Scarlets skipper Josh Macleod says he won’t have to say much to his team ahead of Saturday’s huge west Wales derby against the Ospreys.
More than 9 000 tickets have already been sold for the United Rugby Championship showdown in Llanelli which is crucial to both sides' hopes of making the end-of-season play-offs.
Flanker Macleod says the Scarlets players are intent on repaying the loyalty of their fans after some disappointing recent results.
They lost 29-17 at home to the DHL Stormers last weekend, following on from defeats to Ulster Rugby and Munster Rugby on the road.
That has seen them drop down to 14th in the league table but they are only five points behind the seventh-placed Ospreys such is the congested nature of the table.
So there’s a massive amount hanging on a fixture which always holds added resonance.
“There’s no bigger occasion than a west Wales derby, so I won’t need to say much in the changing room to get the boys riled up for it,” said Macleod.
“There are nine or 10 000 tickets sold already and we owe it to the fans.
“They are the heart and soul of the team. They get us over the line in these tight games. It certainly does give us that extra boost as a team. We do hear them.
“Unfortunately, of late, we haven’t been able to repay them. We have discussed that as a team and we owe them more than they know.”
While the Scarlets have experienced a recent dip in results, their in-form arch rivals have only lost one of their eight matches since Mark Jones took over as head coach.
“Credit where credit is due,” said the twice-capped Macleod.
“They have been playing a different brand of rugby, they have been playing well and they have got over the line with a couple of decent wins. You can’t shy away from that.
“Of late, we’ve struggled to get over the line from a results perspective.
“The growth and development within this team is going on an upward trajectory, which is pleasing but it’s a result-based game, that’s the reality of it. Hopefully something clicks.
“There are seven points separating fifth and us in the table. I think it’s the tightest it’s ever been in the league, so there’s everything to play for.
“We’ve got some serious games coming up, including a couple of home fixtures which we are obviously going to target.”
The Scarlets gave themselves a bit of mountain to climb against the Stormers last weekend, conceding two tries in the opening quarter, and were never able to fully claw their way back.
“The start was really disappointing,” admitted Macleod.
“It was quite unlike us for whatever reason.
“We were flat, we were 12 points down and against a decent outfit it was always going to be a tough uphill battle after that.
“We know as a squad we need to be better. We have looked at our energy but obviously moving into this week there’s going to be no excuse for that.
“We had a pretty honest review on Monday and it’s all eyes on Saturday now.”
This is the first of successive meetings between the two teams with a Challenge Cup last-16 tie coming up in Swansea next week.
“It’s an interesting dynamic, the old back-to-back. It doesn’t happen too often with regards to the Welsh derbies,” said Macleod.
“But we’ve got a game on Saturday that we are fully focused on. We haven’t even spoken about the double header, to be honest.”
On a personal note, this season has marked a welcome change for the Monte Carlo-born but Pembrokeshire-raised Macleod who has had so many injury set-backs during his career.
Having taken over the captaincy from Jonathan Davies, he was only able to make three appearances last term but in this campaign he has made 13 and scored no fewer than nine tries.
“It’s the most amount of games I’ve been available for since I can remember,” said the 28-year-old.
“As skipper, it’s pleasing just being able to contribute and give my all to the team. It was tough last season. When you are sidelined for as long as I was, you feel so separated from the team and you feel like your voice isn’t as heard. It was massively frustrating.
“But, this season, I’ve been able to put the jersey on, lace the boots up and be out there with the boys. So it has definitely been pleasing personally. I’ve loved it.
“It’s a very easy group to captain. There are a lot of natural leaders within the team. They make it very easy and enjoyable for me.”
SATURDAY
Scarlets v Ospreys
Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 3pm IRE & UK/4pm ITA/5pm SA
Referee: Griffin Colby (SARU, 6th league game)
AR 1: Craig Evans (WRU) AR 2: Ellis Poulden (WRU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
Live on: S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
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