This is the last match of the Challenge Cup group stage. RC Vannes travel to Llanelli, Wales, with the aim of qualifying for the round of 16. This match is similar to a final for qualification in which the winner will go to the final phase while the loser will remain at the dock.
The Scarlets are having a rather encouraging start to the season in the URC (United Rugby Championship), the championship in which the best Irish, South African, Scottish, Welsh and Italian teams participate. They are currently 6th out of 16 with a balanced record (four wins, one draw and four defeats).
They have several Welsh internationals in their ranks including hooker Ryan Elias (44 caps) and fly-half Sam Costelow (18). But both should be absent for the reception of the RCV. The first has not played since the end of November due to an injury to the neck-shoulder area, the second suffered a broken collarbone in Gloucester last weekend and is already out.
And, with scrum-half Gareth Davies (77 caps), they have a big experience asset.
Three World Cups with Wales
The 34-year-old is a legend at the Welsh club, with whom he has spent his entire career so far. With Llanelli, he won the Pro 12 (ancestor of the URC) once in 2017, notably scoring a try in the final against Munster, and reached the semi-finals of the Champions Cup the following season.
But it was with Wales that he enjoyed the most success. During his 77 caps (17 tries), Gareth Davies has won two Six Nations Tournaments (2019 and 2021), including a Grand Slam (2019), during which he took part in all five matches each time. He also participated in three World Cups (2015, 2019 and 2023) with, as his best result, a fourth place in 2019.
The one who was called up once with the British and Irish Lions in 2017 for a tour of New Zealand retired internationally in the fall of 2024, more than ten years after his first selection.
Morocco
