Wales and Llanelli legend Phil Bennett says the town has been left “stunned” by the departure of Phil Davies.

Speaking to Radio Wales, the Stradey Park legend said the sudden end to the coach’s time in charge at the Scarlets had also “baffled” a lot of supporters.

The region ended Davies’ reign as director of rugby after almost two years on Wednesday.

“When I picked up the papers and read Davies had been sacked I was totally staggered by it all,” said Bennett.

In a statement following the move the Scarlets announced that the decision had been made by the region’s board and that Davies had been “served notice on his contract” after a meeting between the two parties.

In the meantime, Paul Moriarty will be responsible for team matters supported by Robert Jones and Wayne Proctor.

Davies is set to serve out his notice away from the club and his departure follows a review of the region’s rugby performance this season.

The news was very unexpected as just last week Davies travelled with Scarlets chief executive Stuart Gallacher to New Zealand and Australia on a recruitment mission.

However, Bennett said word of unrest had surrounded the club for the past fortnight but he said he never thought the rumours revolved around Davies and his role at Stradey.

“To be quite honest the rumours have been abound in Llanelli for the last two weeks of unrest and that things that were happening that weren’t good for the region,” he explained.
 
“But the whole of Llanelli is stunned. There’s been a lot of emotions, a lot of anger shown and really a lot of baffled supporters who felt that Phil Davies was in here for the long run which was a four-year contract.

“I don’t quite understand it all. Phil Davies came in last season, he was the natural man to succeed Gareth Jenkins in the job and he had a fantastic season - getting to the semi-finals of the European Cup.

“You have to say this season has been a bit of a disaster. They pride themselves on playing well in the European Cup and they didn’t win one single game.

“Probably the worst one of all losing the last game at home 41-0 to Clermont was a disaster.

“When he went out to Australia and New Zealand last week I didn’t expect this to happen.

“The talk has been about going into a spanking new stadium, everything was going to be great and then this comes.

“It’s very, very strange and emotions running high and a lot of anger in Llanelli.”

  We’re just going to hang for the next few days to see what happens. But I don’t think I’ve quite known a day like it has been at Stradey

Wales and Scarlets legend Phil Bennett
Talk of Davies’ replacement has already started with former coach Gareth Jenkins rumoured to be the leading contender to reprise his former role in one capacity or another.

Another name already in the hat is former Scarlets back-row Scott Quinnell who cut his coaching teeth at the region before leaving under a cloud amid claims that he had been “undermined” by Stradey Park officials.

Bennett confirmed the whispers of a Jenkins return but said that many fans thought this might be a “retrograde step” and that a new hand was needed at Stradey to steer them back on course.

“People are saying to me that they need a sort of Warren Gatland to come in and shake the place from its very rafters,” he said.

“Someone to say I’m the man in charge, I’m the man that’s going to sort things out, no members are the board will interfere with me, I will run the show here.

“We’re just going to hang for the next few days to see what happens. It’s all speculation at the moment but I don’t think I’ve quite known a day like it has been at Stradey.”

Llanelli Scarlets have announced that scrum-half Dwayne Peel will join Sale Sharks at the end of the season.

 Wales international Peel, 26, came through the ranks at Llanelli and has been with the Scarlets regional side since its inception in 2003.

The news comes less than a week after the Welsh Rugby Union said that players who play their club rugby outside Wales may harm their international selection.

 Peel is understood not to have yet signed a contract with the English Premiership club, despite the Scarlets announcing the deal has been done.

The scrum-half was not present at the Scarlets’ media conference on Tuesday, but the statement issued by the Scarlets quoted Peel as saying his move to the north-west of England was “not about money”.

“The deal to stay at Llanelli was similar to that offered by Sale - it’s about the fact that, not having lived outside Wales, I’d like to experience life in another country for a short period,” he said in the statement.
Scarlets chief executive Stuart Gallacher said Peel will leave Stradey Park with the club’s best wishes, and that the search to find a replacement has already begun.

“Dwayne has served us admirably through one of the club’s most thrilling decades,” said Gallacher.

“He has been a cornerstone in helping us to develop a formidable European record in that time and in keeping us highly competitive in domestic tournaments.

“We’re always pleased to see home-grown talent become international stars - and Dwayne has served Wales and the Lions with great skill and dedication.

“His departure leaves a void at Stradey Park but means that the tremendous emerging talent in Phil Davies’s squad will be given a greater chance to shine.

“We will also be looking to strengthen the squad.”

Llanelli Scarlets director of rugby Phil Davies added: “We wish Dwayne well at Sale - he has served our region extraordinarily well and is hugely popular with fans and team-mates.

“He has been outstanding for us in the Magners League and Heineken Cup and will be a credit to his new club.

“Having never been based outside Wales, this will be an exciting adventure for him.

“I believe he would like to return to Wales and we’d be delighted to talk to him in the future about him coming home to the Llanelli Scarlets.”

Peel, who has been struggling with a shoulder injury, was named in Wales’ 28-man squad for this season’s Six Nations championship on Monday.

First-half tries from Lee Robinson and Andrew Blowers helped secure an 18-11 EDF Energy Cup victory for Bristol over the Scarlets, at the Memorial Stadium.

Richard Hill’s side led 15-3 at the break, with David Hill adding a penalty and a conversion for Bristol.

The Scarlets mounted a fightback in the second half but Bristol defended well against relentless pressure.

But the Welsh side did earn a losing bonus point courtesy of Morgan Stoddart’s injury-time try.

It was the Scarlets who got the first points of the afternoon, with young outside-half Rhys Priestland sending over a penalty after Bristol had been caught offside.

But just a few minutes later his opposite number Hill cancelled that out to get the home side on the board.

The Welsh side then took the game by the scruff of the neck and that pressure almost resulted in the first try of the game.

But hooker Matthew Rees had his try ruled out by the television match official and moments later Priestland missed with his second penalty.

Bristol made the Scarlets pay, wing Robinson came close to going over in the corner but like Rees, had a foot in touch as he went for the try-line.

He made no mistake a few moments later though as Bristol took the lead.

Great work from the home pack saw a five-yard scrum turned over and a combination of quick hands and accurate passing from the Bristol three-quarters saw Robinson go over in the corner.

Hill missed the kick but made no mistake a few minutes later, converting Blowers’ try.

Just before the break the Scarlets looked to have got back into the game but Bristol centre Rob Higgitt superbly tackled Matthew J Watkins with the try line at his mercy.

The Scarlets brought on Wales outside-half Stephen Jones after half-time and he had an immediate impact, sending over an early penalty to reduce the deficit.

But Hill restored the 12-point lead a few minutes later with his second penalty of the game.

As the game wore on the Scarlets continued to press but lacked the killer instinct to break down their hosts.

The penalty count against Bristol increased as the Scarlets pressure grew and eventually referee Tim Hayes lost his patience and Maori centre Neil Brew was the unlucky man to be sent to the bin.

It gave the Scarlets a man advantage but they failed to capitalise as they continued to break down a resilient Bristol defence.

With the game lost, they did manage a losing bonus point courtesy of Stoddart’s injury-time try.

Bristol: T. Arscott; Robinson, Brew, Higgitt, Morgan; Hill, Perry; Clarke, Blaney, Crompton, Llewellyn, Hohneck, Budgett, El Abd, Blowers.
Replacements: Hogan for Clarke (66), Linklater for Blaney (59).
Not Used: Attwood, Phillips, Thomas, Strange, Eves. Sin Bin: Brew (65).

Llanelli Scarlets: Stoddart; M. Jones, King, G. Evans, Watkins; Priestlend, Peel; John, Hayter, Manu, Cooper, Eustace, Easterby, Edwards, D. Jones.
Replacements: James for Watkins (40), S. Jones for Priestlend (40), Douglas for John (51), Rees for Hayter (40), MacLeod for Eustace (51), Popham for Edwards (51).
Not Used: L. Davies.

Former All Black Regan King, 26, has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault in a Welsh pub.

The incident is alleged to have taken place in a pub in Llanelli’s Swansea Road on July 28.
The former Waikato centre has been playing for Llanelli Scarlets since 2005.

The once-capped All Black picked up the Magners League Wales Player of the Month for September 2006. In October of that year, King was left needing stitches after trouble broke at Le Caprice wine bar in Llanelli.

That incident prompted a warning from the Scarlets’ director of rugby Phil Davies for players to be careful where they socialised.

A spokeswoman for Dyfed-Powys police confirmed they were investigating the alleged July 28 incident.

“Hospital treatment was not required,” she said. “A 26-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of assault and released on bail pending further inquiries.”

Scarlets chief executive Stuart Gallacher has declined to comment on the alleged assault