0:00:04 > 0:00:07Wales, a rugby nation,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11where every town and every village gets behind its local team.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15HE SHOUTS
0:00:15 > 0:00:19In Llanelli, top-class rugby has been played for 140 years.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23And it inspires a whole region.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26We've got boys out on this field that are amongst
0:00:26 > 0:00:28the best in the world at what they do.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31But these days, it's more than a game. It's a business.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34And it's a business under threat.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37What keeps me awake at night is paying the wages next month.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41It's a battle to keep the big players here in Wales...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I say W by five.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46..and ensure a precious rugby tradition survives.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Unless something changes, I think our regions will be gone.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55This is the inside story of 12 months of triumph, tension...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Get out.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00- ..turmoil... - Everybody's at each other's throats.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04- ..and pride in the scarlet jersey. - Gets a bit emotional, I guess.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Stand by for a year with the Scarlets.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Boxing Day 2013. Park Y Scarlets is sold out.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Two of Wales's four professional rugby regions
0:01:25 > 0:01:27go head-to-head before 15,000 fans.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34Before kick-off, there's an unprecedented demonstration.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36The target is the Welsh Rugby Union.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43The governing body is involved in a row with the regions
0:01:43 > 0:01:47centring on how the professional game in Wales should develop.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51With the game's administrators at loggerheads,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53these fans fear for the future.
0:01:53 > 0:01:54The regions' voice must be heard.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57The fans' voice has got to be heard in all this.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58It's despicable. They need to sort it out.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It's not fair on the regions, or on the fans that turn up every week.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05You take Scarlets away from Llanelli and there's nothing here, man.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09But this crisis hasn't come out of the blue.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12We've seen it looming larger and larger across our years
0:02:12 > 0:02:15of filming for this series, as we have secured a unique
0:02:15 > 0:02:18insight into the way that regional rugby actually works.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23We have to fight for every single pound, it's as simple as that.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27We've been there, up close and personal, with the business,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31the team, and the fans,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34as the regional game in Wales fights for survival.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37THEY CHANT: Scarlets! Scarlets! Scarlets!
0:02:42 > 0:02:44A year ago, it all seemed very different.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Back then, the crisis was on the pitch.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52We started filming on a dark, damp winter's night in Llanelli.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54The Scarlets had crashed out of the European Cup
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and they were struggling in the league.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01With their best players away winning the Six Nations for Wales,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04the Scarlets attract their lowest crowd of the season.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09As the team gets ready for battle,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12there's no mistaking the scale of the challenges ahead.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Even though they look frightening,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Connacht are near the bottom of the table.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The Scarlets should win, but they're struggling.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42The coaches are powerless, and the die-hards can't raise a cheer.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52But late on, a stroke of luck seals a win.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57The referee is determined to award a try.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03But even the scorer knows he's got it wrong.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10No way that was a try. Not even close.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Chief executive Mark Davies is new to the business.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Right now, he'll take a win of any kind.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21It helps the way the boys approach next week,
0:04:21 > 0:04:26and if professional sport is that last 1%,
0:04:26 > 0:04:32then it's easier to attain that last 1% with a level of confidence.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It affects their mental approach to the week.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39It affects the whole business, actually. It just creates a buzz.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45We can be comfortable that we won the game, but not necessarily with
0:04:45 > 0:04:48some of the performances, so let's be hard on ourselves this week.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50We'd take the result before the game, of course we would.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It's all about building momentum.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We're going to have to be much, much better next week, aren't we?
0:04:55 > 0:04:56Much, much better.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Monday morning, and the weekly routine begins all over again.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08With the powerful Munster team up next,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12the coaches and players need to get straight down to business.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18In the video analysis room, it's all very technical.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Just looking through my clips and
0:05:21 > 0:05:25getting an idea of what you've done during the game, looking to improve.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Just reviewing everything, really.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Good and bad, obviously the comments
0:05:30 > 0:05:33we have from the coaches, it's feedback for the players.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35In the coaches' office, they know
0:05:35 > 0:05:38their options for Saturday's vital game are strictly limited.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40The second try.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45- You thought about selection yet? - Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Part of it will depend on who we have back from the Welsh camp.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53This time of the season, when we've got so many players away
0:05:53 > 0:05:56with the national squad, with the under-20s and with the sevens,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59we are short of
0:05:59 > 0:06:03a big proportion of our squad, and if you back that up with
0:06:03 > 0:06:08a high injury rate, then it obviously becomes difficult to select
0:06:08 > 0:06:12a really competitive team, so that's huge for me on a Monday morning,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14knowing exactly who I can and can't work with.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Lie on your back again for us.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Andy Walker is the head physiotherapist.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24No-one knows the players as intimately.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25- Excuse my fingers.- Oh!
0:06:27 > 0:06:29You're used to this, anyway.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33Not with blokes, though.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Andy's a busy man.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39A quarter of the squad will be out injured at any one time.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44You're fit to play for the weekend, but during the week,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47as of today, we need to make sure you're ready to go for the weekend.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Two taps. Two taps.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53See you, mate.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Mark Davies is also doing a health check - on the business.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Every shirt sold makes a difference.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03The revenue that we generate
0:07:03 > 0:07:07from all of the merchandise that we sell goes back on the field,
0:07:07 > 0:07:12so we have a business here that's about 150,000 contribution
0:07:12 > 0:07:17to the bottom line, and at the end of the day, that's another player.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19We quantify every part of the business in the number
0:07:19 > 0:07:21of players it helps us put on the field.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24In the good old amateur days,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26a small committee with a few local backers were all you needed
0:07:26 > 0:07:30to run a thriving club, but now it's a different ball game.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35The Scarlets have 50 players and around 50 full-time staff.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It's an £8.5 million business.
0:07:38 > 0:07:45In a sense, we are a retail business, and an entertainment business.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48We might consider our competition now as the cinema.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51So we've got to compete with all of that
0:07:51 > 0:07:55and make sure that there's a value in actually coming out,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59coming to us and being part of the match day experience.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04But there are only 16 home games a year. As well as gate money,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08there are TV rights, sponsorship and WRU funding,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10but the region still needs more.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12So as often as possible,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Park Y Scarlets doubles up as a conference centre.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Could you please take your places? Thank you.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Today, Mark is addressing local businesspeople who have
0:08:21 > 0:08:23paid to come to a networking event.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And he's quite open about sweating his biggest asset,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28the stadium itself.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33It's quite a challenge when your core product in the business
0:08:33 > 0:08:37is only generating direct revenues on 16 days a year
0:08:37 > 0:08:40when they're playing out there, so it's significant to us
0:08:40 > 0:08:45as a business for the other 349 days a year that we are utilising
0:08:45 > 0:08:48the asset and generating revenue through events like this.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It's great to see we've actually got ten of our existing
0:08:52 > 0:08:54business partners here today,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and our bank, which we are, of course, grateful for...ahem.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58LAUGHTER
0:08:58 > 0:09:01And our auditors, which we're equally grateful for!
0:09:02 > 0:09:06But getting ready for the Munster game is no laughing matter.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09As the coaches confront the team,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- one player is going to be singled out.- Owen Williams, where are you?
0:09:12 > 0:09:17What was our first call in the line-out attack last week?
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- What was it meant to be?- Tails with the Yorkie.- Tails with the Yorkie.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- What did we call? Five man. - Five man.- BLEEP- boys.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25And we did it in training, didn't we?
0:09:25 > 0:09:29So I think we should go in all knowing what our first
0:09:29 > 0:09:30line-out attack call is. Agreed?
0:09:30 > 0:09:35With a must-win match coming up, lessons have to be learned.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40What's the most important aspect of our attacking play
0:09:40 > 0:09:42against Munster this week?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Our ball carry is extremely important.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Drop the ball,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and they could be out of the lucrative end-of-season play-offs.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Put pressure on them.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It's our house, we are at home, they have to come and win.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58With one of their coaches also away with Wales, the Scarlets have
0:09:58 > 0:10:02drafted in Sean Holley to get their heads straight for Munster.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05THEY SHOUT: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Physicality is what counts in rugby, in anyone's language,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13and especially in Afrikaans.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16THEY SPEAK IN AFRIKAANS
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Time is tight to get key players fit for Saturday.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27I wouldn't want him going into an uncontrolled sort of contact.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29He'd need to hit stuff first,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and then he'll be full probably on Thursday.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35And there's a surprise physical challenge to fit in meanwhile.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40I'm just wondering on any non-coasteerers.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Coasteering in the icy Irish Sea.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46That's something the Scarlets have never tried before,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49but desperate times call for desperate measures.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51It's kill or cure.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Anyone who can't do the full 20 or the 40 foot still has to go in.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59It will be good recovery for them, won't it?
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It will be like having an ice bath.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05The coaches have decided the squad needs some high-impact team-building
0:11:05 > 0:11:06down in Pembrokeshire.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09We'll stay down in Bluestone tonight.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12We're just trying to build that mentality
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and a little bit of an ethos here
0:11:15 > 0:11:19that it's important that we work hard while we're here,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22but also spend some quality time together off the pitch as well,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and hopefully that will transfer to performances come the weekend.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Someone who's delighted the team are heading off is groundsman
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Luke Jenkins, and they won't be back in the pitch in a hurry
0:11:34 > 0:11:36if they follow his advice.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Don't touch it, don't play in it, don't go anywhere near it.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Come and have a look at it, it looks nice, do a bit of bowling on it.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Don't play any rugby on it. I'll be happy!
0:11:46 > 0:11:50It's not just the team that's taken a battering over the winter months.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54The pitch needs some TLC, and even some cosmetic treatment.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59What it is, is just to cover up the bad parts,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03so we're just taking the clippings from around the pitch
0:12:03 > 0:12:07and just sprinkle it on the pitch.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09It's quite simple.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Luke pushes the limits to keep the pitch perfect.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18We actually walk everything, so you can really knock up some mileage.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I had shin splints last year. There's an injury!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25All these moaning about hamstrings.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Shin splints! They'd be crying walking up and down the pitch.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31This is Luke's territory.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35And Mark Davies has had to learn quickly that there's a line
0:12:35 > 0:12:37even the chief executive can't cross.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41I soon found out it wasn't appropriate to walk across the pitch.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Mark has plenty to worry about off the pitch.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48If you take the league that we play in,
0:12:48 > 0:12:53or perhaps more significantly, take European rugby,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57every other club is in a significant town or city
0:12:57 > 0:13:00with a significant conurbation.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01We're not.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Scarcely 60,000 people live within easy reach of Park Y Scarlets.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12Dublin-based rivals Leinster have 1.8 million on their doorstep.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15You can't hide from the numbers.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18The base numbers are, there's not a lot of people,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21and the region has its own economic challenges.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24There are regions in Bulgaria and Romania with a stronger
0:13:24 > 0:13:29economic platform, but that's actually why this is so important,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33because this can be a source of inspiration, because we've got
0:13:33 > 0:13:38boys out on this field from all sorts of little communities around
0:13:38 > 0:13:41the region that are amongst the best in the world at what they do.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45So the role models have to take the plunge.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Fresh from their cold baths, they head off to the assault course.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Size and bulk, always an advantage on the rugby pitch,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01is going to be a problem on the aerial ropeway.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03They had to be under 18 stone.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05We have got Samson, who's 18 stone 4,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07so he's a little bit worried.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11"Failure to use the system as shown may result in serious injury or death."
0:14:13 > 0:14:15THEY LAUGH
0:14:15 > 0:14:18It's a laugh for team-mates,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20and a cheap photo op for the watching media.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27But with rugby now a global sport, the serious purpose is bridging
0:14:27 > 0:14:31the gulf between players from many different backgrounds and cultures.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32It's amazing, you know,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34at times like this, you really get to know guys.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38You spend time at night in the cabins and you do your team-building stuff like this,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40so it's a really good bonding opportunity.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44So, 116 kilos of Welsh beefcake
0:14:44 > 0:14:47is going to test itself against gravity.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Come on, Samson.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57And if impact is mass times velocity,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00the Scarlets' season is hanging on a zipwire.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Back at base, the business team is praying the players can get their act together.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09We can raise an invoice.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12There is space for you to provide card details...
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Like many of the big clubs in England,
0:15:14 > 0:15:15the Scarlets are running at a loss.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Each year, wealthy backers who sit on the board of directors
0:15:20 > 0:15:23dig deep into their own pockets to keep the business going.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25But the loss would be easier to manage
0:15:25 > 0:15:28if the crowds were bigger than the current average of 8,000.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31If the rugby isn't performing as well as they could,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33then you do see the effect,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37but we try and take the rugby out of it in hospitality.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Even though they may have lost, you can't go round
0:15:41 > 0:15:43going, "Oh, we've lost", you know?
0:15:43 > 0:15:45You've got to be happy, you've got to be positive
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and when they're saying, "We're not renewing our season ticket,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52"we're not renewing our business club", et cetera, et cetera,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56what I say is, I can't control what goes on outside that side of the glass
0:15:56 > 0:16:00but this side I can, so where there's carpet, I can control it.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02But where there's grass, I can't.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07To cover the loss that we continue to fund,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10we need another 2,500
0:16:10 > 0:16:13full-paying adults every game
0:16:13 > 0:16:16for 16 games to cover that loss.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18And that's the scale.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Today, there's a new stadium booking to schedule -
0:16:21 > 0:16:23a major football tournament.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The 28th, and the final's on the 31st.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29That's my birthday, Dave.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31I don't want to work on my birthday again.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35And while the rugby season remains alive,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38match day hospitality can still be shifted.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44I just sold two boxes in the last ten minutes, which is brilliant.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Actually brilliant.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50It's because we're in the race for the play-offs. It does make a difference.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52What a good day this turned out to be!
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Things aren't going so swimmingly in Pembrokeshire.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02After the zipwire antics, the players are back on firm ground.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05But finding a firm pitch remains a challenge.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09We're struggling to find somewhere to train after all the rain.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Narberth Rugby Club have been kind enough to allow us to train here.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17At one stage we were on the Astroturf in Tenby.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21That was an hour ago - it was only an hour before the session that we found somewhere to train.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25People don't realise the stresses the team manager goes through.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Even at short notice,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32word has got around that the Scarlets are in town.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34It's quite cool that they are training in Narberth.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I think it's good for the community
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and the children like to see the players.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41It's nice for them.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45The first thing is, the colour I call, if it's a white,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49we're latching on, sending him through, go to ground, call that off.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Throw him through that contact.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54The coaches are turning up the heat.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57The players will have to be red hot to beat Munster
0:17:57 > 0:18:00but can they get fired up on a damp pitch?
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Nice to be out and about in the fresh air
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and somewhere...it's a bit muddier than we're used to, so it's good.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14The room had a bath as well - like pigs in muck here!
0:18:17 > 0:18:21One big beast will be missing from action this weekend.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Ace play-maker Rhys Priestland is out injured.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29But there's still some important work for him to do in the Scarlets' cause.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38# Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tan
0:18:38 > 0:18:41# Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr... #
0:18:41 > 0:18:45As players, you've got a responsibility to the region.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49These kids come down and support us, so it's nice for us to support them.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52You do forget until you come to schools like this
0:18:52 > 0:18:55how many of these kids aspire to be where we are today.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Even stars were children once,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02as another Scarlets legend knows very well.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05When I was a child,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09there was one international from my village in Bancyfelin
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and I thought he was God.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I'm sure these children feel the same.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19It gives me great pleasure to see the thrill on the children's faces,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22that they're talking to international players.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Delme Thomas captained the Llanelli team
0:19:26 > 0:19:28that beat the mighty All Blacks.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- TV COMMENTARY:- 'Baited breath.'
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It's a triumph that every local school child knows all about,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36but it happened 40 years ago.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38'The cross bar!'
0:19:38 > 0:19:41When it comes to building a modern professional rugby franchise,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46some might question whether such a glorious past is a boon or a burden.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47'History has been made!'
0:19:47 > 0:19:50But the chief executive has no doubts.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Tradition is the heart of what we are
0:19:53 > 0:19:56but we can't rely on that tradition
0:19:56 > 0:19:59to generate the cash.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04We have to still be better than the next man
0:20:04 > 0:20:07at whatever level of competition we're in,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11otherwise we're not going to survive.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Back in the training barn, it's time to rehearse the key plays.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23How was that pass, Molly? To you.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Tell each other.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28I'm not on the field Saturday
0:20:28 > 0:20:31so they have to learn to make decisions themselves.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I'm putting different scenarios to them to make the right calls.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36They have to make them on Saturday
0:20:36 > 0:20:39so there's no point me making them here, is there?
0:20:39 > 0:20:40That's the theory, anyway.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45At the moment, you're, like... I'm not an option.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It's going to blue.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49You've got to look like
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- because you never know when you're going to get it.- Yeah.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Normally, it would be out to the training pitch now
0:20:55 > 0:20:58but today there's a last-minute change of plan
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and it won't please Luke.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Yeah, yeah.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07The last full-on training before facing Munster will be out on the main pitch.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Try and stay off it as much as we can to give it time to, erm...
0:21:13 > 0:21:16to prepare well for game day, and that's the most important day.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18But our top pitch is flooded
0:21:18 > 0:21:23so we just need to utilise what we can when we can, really.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Last to leave are the kickers -
0:21:34 > 0:21:38the players who win or lose games when the margins are fine.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43And with Rhys Priestland injured, 20-year-old Owen Williams
0:21:43 > 0:21:46will need to keep calm under pressure against the Irish.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51But at the moment, he's coming under pressure from Luke.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59He wants me to go off halfway.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02The coaches who ticked him off just days ago
0:22:02 > 0:22:06are now asking him to step up to the greatest challenge of his life.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10It's a must-win game. We've got to win the next three or four games.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13While the Welsh boys are away, it's a big period, really.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Hopefully we can go all the way this year and try and win the league.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Match day is also the team manager's 40th birthday.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46If we win, we will be out celebrating.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49If we lose, it'll be a difficult evening.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53No longer a player, he's still caught up in the magic.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56For me, it's still game day.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59We still get the pre-match nerves and emotions.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02I can't imagine not having them on the weekend.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Even though it adds to the stress levels,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08there's still a bit of excitement flowing through the veins.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Everyone wants the paying public to get their money's worth.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19This is one of our business clubs and everybody wants to come in here.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22This is the place to be for hospitality.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Everybody gets to network and mingle
0:23:24 > 0:23:26and really have a nice time.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30In mission control, it's all systems go.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Basically, we can pick any part of the ground up.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37We can zoom in on anything.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The equipment - state of the art.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42The operators...
0:23:42 > 0:23:44That's the road outside.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47..straightforward Llanelli men.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51But that doesn't mean they don't know how much power they've got.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56We have the final call on everything to do with the stadium.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00If this game needs to be stopped, it will be stopped from here.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Yes, big deal.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08The biggest deal would be a W in the win column.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And though the Scarlets' Welsh internationals aren't playing,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13they're here to lend support.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I would say a W by five.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18You heard it here first. Cheers.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22But some people just can't win tonight.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24The part you don't want them to play in -
0:24:24 > 0:24:26the first scrum, in that part of the pitch,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I'll be pulling my hair out. I hate scrums.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Next door to the pitch, the supporters' village is packed
0:24:33 > 0:24:36with proof that regional rugby is now a family affair.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40There's something for everybody.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42The parents, they bring their grandparents.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Nobody's excluded. You can all come down.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47It's lush.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Even they tiny-weeny little ones come and play tag rugby.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It's the most beautiful thing to watch,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54tiny little boys and girls.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58And they just love it. Everybody's always really happy down here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Even the boss that I work for can grin now and again.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05There you go. See!
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Let's get behind the boys this evening.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10It's a very, very important game.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- TANNOY:- Number four, George Earle.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Parc Y Scarlets may be buzzing tonight, but Mark won't rest easy
0:25:17 > 0:25:20until he's told the official attendance figures -
0:25:20 > 0:25:23how many thousands, how many hundreds.
0:25:24 > 0:25:286,700. Let me check on the screen.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30What? 6,800!
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Busy. Much busier in comparison to the last game.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37OK. Good. OK.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42I would have liked it to have got just over 7,000
0:25:42 > 0:25:44but it sounds like 6,800
0:25:44 > 0:25:46with a couple of people still coming through.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50It's difficult in an international period.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53There's only so much rugby. We've got a lot of home games.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54It's going to be harder.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00It's hard to draw a big crowd when the Six Nations is in full swing.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02But it will be even harder next time
0:26:02 > 0:26:05if the Scarlets slip down in the league.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07So it's game on.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12The Scarlets are underdogs, and their season's in the balance.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Munster stalwart Ronan O'Gara knows how to buy a cheap penalty.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26But the highest scoring Irish international
0:26:26 > 0:26:28doesn't get the points this time.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's the number ten opposite him who plays like a veteran.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Owen Williams has got his game head on...
0:26:39 > 0:26:41..and he can't put a foot wrong.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Harsh words, tough training, quality time together -
0:26:49 > 0:26:51it's all paying off now.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Is this the edge that coasteering gives you?
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Ice cool nerves.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05No-one realises it yet
0:27:05 > 0:27:09but the Scarlets will soon be losing their match-winner.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Owen Williams has kicked himself into a contract
0:27:12 > 0:27:15with a big-spending English club.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18And he won' be the last to leave.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22I was nervous, playing against one of the best tens
0:27:22 > 0:27:25there's been in Britain for a while now.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27He's been on Lions tours and everything.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I was nervous, but once the game started they seemed to go away
0:27:30 > 0:27:32and it was just another rugby game.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Tonight, the victory is what matters.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39For the team manager, it's a happy birthday.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42A couple of nights at Bluestone!
0:27:43 > 0:27:47No, congratulations, Gar. There's something in there from the lads.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I'll enjoy it after a fabulous win. Thank you for that one.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55I would have been depressed otherwise. Well done.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01To mark the win, there's the ritual singing of the team anthem.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04# Mil a thri chant o flynyddoedd... #
0:28:04 > 0:28:08It's a sound they hope to hear more often in the coming weeks.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12You can feel a positive wave of enthusiasm
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and that's what causes people to stay here.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18That's what causes people to want to come to the next game.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21That's what the difference was.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23But just as the winter gloom lifts,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27a spring storm is about to hit Parc Y Scarlets.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30It's about time Welsh rugby got its act together.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33It's the soap opera of Welsh rugby again.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35We're puppets in that soap opera.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40We've made it clear about our position in terms of discussing individual contracts.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I won't use the term "disaster", shall I?