Nigel Davies Returns as Interim Director of Rugby
Nigel Davies resumed his role at Scarlets in January as interim director of rugby, a position he will hold until the conclusion of the current season. His appointment followed a board-led review that resulted in the departure of rugby performance director Leigh Jones.
At 60 years old, Davies has been charged with overseeing rugby operations at the Llanelli-based club. He reports directly to the board and holds overall responsibility for performance, results, and team selection. Meanwhile, head coach Dwayne Peel continues to manage coaching duties and on-field performance.
Despite his involvement in shaping the club’s future, Davies has not yet decided whether he will remain with Scarlets beyond this season.
"My absolute focus is on getting the side firing this season, but also making sure we're in a far better place moving forward," he said.
"There's a huge amount of work to do, so I haven't really had time to think about next season.
"Recruitment is key, whether that's players, backroom staff or support staff, and making sure everything is aligned, with everyone clear on their roles and how we move forward."
Further Changes Anticipated in Rebuild
Davies is already laying the groundwork for the club’s long-term strategy, emphasizing the creation of a high-performance environment both on and off the field.
"A big part of what I'm doing is making sure we're high-performance across the board," he added.
"There's a huge amount of work in aligning our style of play - our Scarlets DNA - with the processes that support that, the coaching roles, the player profiles, the conditioning programmes and the skill sets.
"It's about putting the right processes and metrics in place so we can drive things forward, understand where we are and measure progress."
He confirmed that no discussions about extending his tenure have taken place yet, even as he leads a significant structural reset behind the scenes.
"A lot of this is about evolving the environment," he said.
"There will be robust processes and a clear structure in place for the future, whoever is involved."
The review has already prompted changes within the backroom staff, including the announcement that defence coach Jared Payne will depart at the end of the season. Davies indicated that further adjustments are likely as the club continues its rebuild.
"In any organisation, if you want to move forward, you have to continually assess, re-evaluate and evolve," he said.
Recruitment Drive Central to Rebuild
Recruitment forms a crucial part of Scarlets’ rebuilding efforts. Davies revealed that the club aims to expand its senior professional squad to approximately 44 or 45 players to enhance depth and foster competition.
"We don't have enough senior professionals compared to other regions, and that affects things like the training environment," he explained.
"We're very active in that area and we've had some positive news this week which should be announced soon."
While Davies sees potential for growth within the current backline, he identified the forward pack as a key area requiring reinforcement.
"The pack is a key area for us," he stated.
"We need to freshen it up, add more ball-carrying and make sure our set-piece is where it needs to be. Without those fundamentals, we won't be able to play the way we want."
