Season Starts At Scarlets
30th August 2016 By Munster Rugby
Vengeance for a comprehensive 31-15 defeat in Thomond Park last May will be foremost in the thoughts of Scarlets as they host Munster at Parc y Scarlets in the opening round of the Guinness PRO12 this Saturday at 3pm.
In securing the final round win last season, Munster made certain of a 2016/17 Champions Cup spot but in the process put paid to Scarlets’ chances of progressing to the PRO12 knock-outs for the first time since the 2013 season – ample motivation for this weekend’s clash!
The Welshmen may not have won in Limerick since 2003 but their home record tells a different story, Munster not recording a league win there since 2011 and playing out draws in 2012 and 2015.
Despite a dip in home form towards the end of last season – losing to Cardiff and Glasgow in April – Scarlets have never lost three home PRO12 games in a row since moving to their new stadium in 2008. Add to this, they have recruited heavily in the off-season, with the likes of Wales and former Clermont centre Jonathan Davies in line for selection this weekend, and Rassie Erasmus’ men face a still challenge as they open their PRO12 campaign.
The Munstermen do however enter this weekend’s win off the back of impressive preseason wins, solidly overcoming Zebre 17-0 in Waterford before handing Worcester a 52-21 drubbing in Cork last Friday. Normally good starters in the league, only once since 2009 have Munster lost in Round 1 and that came by a single point to Edinburgh in Limerick in 2014.
Scarlets v Munster, Guinness PRO12 Round 1, Saturday September 3rd at Parc y Scarlets – KO 3pm.
This game will be televised on Sky Sports
Referee: Lloyd Linton (SRU, 11th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Sam Grove-White (SRU), Wayne Davies (WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Ray Wilton (WRU)
TMO: Jim Yuille (SRU)
| HEAD TO HEAD – RECENT GUINNESS PRO12 MEETINGS | |||||
| Date | Venue | S | M | Scarlets scorers | Munster scorers |
| Sat 21 Dec 13 | Irish Independent Park | 10 | 16 | John Barclay(T) Aled Thomas(C/P) | Ronan O'Mahony(T) JJ Hanrahan(C/3P) |
| Sat 1 Mar 14 | Parc y Scarlets | 18 | 13 | Gareth Davies(T) John Barclay(T) Olly Barkley(P) Aled Thomas(C/P) | Ian Keatley(C/2P) Gerhard van den Heever(T) |
| Fri 10 Oct 14 | Thomond Park | 6 | 17 | Rhys Priestland(D/P) | Andrew Smith(T) JJ Hanrahan(4P) |
| Sat 21 Feb 15 | Parc y Scarlets | 25 | 25 | Steve Shingler(C/6P) Hadleigh Parkes(T) | Jack O'Donoghue(T) JJ Hanrahan(T) Felix Jones(T) Ian Keatley(2C/2P) |
| Fri 23 Oct 15 | Parc y Scarlets | 25 | 22 | Tom Williams(T) Steve Shingler(5P) DTH van der Merwe(T) | Andrew Conway(T) Ian Keatley(C/D/4P) |
| Sat 7 May 16 | Thomond Park | 15 | 31 | Steve Shingler(5P) | CJ Stander(T) Johnny Holland(3C) Ronan O'Mahony(T) Francis Saili(T) Rory Scannell(2T) |
