5 Scarlets make the squad.

28-man Welsh Squad for 6 Nations:

Backs: Lee Byrne (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues), Tom James (Cardiff Blues), Mark Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), Shane Williams (Ospreys), Tom Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), Sonny Parker (Ospreys), Gavin Henson (Ospreys), James Hook (Ospreys), Stephen Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), Dwayne Peel (Llanelli Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Ospreys), Gareth Cooper (Gloucester).

Forwards: Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Duncan Jones (Ospreys), Rhys Thomas (Newport Gwent Dragons), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Matthew Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Ian Gough (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Robin Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff Blues), Gareth Delve (Gloucester), Alix Popham (Llanelli Scarlets), Ryan Jones (Ospreys, capt).

Martyn Williams has surprised a few people after a short international retirement. No doubt Gatland recognised the weakness at openside flanker and pleaded with Williams to come back, at least for this 6 nations championship.

Not really any surprises apart from that, Gareth Delve earns a welcome return after injury with some powerful displays in the Gloucester shirt and Jamie Roberts gets a well earned call up for some solid performances at the Blues. No doubt both will be eager to impress and get into the starting line-up at Twickenham. Both have a pretty good chance!

As far as the Scarlets contingent goes, Mark Jones, Stephen Jones, Alix Popham, Dwayne Peel and Matthew Rees all keep their places. Iestyn Thomas may feel aggrieved to have missed out, although he did face competition from some decent loose-head props and Morgan Stoddart, after an impressive debut, misses out, possibly due to Jamie Roberts having a more rounded full-back game.

Wasps 40 - Scarlets 7 :-(

Not a great day for the Scarlets at Adams Park, conceding 6 tries with only one in return. Things were looking a little more promising at 12 - 7 but Wasps power came through to hand out a lesson to the young Scarlets team.

I don't think too many people expected the scoreline to fluctuate much from the end result and there is no doubt that the guys on the field gave 100% with some heroic defending as they were under pressure for almost 80 minutes. Lawrence Dallaglio pretty much summed things up in his interview with the BBC, saying 'Llanelli obviously didn't bring their strongest side but I thought we played very professionally and showed we can play for 80 minutes.'

Not wanting to dwell on negatives, but it was the brute strength of the Wasps pack which provided a platform - against a Scarlets pack which has been struggling in the Heineken Cup all season - to give their backs the chance to put together some silky running and a few nice tries.

Onto the positives! Rhys Priestland looked quite comfortable on a stage which could have been overwhelming for many young outside halves. Priestland could have a big future in the Scarlets jersey and is obviously picking up some good pointers from Stephen Jones.

Iestyn Thomas managed another valiant performance but was unfortunately alongside front-rowers who aren't of a high enough standard to back him up.

For Wasps, James Haskell proved how important he will be not only for Wasps in this years Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership, but for England in the Six Nations.

Once again it appears to be the same story of lacking strength in depth and having players who, although give their all, aren't quite up to the pace and intensity of Europe's premier club competition.

Want to play for Wales? then play in Wales!

No doubt this will give Mr Gatland far more time with his players and flexibility between the regions and the national team, ensure the best players stay in Wales whilst their interested in international rugby and ensures a competitive nature throughout the regional system, but this raises a whole host of other issues...

Will this mean we have too small a player base by only being able to choose from 4 teams? Will it create the basis for a Magners 'A' league? Will players retire from International rugby early...a la New Zealand? Will overseas teams simply outbid the Welsh regions on wages to effectively force players into international retirement and weaken our national side? The questions will keep coming.

What we can determine from this is that it's risky. If the WRU decide to implement this, all sorts of problems could become apparent with players leaving and Wales being in more trouble. It may work in New Zealand, but that's a different environment altogether in terms of how young players are brought through the system, the different cultures and the fact that they are in a far better position to challenge for major trophies with a system that enables youngsters to develop into stars far more effectively. The downside is of course, players leaving early to find bigger wages in order to fund their lengthy retirements.

The upside of course is that it could work for future development. If Wales are to become a rugby super-power, maybe its a risk like this that will breed the competitive culture where only the best can make it?

I'd rather see the WRU focus on supporting it's regions and creating a playing environment which is filled with competitiveness, discipline and gives the platform for a successful national team...

Just as we thought?

The Scarlets have named a relatively young and inexperienced team to face Wasps as injury hits 11 players. Ceiron Thomas and Darren Daniel make their first starts for a long time whilst young half back pairing Liam Davies and Rhys Priestland take the stage yet again.

The pack includes a little more experience as Simon Easterby captains from openside flanker.

I'm afraid this game could get a little ugly if the weakened team is a reflection of the Scarlets aiming to name a stronger team to clinch a win against Clermont. Hopefully we'll see a few youngsters put in a good show to give the Scarlet faithful a glimmer of hope for this season.

Wasps will be searching for a bonus point victory and judging by the limited resources available to the Scarlets, you wouldn't bet against them achieving that.

Anyway, it's time to try and be a bit more positive. Rhys Priestland has given a good account of himself in the last few games and this is the stage every player should relish, maybe this is the game he makes everyone sit up and take notice.

The team also includes a surprise element, with speedster Darren Daniel an unknown quantity to many and the experience of Mark Jones who scored a fantastic try in the reverse fixture at Stradey Park.

If the forwards put on a courageous and spirited effort, the Scarlets could come away happier than many expect.

Wasps: tbc

Scarlets: Ceiron Thomas; Darren Daniel, Matthew Watkins, Gavin Evans, Mark Jones; Rhys Priestland, Liam Davies; Iestyn Thomas, James Hayter, Deacon Manu, Adam Eustace, Scott Macleod, Dafydd Jones, Simon Easterby (capt), Nathan Thomas.
Replacements: Daniel George, Bruce Douglas, Dominic Day, James Bater, Gavin Cattle, Jonathan Davies, Garan Evans, Phil John, Daniel Evans.

Wasps: Mark Van Gisbergen, Paul Sackey, Fraser Waters, Riki Flutey, Dominic Waldouck, Danny Cipriani, Eoin Reddan, Tim Payne, Raphael Ibanez, Phil Vickery, Simon Shaw, George Skivington, James Haskell, Tom Rees, Lawrence Dallaglio (capt).
Replacements: Joe Ward, Tom French, Tom Palmer, John Hart, Mark McMillan, Rob Hoadley, Joe Worsley.

Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)

Injuries could give youngsters chance to shine...

As the final games of this years Heineken Cup group stages draw closer, the Scarlets' chances of making any sort of impact seem to be diminishing as the injury list keeps growing. Regan King looks set to join the likes of Dwayne Peel, Vernon Cooper, Alix Popham, Gavin Thomas, Stephen Jones, Gavin Evans and Nathan Brew on the sidelines.

So how will this affect this weeks clash at Wasps?

What it means is that the Scarlets face a struggle to even name a team of recognised first team players who are eligible for the Heineken Cup. It also means that the Scarlets are now forced to throw the youngsters in at the deep end. Will it result in humiliation or a dramatic uncovering of some future stars?

Wasps are never an easy team to play, home or away. Fortunately for the Scarlets, this game only involves pride so the pressure is off in terms of qualification. Wasps will be after a bonus point win, which could mean catching them 'red-hot' or catching them nervous. I know which is the more likely...

This is a chance for Scarlet youngsters such as Jon Davies, Daniel Evans and Darren Daniel to get a chance. What we must hope is that some of the Internationals manage to pass late-fitness tests to guide these future stars through as the experienced Wasps personnel will be waiting to teach them a tough lesson.

How do you beat the European Champions on their own patch?

Munster and Clermont came close but can the Scarlets go one step further and beat the defending champions at Adams Park? Recent signs suggest that it’s very unlikely, but what better way to prove that you’re a team with a lot to offer?

The way Wasps came to Stradey last year and put in a masterful display to consign the Scarlets to bottom place of the group was an indication that the champions could retain the Heineken Cup.

If the Scarlets are to put up a decent fight, then there must be improvements in many areas of their game. Here are just a few that stand out…

Firstly, the silly errors; the festive derbies in Wales were full of intent and grit but lacked any amount of skill or finesse. It’s a given that these games would lose some of the skill given the nature of the derby, but what was on show was quite disappointing from professional players. Contrast that with the Guinness Premiership matches over Christmas and what you would see is that together with the determination and tenacity there was also plenty of talent and ability on show.

The Scarlets always intend to play with style and finesse but what we have seen lately is a dip in skill levels and an increase in frustration. If your going to put Wasps away, you have to take your chances.

Secondly, the Pack: The Scarlets have struggled all season to compete up front and before any other aspect of the game can be criticised, the forwards must play with determination and prove they can compete with the best. Wasps will look to put the pressure on here; if the Scarlets break it could be a long afternoon.

Finally, Ball Carrying: One thing that becomes noticeable when watching the Scarlets is the lack of big ball carriers and how that affects the breaking down of opposition defences. Wasps have arguably the best defence in Europe, if the Scarlets are to breach it, they need to punch holes and draw in tacklers. Recycling the ball quickly from that situation helps capitalise on the advantage of ball carriers as overlaps are created as well as gaps as a defence is stretched.

No doubt Phil Davies is already aware of these things, now lets see it put into action and give us some pride and something to cheer about!

Kickety Kickety kick!

Another day another bonus point. Unfortunately it's another losing bonus point and it came as the match was snatched away in injury time, again!

I have to admit I haven't watched the game, but from what I've read it was another scrappy affair with Rhys Priestland slotting over 6 penalties before Connacht snatched the game deep into injury time with their fifth penalty, an earlier try from Conor O'Loughlin helping them on their way.

I understand the fact that these games give players like Liam Davies, Rhys Priestland and other youngsters in the Dragons game and even new players like Bruce Douglas valuable gametime, but the fact that its always a scrappy affair and we're beginning to come out on the losing side a bit too often is quite disappointing.

So what's the solution? Are we to be patient and hold on until next season when these players have more gametime under their belts to improve the squad and we've signed some of these 'promised' international class players? Or do we demand that this is reloved NOW before the players become so demotivated it has a knock on effect to next season anyway?

None of us outside the Scarlets truly know what goes on behind the closed doors but does that matter to the fans? What we want is some silverware, something to cheer about and something to put that spring back in our step! I'm prepared to give it time, but please give us something to cheer about this season!

Oh great, its started to rain...

Galway in the snow...

Team:

Connacht: G Duffy; M Mostyn, D Riordan, M Deane, A Wynne; A Dunne, C O'Loughlin; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Morris; D Gannon, A Farley (c); M McCarthy, J O'Connor, C Rigney.
Replacements: J Fogarty, R Loughney, M Swift, R Ofisa, C McPhillips, T Donnelly, D Yapp.

Scarlets: Morgan Stoddart; Dafydd James, Matthew Watkins, Regan King, Mark Jones; Rhys Priestland, Liam Davies; Phil John, Matthew Rees, Bruce Douglas, Adam Eustace, Scott Macleod, Simon Easterby (capt), James Bater, Nathan Thomas.
Replacements (from): Deacon Manu, James Hayter, Dafydd Jones, Jonathan Edwards, Gavin Cattle, Ceiron Thomas, Nathan Brew, Garan Evans, Daniel George.

Referee: Andy Macpherson (SRU).

This will be a tester for the Scalrets in a cold Galway tonight. I'd imagine its the last place the team would want to be after the defeat on New Years Day. Still, there's hope with Matthew Rees and Matthew Watkins both back from injury giving much needed experience in a tough away match. Watkins (Outside) joins King (Inside) in the centre to re-form a prolific attacking partnership. The Scarlets will be hoping that their much criticised defence holds up.

This is a must win game for the Scarlets if they have any ambition to win the league. Hopefully this will help motivate the players and coaches to give them the edge. Connacht, unbeaten in their last few home games will again be looking to make it tough.

After my predictions for the Dragons match i'm holding judgement on this one. It seems almost impossible to predict any Scarlets results given the fluctuations in performance levels. Hopefully though, this will be one of the higher end performances and give the Scarlets a much needed boost.

That was a bit poor really...

What a disappointing match, not only because we lost, but the manner of our defeat. One minute you think we're on top of the world after beating the Ospreys, the next, not only are we part of the poorest game of the season, but we manage to lose!

The start was quite encouraging, some solid scrums, a few line breaks and a 10-3 lead at half time, things looked pretty good. Unfortunately, the same old problems came back to haunt us, the lineout wouldn't work, defence became non-existent, nobody seemed to remember where touch was and we just couldn't cross the try line. Just as it looked like we may hang on, we lose our defensive pattern and fairplay to a doggy Dragons team, they pounced on the opportunity.

If anything, the game underlined many problems with the Scarlets and the Magners League. It was slow and scrappy due to poor handling, skill levels and a lack of imagination, both teams were suffering from a lack in depth in terms of players - a few injuries and it seems the quality of games drops dramatically.

Played Well - Iestyn Thomas, Rhys Priestland, Colin Charvis, Richard Mustoe

Not so Well - James Hayter, Simon Easterby, Dafydd James, Morgan Stoddart, Ceri Sweeney

Enter the Dragons

Just the cure for a New Years Day hangover, another Welsh derby. The Scarlets are missing a few players, but it's nothing compared to the crisis the Dragons find themselves in. If I was a betting man (surely not) I'd have to back the Scarlets to gain revenge for the loss at Stradey Park at the start of the season. However, as always, Welsh derbies tend to be close and hard fought, especially at Rodney Parade.

The Teams:

Dragons: Kevin Morgan; Richard Fussell, Paul Emerick, Ashley Smith, Richard Mustoe; Ceri Sweeney, AN Other; Huw Gustafson, Steve Jones, Rhys Thomas, Adam Jones, Peter Sidoli, Colin Chavis (capt), Michael Owen, AN Other.
Replacements (from): Ben Daly, Adam Black, Andy Hall Lewis Evans, James Harris, Phillip Dollman, James Lewis, Aled Thomas, Andy Williams, Alex Walker, Robert Lewis.

Scarlets: Morgan Stoddart; Dafydd James, Regan King, Jon Davies, Mark Jones; Rhys Priestland, Dwayne Peel; Iestyn Thomas, James Hayter, Bruce Douglas, Vernon Cooper, Scott Macleod, Simon Easterby (capt), James Bater, Nathan Thomas.
Replacements (from): Deacon Manu, Daniel George, Adam Eustace, Dafydd Jones, Liam Davies, Ceiron Thomas, Nathan Brew, Matthew Watkins, Phil John.

Referee: James Jones (WRU)

The 'AN Other' brothers in the Dragons team illustrate just how much they are struggling after suspensions and injury's have taken their toll. Again they will look to win the game up front and the Scarlets, without many stars of their own will be looking to open the game up and take advantage of any inexperience in the Dragons squad.