Dwayne Peel is hoping lightning can strike twice when he takes his Scarlets side to Dublin to face top-dogs Leinster in the BKT United Rugby Championship quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.
Peel’s side have followed in the footsteps of the Ospreys in reaching the top eight this season and have history with Leinster. They beat them for the first time since September 2018 last month at Parc y Scarlets and famously turned them over on their own patch en route to the final in 2017
Their 35-22 triumph last month set them on course to reach the last eight and having won for the first time in South Africa thereafter they clinched their ticket into the play-offs.
Now they have to face a Leinster side that was knocked-out of the Investec Champions Cup by Northampton Saints at the semi-final stage and which is seeking a first title since 2021.
“If we can go as far as we can in this competition, then that highlights what it means to us as a group, and what it means to our fanbase and stakeholders,” said Peel.
“That’s all we can do as staff and players. For me, that has always been a big part of our culture. That has always been a big part of why we play the game here.
“And it was a big part of why I wanted to come back. I loved it as a player, and I’ve loved being part of it as a coach as well – it’s about representing this region to the best of our ability.”
Leinster will be without Robbie Henshaw and Tadhg Furlong, but the Scarlets are likely to be missing key catalyst Gareth Davies. He is still hampered by a rib injury
“Gareth is going to struggle to make it. He’s been phenomenal for us this year and I think he’s played the most this year since he’s joined.
“At the young age of 34, he’s been an outstanding operator. But I think Archie Hughes has proven his worth over the last two games for us.
“That’s exciting for me. We were in a tough spot when Archie coming on against the Lions, and it was a big, big game for him.
“Against the Sharks as well, he showed he’s got the quality, so it bodes well for the future. We’ve spoken a lot about Archie in the last two years, and he’s taken his time this season.
“We’ve seen some steady growth in his game and over these last two weeks he’s been excellent for us.”
Peel is hopeful that Wales centre Johnny Williams, who has been recalled for the summer tour to Japan, will soon sign a new contract with the region.
“We’re having some positive conversations with Johnny and hopefully there’ll be some good news shortly,” he added.