Scarlets announce 17 new contracts
Scarlets have released a list of 17 players who have agreed new contracts ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season, with Wales internationals Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies and Samson Lee all committing to the Welsh region. In total, 13 of the 17 players to sign new deals have been part of the Scarlets pathway, while another home-grown talent, Wales international wing Steff Evans, agreed a fresh deal earlier in the year.
Halfpenny, capped 89 times for his country with three Lions tours under his belt, joined the Scarlets from Toulon in 2017 and was a member of the side that reached the Champions Cup semi-finals and Guinness PRO14 final that season.
Patchell arrived in West Wales from Cardiff Blues in 2016 and played a key role in the PRO12 title-winning squad.
Davies and Lee both came through the Scarlets age-grade system and are both seasoned performers on the international stage.
Back-rower Josh Macleod, one of the Scarlets’ outstanding players during the curtailed 2019-20 season, wing Ryan Conbeer, fly-half Dan Jones, scrum-half Kieran Hardy and centre Steff Hughes all hail from West Wales and have played significant roles this term.
Prior to lockdown Macleod was leading the way with the most turnovers in the PRO14, while Hardy’s performances have seen him push for international recognition.
Another who has stood out, Angus O’Brien, is among the renewals, adding to an exciting pool of fly-halves that also includes new signing, Wales U20s No. 10 Sam Costelow, who has joined from Leicester Tigers.
Others to have penned new deals are props Phil Price and Steff Thomas, second row Josh Helps, wing Tom Rogers; highly-rated Wales U20s locks Jac Price and Morgan Jones and talented back Joe Roberts. Rogers, Price, Jones and Roberts have signed their first professional contracts after graduating from the Academy.
Scarlets head coach Glenn Delaney said: “It is crucial that we keep building the strength and depth of our squad and these renewals are evidence of that.
“Players like Leigh, Gareth, Patch and Samson have proven themselves on the world stage and keeping players of that calibre at the Scarlets is vital to our ambitions of challenging for silverware.
“The Academy has produced some outstanding Scarlets over the years and continues to do so and we have high hopes for a number of our young players who are coming through and challenging the senior squad members for starting spots.
“You saw this season the impact the likes of Josh Macleod, Kieran Hardy, Ryan Conbeer and Steff Hughes had in the PRO14 and Europe when handed their opportunity and there are young players coming through who I’m sure will be pushing those boys hard as well.
BREAKING: Details confirmed for remaining Six Nations matches.https://t.co/NJf2j7KkFC
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 5, 2020
“We feel we are in a good place as a squad. We have recruited well and retained key personnel and are looking forward to the remaining games of this season and then hitting the ground running for the 2020-21 campaign.”
Players who have agreed new contracts:
Leigh Halfpenny
Rhys Patchell
Gareth Davies
Samson Lee
Josh Macleod
Kieran Hardy
Ryan Conbeer
Dan Jones
Steff Hughes
Angus O’Brien
Phil Price
Tom Rogers
Steff Thomas
Josh Helps
Morgan Jones
Jac Price
Joe Roberts
Comments on RugbyPass
I think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to comments