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 3^rd at Parc y Scarlets – KO 3pm.

This game will be televised on Sky Sports

Referee: Lloyd Linton (SRU, 11^th 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)