PREVIEW…
Monday. Kick-off 8pm, Parc y Scarlets
GLENN Delaney admits budgetary uncertainty is making life difficult for the Scarlets, but believes better times are around the corner for his team.
The men from Llanelli will be losing key players at the end of the season including Wales lock Jake Ball who is returning to Australia.
Delaney, right, is in the market for new, quality acquisitions, but admits the financial squeeze Covid-19 has put on Welsh rugby makes it tough to recruit.
All four Welsh regions are yet to find out what their budgets will be for 2021/22.
“We have a big player pool so the one thing I'm looking at is we've got the right number of players,” Delaney said.
“We've got a couple for of opportunities and there are only a couple of positions we need because we've got plenty of depth.
“We've got to be responsible, but also not lose sight of what's best for us as a club.
“The balancing conversation is happening pretty much all the time, but if the right person it's going to be we get someone who adds to the environment like Sione Kalamafoni.”
Scarlets face Connacht tomorrow and a victory would secure a place in next season's Champions Cup. Wales playmaker Rhys Patchell is set to return after being absent since the autumn. Delaney is confident a new PRO16 schedule, with less league fixtures clashing with Test rugby, and the emergence of some of the
Scarlets' younger players means there are good times ahead.
Delaney has seen Morgan Jones, Sam Costelow, and Tommy Rogers show their worth in what has been a strange 12 months impacted hugely by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The need for Test teams to stay in bio secure health bubbles has robbed domestic sides of their international stars for long periods, but Delaney is looking at the positives.
He said: “Morgan has put 600 plus minutes in for us and has done pretty well while Jac Price is getting game time in the Championship.
“I know the fans are keen to find out about signings, but I think what they should probably look at is we've really put together a decent group of players.
“If we look at how the youth has come through, that says a lot about what we are doing. We are pretty comfortable in putting a team out each week that's competing well in the PRO14.”
Teams will be announced today.
