Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyImage caption, Nigel Davies returned to Scarlets as interim director of rugby in January until the end of the season
- Published7 minutes ago
Nigel Davies says he is already planning for next season at Scarlets despite insisting he has not given any thought to whether he will still be at the region.
Davies returned to the Llanelli side in January as interim director of rugby until the end of the current campaign, following a board-led review which saw rugby performance director Leigh Jones depart.
The 60-year-old has been tasked with overseeing rugby operations, reporting directly to the board with overall responsibility for performance, results and selection, while head coach Dwayne Peel continues to lead on coaching and on-field performance.
But while Davies is heavily involved in shaping the future, he says his own position beyond the summer remains undecided.
"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."
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Further changes expected in rebuild
Despite that uncertainty, Davies is already laying the foundations for the club's long-term direction, with a major emphasis on building 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."
Davies also confirmed he has yet to hold any discussions about extending his stay, although he is leading 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 led to changes in the backroom team, and more could follow, with defence coach Jared Payne leaving at the end of the season.
Davies says further backroom adjustments are likely as the club looks to rebuild.
"In any organisation, if you want to move forward, you have to continually assess, re-evaluate and evolve," he said.
"There will be changes."
Recruitment drive key
Recruitment is a central pillar of that rebuild, with Davies revealing Scarlets are working to increase the number of senior professionals in their squad, with a target of about 44 or 45 players to improve depth and competition.
"We don't have enough senior professionals compared to other regions, and that affects things like the training environment," he said.
"We're very active in that area and we've had some positive news this week which should be announced soon."
While he believes there is growth still to come from the current backline, Davies identified the forward pack as a priority area for strengthening.
"The pack is a key area for us," he said.
"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."
