Peel aware of how significant Scarlets' success in URC could be

SCARLETS head coach Dwayne Peel says that his side can strengthen their position with a run in the United Rugby Championship play-offs amid all the uncertainty off the field in Welsh rugby.

- BEN JAMES Rugby writer [e-mail]

The west Walians are the only Welsh side in the URC play-offs, with a match against Leinster in Dublin this weekend.

However, their run to the play-offs have been overshadowed by off-field events with the Scarlets one of two teams, along with the Ospreys, not to have signed the new Professional Rugby Agreement.

That has seen the Welsh Rugby Union begin the process to implement the two-year option on the existing PRA, putting the futures of the two west Wales teams at risk.

However, as the Scarlets back in the play-offs for the first time since reaching the final in 2018 head to Ireland, Peel says the players haven't been too concerned about what has been going on in boardrooms.

"I think within these four walls obviously, it’s not really overshadowed it," said Peel.

"I think that, for ourselves, we focus a lot on the rugby. Conversations have been happening here as well above our heads and we're up to date and up to speed with everything that's been going on.

"But we've concentrated on the game in hand. For ourselves and the region as a whole, I think it's a great week to be part of."