Davies set to miss URC play-off against Leinster

Leinster v. Scarlets Rugby Championship quarter-final

Date: Saturday, May 31 Kick-off: 15:00 BST

Gareth Davies, the Scrum-half, will miss Leinster’s quarter-final of the United Rugby Championship.

Despite returning to the training ground after suffering a rib injury in the victory over the Lions in South Africa, Davies is unlikely to play in Dublin on Saturday.

Dwayne Peel, the head coach of the Scarlets, called him an outstanding operator this year.

He’ll have to work hard to make it this weekend, though.

If Scarlets made it to the semi-finals, Peel did not rule out a return for Davies.

Peel praised Davies’ replacement Archie Hughes and said he was “comfortable with his other nines.”

He claimed that “Archie has demonstrated his worth over the past two games in South Africa.”

Although it is in a time of off-field turmoil, Peel is preparing his team for their first play-off appearance in seven years.

Scarlets and Ospreys have received notification about their current contract, which expires in 2027, and have not yet signed up for the Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA).

Due to a new two-tier funding structure, they both may receive smaller budgets than Cardiff and Dragons, which are owned by WRU and have signed.

Additionally, the WRU has not yet admitted to cutting a region.

It’s not really overshadowed it within these four walls, according to Peel.

When asked how a smaller budget might affect recruitment, Peel responded, “Those kind of things will play out over the next couple of weeks; all we can do is keep our minds on the here and now.”

He is confident that Johnny Williams, a center for Wales, will leave next year.

“We’re having some positive conversations right now, and I’m hoping there will soon be some positive news,” Peel said.

He continued, “I have faith in our board to do the best for this region.”