Ospreys v Scarlets: From merger candidates to bitter European rivals

By Gareth GriffithsBBC Sport Wales

Last updated on 17 May 2019.From the section Welsh Rugby68

Ospreys and Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones (left) tackles Scarlets hooker Ken Owens — The likes of Alun Wyn Jones (left) and Ken Owens (centre) could have been playing for a united region next season

European Champions Cup qualifier: Ospreys v Scarlets
Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Date: Saturday, 18 May Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, the BBC Sport website and app.

In March, Ospreys and Scarlets were on the brink of one of the unlikeliest mergers in Welsh sporting history.

On Saturday, at Liberty Stadium, those teams will fight it out to be the country's sole representatives next season in Europe's premier club competition, the Heineken European Champions Cup.

If things had been different, those sides - crammed with Wales Grand Slam winners like Alun Wyn Jones, Jonathan Davies, Ken Owens and Justin Tipuric - could have been lining up together next season.

Now fate means either Ospreys or Scarlets - not a combination - will be in Europe's elite tournament.

From proposed merger partners to European rivals in the space of just two months.

"You could not write this," was the reaction of Ospreys head coach Allen Clarke and Scarlets full-back Leigh Halfpenny when asked about switch from unlikely allies to familiar foes.

Turbulent times

Rewind to March and regional rugby was struck to its core after it emerged Ospreys and Scarlets had held merger talks.

The proposal emerged amid the backdrop of financial problems in the domestic game and supporters were left stunned. The controversy also erupted in the middle of the Six Nations as Wales were chasing a Grand Slam and uncertainty thrived.

After claims and counter claims and the resignation of Ospreys chairman Mike James, the plan was shelved and the regions went back to being local rivals. Only in Welsh rugby!

Clarke admits the Ospreys faced an uncertain future.

"There was a fear of this place not existing as its own entity and the Ospreys," said Clarke.

"These boys [players] have been brought up knowing and playing for the Ospreys so if it's got me, you can only imagine how it's got those boys.

"There's a resoluteness about the people of this area. That honesty, fight and directness are real strengths and the Ospreys reflects that DNA."

The team responded with four bonus points victories, allowing them to finish fourth in Conference A and set up the home play-off tie.

"It tells you a lot about the character," said Clarke.

"As a region we have remained focused and become galvanised.

"It's like anything in life when you feel like you're close to the end of something that's special, maybe you knock off the shackles to a degree and embrace the opportunity."

Scarlet fever

Scarlets coaching trio Wayne Pivac, Byron Hayward and Stephen Jones are all leaving the region at the end of the season

In contrast, Scarlets' form stuttered and they finished the regular season with defeat by Dragons on Judgement Day at Principality Stadium.

They will be disappointed to finish fourth in their conference after winning the league two years ago and being beaten finalists last season.

Saturday marks Wayne Pivac's final match in charge before he replaces Warren Gatland as Wales coach after the World Cup in Japan later this year.

"It would be nice to go out with a win," said Pivac.

Scarlets have never failed to qualify for Europe's top tournament since regional rugby's inception in 2003.

Pivac does not want to leave Llanelli with that dubious honour on his otherwise impressive Scarlets record.

"We've spoken with the players. We have got a proud history in the top echelon of European rugby and that's where the club would like to be next season," he added.

Icon's uncertain future

Alun Wyn Jones has made a record 237 appearances for the Ospreys

While Pivac is departing, Ospreys fans hope they will not be watching Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones play his last game for the region.

Jones is out of contract after the World Cup and is currently in talks over a new deal.

"He is a talisman of what we are about, along with other senior players," said Clarke.

"I hope he is here for the foreseeable future."

'Everyone wants to play in Champions Cup'

Star names from both teams know what is on the line before they head off with Wales to prepare for the World Cup in Japan.

"The Champions Cup is everything. It's where we want to be playing," said Halfpenny, one of only 11 Welshmen to win the tournament.

"As players you want to be there and to be testing yourself against the best teams in Europe. It's huge for the club as well as the fans."

Wales wing George North knows the Champions Cup is vital for his new region as he plays against his former Scarlets side.

"It's the creme de la creme of European rugby, everyone wants to play at the highest level," he said.

"That's the tournament we want to be in."

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68 comments

Comment posted by User0956515353, at 14:42 15 May 2019
#15
All teams are awful from time to time. Not so long ago your team and Leicester were in danger of dropping out of top flight. Scarlets were a joy to watch until this season but credit to them they still try to entertain unlike Sale v Bath on 26 April. Now that was truly awful!
Comment posted by TwoWardrobes, at 14:00 15 May 2019
Welsh rugby has a conundrum. How to engage the north of the country in the regional game whilst keeping the number of regions viable.

It makes sense for RGC to represent the North but how to fit four into three down South is a tricky one. Blues-Dragons merger is surely the least controversial?
Comment posted by Jon, at 13:22 15 May 2019
"...unlikeliest mergers". Apart from the Neath-Swansea merger which created Ospreys and the Bridgend-Ponty one which created the Warriors! Not that I'm complaining, I've enjoyed regional rugby, generally.
Comment posted by wizard, at 13:26 15 May 2019
Although the 'merger' never happened and we never got to the bottom of who initiated the talks, I don't think the idea of some sort of merger in South Wales has gone away. Probably with their immaculate sense of timing the WRU will next raise the question when Wales are in Japan for the RWC.
Comment posted by Waggle Yer Wallies, at 13:26 15 May 2019
Only in Wales....and the IRB, RFU, IRFU SRU etc etc....

For a sport run by so called ‘intelligent people’ they don’t half make some strange decisions!
Comment posted by oscar dog, at 14:32 15 May 2019
Bit of a negative, pessimistic slant on it but it's just another chance for Wales to lose an AWJ or a Jon Davies to injury which would obviously be disastrous with the world cup around the corner
Comment posted by theTrinity, at 16:26 15 May 2019
Forget about the stupid N.S.E.W. lunacy, the Dragons are the weakest region by a country mile, have the worst stadium and are wru owned. If a region has to go … well it is obvious. Spend some development cash on the strange people of the north with their funny names and Liverpool shirts (like the iru did with Connacht) and extra 'proper' funding for the 3 better regions. Simple really.
Comment posted by peter55555, at 19:12 15 May 2019
facts are since inception of welsh regions welsh national rugby has been more successful arguably than anytime before this. this is simply because young welsh talent is benefiting from professional coaching and set-up and are actually getting game time. this is not happening to same extent in eng because too risky.
Comment posted by dasco, at 19:59 15 May 2019
Reasons why the regions are struggling: 23 players on the pitch on Saturday will be in the Welsh squad. (Luke Morgan and Dan Evans ought to make it 25 tbh) and they go astray for 5 months of the season.
Welsh Regions need two first teams to manage to make it.
Irish have bonus of tax laws and Government incentives.
P.s Ospreys are 4 times champions only bettered by Leinster.
Comment posted by Dr_John - not a Doctor of medicine, at 13:36 15 May 2019
Anybody know why a play-off for the final place in next season's champions cup is worthy of a comment section, but the final isn't.

Equally puzzling was talk of Cardiff having a play-off if Leinster had won, surely if the Pro14 had 8 places, top 4 from each division would have been the logical option.
Comment posted by oldfatprop, at 16:49 15 May 2019
Wales have to improve the playing standards of the regions it is unacceptable that any of them finish behind an Italian side the Irish have shown the way success at provincial level leads to a strong national side.Ok Wales did well this year but looking at the regions is that success sustainable where is the next AWJ coming from? More funding for development,field stronger sides not rest them.
Comment posted by cherryandwhites1, at 13:36 15 May 2019
Wales easily the leading Northern hemisphere rugby nation in terms of internationals and only one of their club sides gets into Europe? Surely that needs to be looked at! Don't England have 6?
Comment posted by Hopalongprop, at 17:43 15 May 2019
@28 OFP yes the set-up in Ireland seems to be working with the added advantage of being well established
@33 well the regions haven't been great over the last 15 years (occasional success) but hasn't done the national team to much harm. Think the WRU want all of Wales represented - my impression of Scotland is that the old border sides feel excluded by the x2 region set up.
Comment posted by Hopalongprop, at 15:26 15 May 2019
The regions will always struggle in the CC because they don't have the funding. Saracens' was £11m+ in '18 for instance & continue to carry a debt of something like £50m ... & not the highest in the GPL
Problem is this (& French sides) activity is inflationary so the regions also makie a loss trying to keep their best players approx £5m/region
As a result there's a lack of depth in the squads
Comment posted by wizard, at 17:18 15 May 2019
@33 A key factor in improving playing standards is surely coaching. It's disappointing that the team that has delivered three slams ( and a championship when Howley was in charge) is breaking up and it looks like none of them is joining a Welsh region. All that experience and knowledge lost to Welsh sides.
Comment posted by blues1959, at 14:54 15 May 2019
@15 saintrod so by awful do you mean the Gallagher premiership is 1 European cup quarter final place off awful as well?? Personally I think the Welsh regions have been really unlucky with injuries especially blues and scarlets, taking this into account the Welsh national side have been amazing this past season when you put everything into context
Comment posted by D1682805935075, at 13:21 15 May 2019
Weird. Nationally, Wales; Six Nations Grand Slam winners, the dominant team in Europe, Welsh players being the pick of the Lions, and going into the world cup brimming with confidence.

Domestically, this year at least, been poor and scrapping for a Champions Cup place.

Hard to fathom, for me at least.
Comment posted by Hopalongprop, at 16:48 15 May 2019
@30 so you're suggesting we get rid of the one region that has actually had a crack at becoming one? Isn't that a little odd? And if we're going to be completely commercial about rugby in Wales then you centre a 'region' in the cities where you have the best chance of building a fan base - so Cardiff Swansea & Newport probably
Personally I don't favour that as we lose to much history
Comment posted by blues1959, at 15:35 15 May 2019
@23 scarpia injuries have played a massive part this season at the start of the European campaign think the scarlets had 20 potential squad players injured, also rebuilding from the players lost to other clubs it's no wonder they struggled, I think the ospreys and dragons have been hit as well, and the blues particularly against sarries were down to 3rd choice 9 and probably nine other absentees
Comment posted by Fandango, at 09:08 16 May 2019
Hope both sides have best available to play.
Interested to see how the centers go with the Welsh incumbents against the Ospreys younger duo.
Come on the Ospreys!