Blwyddyn Newydd Dda to the Scarlets family! It’s fantastic to be back at the Parc for a huge European tie against such a famous club as Toulon.
It was a tough game at the Arms Park last Friday, a typical derby, but we were all delighted to get the win we wanted to kickstart 2020.
Our support in Cardiff was sensational again and it was great to see our players being able to chat and have their photos taken with the fans on the field afterwards. Your support is hugely appreciated.
Overall, we have had a good festive season. As I said, that win in Cardiff was really important, a big swing game in the PRO14 Conference and it has been a really excited group that has been coming into work this week looking forward to what will be two finals for us in this European pool.
We all know the scale of the challenge facing us this evening. Toulon are one of Europe’s top clubs who have a very strong squad containing some big-name players. But our squad is strong as well, we have got some boys back this week from injury and illness and we are in great nick.
I thought we played some incredible footie in the round two match in Toulon with a man down. A heck of a lot of belief came out of that game for us, so once you get over the disappointment of the result you realise what the effort was and what the performance was about. That has really fuelled us going forward.
We are not about retribution or revenge or any negative emotions like that. For us, it is about putting on a performance that we are proud of and our fans are proud of. We are all excited about getting back out on the Parc and giving Toulon a warm welcome to Llanelli.
It will also be wonderful to see Dan Jones reaching a century of appearances for the Scarlets this evening.
Dinky is a Scarlet through and through, he grew up supporting his home region and is now doing a famous jersey proud. He has been fantastic for us this season and you have to remember he has only just turned 24. It is a proud night for him and his family.
On a final note, the atmosphere for the Ospreys game on Boxing Day was incredible, it was brilliant to see the Parc full and rocking. The supporters have played a massive role in our journey so far and we are going to need you in full voice again this evening.
Enjoy the game!
Carpe Diem
Brad