Knockout stages in sights, but Section Paloise a major obstacle

A place in the Investec Champions Cup round of 16 remains in the Scarlets’ sights ahead of a crucial round three clash with French side Section Paloise in Llanelli on Saturday night.

Despite opening defeats against Bristol and Union Bordeaux Bègles, Dwayne Peel’s side sit in fourth spot in Pool 4 – their lone bonus point and better points difference (-30) keeping them above Vodacom Bulls (1pt, -58) and ‘La Section’ (0pts, -57) in the standings.

A win on Saturday night in front of the Parc y Scarlets faithful will put the four-time semi-finalists within touching distance of the knockout stages with an away trip to Northampton to finish the group stages a week on Sunday.

If the Scarlets finish fifth in the pool, they will drop down to the knockout stages of the EPCR Challenge Cup where they will travel to one of the fifth to eighth seeds in April.

Finish bottom, and the journey ends.

Section Paloise are dining on the continent’s top table for the first time in close to a quarter of a century, having qualified in eighth place in France’s Top14 last season.

This term, they have taken their domestic competition by storm, sitting second to Toulouse in the Championship standings, with notable scalps that include an away win in Bordeaux, beating Toulouse themselves at home and putting 50 points on La Rochelle.

Scarlets and Pau, as they were formerly known, have only met three times in European competition, all in the late nineties.

In October 1996, Llanelli emerged 31-15 victors in a heated affair at Stradey Park that saw three players sent off, two from the visitors and flanker Iwan Jones from the home ranks. Tries from centre Neil Boobyer, a youthful Stephen Jones – playing at full-back – scrum-half Rupert Moon and All Black great Frano Botica secured the points for the West Walians.

The following season, Scarlets were put to the sword 44-12 in an even more fiery encounter in the shadow of the Pyrenees. That contest led to both clubs being threatened with sanctions and the then tournament director claiming the match contained more ‘gratuitous violence’ than the infamous ‘Battle of Brive’ between Brive and Pontypridd which took place on French soil the same season. 

The return in Llanelli saw the Scarlets exact revenge 14-10.

Section Paloise’s roster includes two of France’s most exciting young backs in wing Theo Attissogbe and centre Emilien Gailleton, along with some impressive imports like Georgian back-rower Beka Gordgaze, former Exeter fly-half Joe Simmonds, experienced Argentinian forward duo Julian Montoya and Facunda Isa, All Black Luke Whitelock, Englishman Joel Kpoku and, of course, former Scarlets No. 8 Carwyn Tuipulotu, who has recently returned from injury.

Carwyn, who played close to a half century of games for the Scarlets, was part of a rotated Pau side mauled by the Bears at Ashton Gate in round two, but a week earlier,  they pushed last season’s beaten finalists Northampton Saints all the way before losing a 27-35 thriller at Stade du Hameau.

In the last two weeks of Top 14 action, they edged out Montpellier 35-33 at home before going down to a 22-17 defeat in Lyon on Saturday.