Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe is a man in demand and plenty of eyes will be on him on Friday night, as David Roberts reports.

Judgement Day Part Two on Saturday will see the Dragons take on a Scarlets team who have no margin for error.

The Scarlets have nudged ahead of the Ospreys in the URC table and are now just three points adrift of the top eight teams who will contest the play-offs.

It’s derby day out west on Saturday when the Scarlets clash with the Ospreys and two coaches revive rivalries and frienships.

Dwayne Peel is looking forward to his Scarlets team going to the home of their biggest rivals, the Ospreys in an all-Welsh showdown in the last 16 of the European Challenge Cup. The match, scheduled for the weekend of 5 April, will see the two Welsh regions face off in a contest that promises to add another chapter to their history of fierce contests.

Dwayne Peel has warned his Scarlets youngsters they are in for a Shed-load of abuse on Friday night – and he couldn’t be happier. The Scarlets coach sends his team across the border to face Gloucester, knowing that a victory over the in-form English club will put them in sight of a place in the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup and the last 16.

Dwayne Peel has refused to confirm the departure from the Scarlets of Wales fly-half Ioan Lloyd, who is poised to join Cardiff for the 2025-26 season. Lloyd, who has slipped down the national team reckoning for the No.10 shirt, will leave the Scarlets after two seasons in Llanelli.

Wales wing Blair Murray gave Warren Gatland a pre-Six Nations nudge as he scored twice for the Scarlets in a 32-15 Welsh derby win over the Dragons at Parc Y Scarlets. With two more tries from skipper Josh Macleod and fellow wing Ellis Mee it meant the Scarlets welcomed in the new year with a bonus-point to move up to sixth place in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Scarlets skipper Josh Macleod scored two of his side’s five tries as they gained ample revenge for their European defeat to the Georgian side Black Lion as they won 36-18 t Parc Y Scarlets to move to six points in EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 3. Gareth Davies, Johnny Williams and replacement scrum half Archie Hughes were the other try . Sam Costelow kicked 11 points to complete the job.

The Scarlets had victory snatched away for them at the death as they fell to a 17-16 defeat in the first round of the EPCR Challenge Cup in Bayonne. It looked as though the visitors could be heading home with a win under their belts when Ioan Lloyd struck a long-range penalty to edge his side ahead 16-14 with six minutes left to play.

Dwayne Peel says he’s delighted to see so many of his Scarlets receive “the greatest honour” of being selected by their country. Eight of his players have been named in the Wales squad for the autumn internationals, with the uncapped Blair Murray joined by fellow wing Tom Rogers, centre Eddie James, fly-half Sam Costelow, back rower Taine Plumtree, hooker Ryan Elias and props Kemsley Mathias and Henry Thomas.

Dwayne Peel declared himself satisfied as his Scarlets team secured a third successive win in the United Rugby Championship by beating Zebre Parma 30-8 in Llanelli. Tries from Tom Rogers, Macs Page, Blair Murray and captain Josh Macleod helped Scarlets recover from Ben Cambriani’s early score for the Italians to earn the bonus point.