Scarlets announce three signings, including a recruit from New Zealand
Scarlets have further strengthened their squad for the 2019/20 campaign with the signings of second row Danny Drake, scrum-half Dane Blacker and prop Alex Jeffries.
Drake joins from New Zealand provincial side North Harbour. The 24-year-old lock has been a member of the development and wider squad at Super Rugby side the Blues. He is also the current captain of Northcote, who are the reigning North Harbour Club Championship winners.
He said: “I’m really excited to touch down on Welsh soil, fizzing to get stuck into the Scarlets culture and give it my all for the club and its supporters”.
Scrum-half Blacker arrives from Cardiff Blues. A product of the successful Coleg y Cymoedd, he came through the academy system at the Arms Park and was capped at Wales under-18s and under-20s level.
The 20-year-old has played senior rugby for Pontypridd, made his Champions Cup debut as a replacement against Saracens last season and has featured for Wales sevens on the World Series circuit. He has played Guinness PRO14 rugby for the Blues and during a brief loan spell with the Dragons.
?? NEWS | Scarlets strengthen squad with three new players.
Welcome Danny Drake, Dane Blacker & Alex Jeffries #inthepack?? NEWYDDION | Scarlets yn cryfhau’r garfan gyda tri cytundeb newydd #ynypac
Full story ? https://t.co/7nz7Q76Ey7 pic.twitter.com/xqh18kVGtV
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) June 20, 2019
Blacker will form part of an impressive pool of scrum-halves at Parc y Scarlets, battling it out with Gareth Davies, Kieran Hardy and Jonathan Evans for the No9 jersey following the weekend departure of Sam Hidalgo-Clyne. He said: “I’m delighted to sign my first professional contract with the Scarlets. It’s an honour to be a part of an exciting club and I am looking forward to the coming season.”
Tighthead prop Jeffries makes the short move from the Ospreys. The 24-year-old made his debut for Newport as a teenager and after impressing for the Black and Ambers in the Welsh Premiership joined the Ospreys in 2016. He is another player who has been capped at Wales under-18s and under-20s level.
He made 18 appearances during his three seasons with the Ospreys, scoring two tries. He said: “I am really looking forward to the next chapter in my rugby career at the Scarlets.
? "I'm really excited to touch down on Welsh soil, fizzing to get stuck into the Scarlets culture and give it my all for the club and supporters." – Danny Drake #inthepack pic.twitter.com/h4rKIgflPa
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) June 20, 2019
“I’m excited to work alongside a talented group players and coaches and the opportunity to make my own mark at the club. I am also looking forward to developing my game and with the right opportunities showing what I am capable of.”
The signing of the trio comes on the back of a glut of re-signings by the Scarlets. Full-back Johnny McNicholl and Wales stars Jonathan Davies, Rob Evans and Ken Owens have penned new deals, along with Werner Kruger, Dan Davis, Dan Jones, Paul Asquith, Tom Prydie, Steffan Hughes and rising talents Ioan Nicholas, Tom Phillips, Daf Hughes, Javan Sebastian, Rhys Fawcett, Shaun Evans and Steff Thomas. Scarlets have also signed second row Sam Lousi from Super Rugby side the Hurricanes.
Scarlets general manager of rugby Jon Daniels said: “Danny, Dane and Alex are talented young players who will be excellent additions to our squad.
? “I am really looking forward to the next chapter in my rugby career. I’m excited to work alongside a talented group of players and coaches and the opportunity to make my own mark at the club." – Alex Jeffries #inthepack pic.twitter.com/oKiaIg64Kk
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) June 20, 2019
“We have worked hard to ensure we have put together a group of players capable of competing for silverware and re-signing players of the calibre of Johnny McNicholl, Jon Davies, Ken Owens, Rob Evans and others have been crucial to that.
“We are happy with the strength of the squad we have put together, but are always open to adding further players if they are the quality and right fit that we are looking for to move the Scarlets forwards. We are looking forward to welcoming the boys back for pre-season next week.”
WATCH: Behind the scenes footage from RugbyPass of the Scarlets when they contested the 2018 Guinness PRO14 final in Dublin against Leinster
Comments on RugbyPass
A long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates live or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is hear and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
2 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
2 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to comments