty at the top of Conference B of the Guinness Pro14 table. The wing scored one of his team’s five tries as they beat Connacht 36-27 at Parc Y Scarlets on Friday night. But the four tries conceded left Evans underwhelmed a week before they face the Ospreys in the first Welsh derby of the season.

Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac believes his champions have finally turned themselves into a side addicted to winning. Last season’s Guinness Pro 12 conquerors host Connacht on Friday night, seeking their fourth win in five matches – an early season record in sharp contrast to the other three struggling Welsh regions. But as the Scarlets aim to keep that streak on track at Parc Y Scarlets with a win that could move them to the top of Conference B, Pivac says the transformation in his squad has not happened overnight.

Not enough time at night to sit down and read the WRU’s latest accounts and annual report from cover to cover? No, we thought not. But don’t worry because Geraint Powell has and here are his half dozen headlines. Having reviewed the latest annual report from the Welsh Rugby Union (http://www.wru.co.uk/downloads/WRU_ARA_2017_1o.pdf), these six main themes can be appreciated from the underlying 2016-17 financial and other information. For those who have not yet read it, particularly Chairmen, Secretaries and Treasurers at the constituent member clubs of the WRU, I would, as with every other year, always recommend starting with the Strategic Report prepared by Finance Director Steve Phillips (pages 14-21) before reading the statements by Chief Executive Martyn Phillips, Chairman Gareth Davies, Head of Rugby Performance Geraint John and Head of Rugby Participation Ryan Jones.  

Richard Cockerill has launched an incredible attack on referees following the Scarlets’ defeat of Edinburgh. The former Leicester coach – whose team lost 28-8 at Parc Y Scarlets at the weekend – could be in hot water with Guinness Pro14 chiefs after suggesting there is a conspiracy against the Scots. Cockerill was angered by decisions made by referee John Lacey, but went further and claimed there is a widespread bias against Edinburgh, who are “supposed to lose”.

Lions hero Jonathan Davies has been promised an unhappy return on Saturday when he makes his first start of the season for the Scarlets. The warning comes from Scotland lock Ben Toolis who insists Edinburgh can repeat their victory of last season at Parc Y Scarlets, whether Davies plays or not. Both teams are coming off the back of Guinness Pro14 defeats last week, with the Scarlets losing at Ulster and Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh victims of a shock home defeat to Treviso.

Scarlets forward Tadhg Beirne wants to play for Ireland and admits he has to go home to fulfil that ambition. Welsh players who cross borders face the same dilemma, but Robin Davey believes such demands are outmoded and have no place in the modern sporting era. Yet again the thorny subject of player qualification has reared its head, this time the case of Irish lock Tadhg Beirne hitting the headlines. He really blossomed under the tutelage of the Scarlets last season, into an international prospect, after being rejected by the Irish provinces.

The Scarlets could find themselves playing in front of an empty stadium when they head to South Africa to face the Southern Kings in Round 9 of the Guinness Pro 14 on 26 November. The reigning champions have already beaten the new boys once this season, but their return fixture could be a low key affair after calls in Port Elizabeth this week to boycott matches played by the SA Rugby-backed Kings. Given a crowd of only 3,011 turned up to watch their home debut against Leinster last weekend it won’t take many fans to vote with their feet for the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth to echo with emptiness.

Scarlets lock Tadhg Beirne is set to quit the region at the end of the season and return home to Ireland to join Munster. Beirne – who had an outstanding first season with the Guinness Pro12 champions – has turned down the offer of a new two-year deal in order to pursue his international ambitions with Ireland. The 25-year-old was an integral part of the region’s triumph last season, scoring a try in the runaway final victory over Munster in Dublin, and Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac was desperate to keep him at Parc Y Scarlets, where he has formed a formidable second row partnership with Wales forward Jake Ball.

Wayne Pivac has promised the Scarlets can step things up a level in Belfast on Friday night where they hope to inflict a rare home defeat on Ulster. The Scarlets coach has been satisfied with his Guinness Pro14 champions in their opening two victories – which included bonus points and 13 tries – but believes there is much more to unload. Pivac has brought the extended rest of Lions pair Jonathan Davies and Ken Owens to an end and both start against opponents he believes will force the Scarlets to go up a notch.

Dan Biggar’s confirmed departure for Northampton next season underlines turbulent times at the Ospreys, says Robin Davey. But the Cardiff Blues and the Dragons have plenty to concern themselves with, too, and only the Scarlets can be happy with the way they started the season. The Scarlets lit up the start of the new Guinness Pro14 on a disappointing weekend for the Welsh regions, made more so by the subsequent confirmation that Dan Biggar is to leave the Ospreys. Biggar will move to Northampton at the end of this season, the Saints excitedly announced on Wednesday afternoon, almost a full 12 months before he will be pulling on their jersey.

Dan Biggar’s confirmed departure for Northampton next season underlines turbulent times at the Ospreys, says Robin Davey. But the Cardiff Blues and the Dragons have plenty to concern themselves with, too, and only the Scarlets can be happy with the way they started the season. The Scarlets lit up the start of the new Guinness Pro14 on a disappointing weekend for the Welsh regions, made more so by the subsequent confirmation that Dan Biggar is to leave the Ospreys. Biggar will move to Northampton at the end of this season, the Saints excitedly announced on Wednesday afternoon, almost a full 12 months before he will be pulling on their jersey.

The Guinness Pro 14 kicked off on Friday night – and then spread into Saturday, when every other oval and round ball game was providing an alternative. Geraint Powell says it doesn’t have to be like this. The question of the optimal kick-off time in which to play Welsh regional rugby has once again been brought into stark focus on this opening weekend of the new Guinness Pro 14 season. Obviously, official attendances have to be taken with a pinch of salt. As many will already know, the market practice is to use a “tickets out” basis and this will include all free tickets handed out to corporate sponsors and all season ticket holders – whether in actual attendance or not. Some were querying the wisdom of all four Welsh regions playing at home on the opening