Paul Rees 

Rhys Priestland back to face Northampton in Heineken Cup

The Scarlets have picked Rhys Priestland ahead of Stephen Jones for the Heineken Cup meeting with Northampton
  
  

Priestland
Scarlets' Rhys Priestland will face Northampton at Franklin's Gardens. Photograph: Tom Hevezi/AP Photograph: Tom Hevezi/AP

Rhys Priestland, one of Wales's successes in the World Cup, will start at fly-half for the Scarlets at Northampton in the Heineken Cup on Friday night, but he has been told he will be judged on how he plays for his region, not his form in New Zealand.

Priestland will make his first start since returning from the World Cup, where a shoulder injury kept him out of Wales's final two matches, with the Scarlets' long-serving fly-half Stephen Jones relegated to the bench.

"Having to choose between Rhys and Stephen is a great problem to have," said the Scarlets head coach, Nigel Davies. "We have assured them both that selection will come down purely to form, which is difficult at the moment because of the World Cup. There is a certain amount of pressure in the press for us to pick Rhys, but for us to have any integrity as coaches we have to choose on form."

The Wales coach Warren Gatland wants players such as Priestland, the Scarlets centre Scott Williams and the Cardiff Blues scrum-half Lloyd Williams, who all made an impact during the World Cup, to become regular starters for their regions.

Gatland this week reiterated his intention to fill his Six Nations squad with players who will be around for the 2015 World Cup, which would rule out Stephen Jones and the wing Shane Williams, whose final international appearance is likely to be against Australia in Cardiff on 3 December.

All three Welsh regions started their Heineken Cup campaigns with victories, but Northampton have not lost at home in the tournament since 2004, when the Scarlets won 18-9 at Franklin's Gardens.

"Belief is a big thing for us and as a group we are starting to think we can get somewhere," said Davies. "The question is whether that will be sooner rather than later. We have gone six games undefeated, which gives us momentum, but we will have to play with high intensity on Friday.

"When the top teams in Europe play each other they are brutal battles and we know that we will have to step it up. Our forwards have been on edge all week and they appreciate they are facing a big challenge."

Davies has spoken to the tournament organisers about what he sees as illegal scrummaging by Northampton, in particular a tendency of their front row to pop out of scrums when they have not got the hit. Cardiff Blues made the same observation before their trip to Franklin's Gardens a year ago only to be demolished up front.

"We need clarification in that area," said Davies. "I think Northampton are illegal in the scrum and it needs to be looked at. Northampton will look to put pressure on us up front. If they keep on coming up in the scrum and that's not going to be refereed, you are not going to have a fair contest at the scrum. We will see how that pans out. It's an area we've got to get right as well."

 

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