Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac is in a disarming mood. As if the constant barrage of slings and arrows over a long season have settled and come to rest, tranquillity falls. Less anxious about the threat ahead, Pivac is about the possibilities Aviva Stadium provides.
A duel in the sun with Leinster, the chance to defend their 2017 title in a one-off match has seduced the former Kiwi cop and his team into quietly believing it can happen. Today is sweet. He can praise Leinster, stroke their necks. Then silently, the knife.
The opportunity to turn over the European Champions, instead of panicking the Welsh side, has restored some sort of calm. Pivac is talking about Leinster as everyone does, with respect and wariness but with a lack of fear, or, maybe just enough of a slammer shot of misgiving to act as a stiffener. Eyes forward and bolt upright.
There were no happy memories last time out in this year’s European semi-final. He doesn’t need reminding. But there’s always value in love-bombing the opposition.
Superb
“Leinster were superb that day,” he says. “They played very, very well. We felt we didn’t play our best game. We didn’t fire too many shots.”
Scarlets captain Ken Owens chimes in on message. “We got a bit of a lesson last time we played them and so . . . , ” he says. The minor twist is that Scarlets beat Leinster last season in the league semi-final, the major rift that Leinster demolished them almost just yesterday. Where to look for inspiration. The win, the win of course.
“We take confidence from it, that we have been to Dublin and won,” says Owens. “So there’s perhaps no fear there. But we know what a good side Leinster are so you can take bits from that game, the confidence that we have been to Dublin before and we’ve won. And we have been here [Aviva] and won.
“We’ve also been here and had a hiding so we have to have that fear in the back of our head as well. I think you can take a little bit from it. But it’s all about who turns up.”
Sometimes wins can come down to one player. Leinster might think it’s Tadhg Beirne, shock, horror moved into number 8 for the day. Others believe it’s Isa Nacewa, who took over kicking duties from Sexton last time out and didn’t blink.
Pivac knows about Nacewa and what he brings today. It’s something more than his rounded game. It’s the Fijian’s last Leinster match for the second time in his career. Who has ever done that and what club ever makes an overseas player their captain?
From that alone Leinster will draw motivation. Pivac knows it. He knows Leinster’s profile, how they move, knows Nacewa almost as well as Leo Cullen.
“I’ve known Isa since he was in our academy back in Auckland,” he says. “He just told me out there he’s playing his last game. I said ‘I’ll believe that when I see it. You said that once before.’”
Proud
“I know he loves this place. It’s been good to him and he’s been good for the club. The fact that he’s an overseas player and he’s been captain says a lot about the individual.
“I know from my time with him coming through the system he worked very, very hard on his game and that hasn’t changed since the age of 18 through to 34 or whatever Isa is now. He’s a very proud man. He’s very proud of this Leinster club and he’ll want to go out on a high note. Unfortunately, we are here to stop that.”
Almost an apology for Nacewa. But Pivac is not all giving. The demolition match they suffered became a catch-up game for Scarlets, he says. They began badly and Leinster hurt them early with big scoring. In those matches you gamble a bit to bridge the gap and either the dice falls your way or you lose big. They lost big: 38-16.
Fair and square Leinster dominance, Pivac concedes that but he hints it wasn’t as bad as the scoreline paints it.
“If the scoreline was a little bit closer it might not have happened,” he says. “So you can’t read too much into the try after half-time onwards.”
Front football. Go forward ball. Getting a platform. Everybody wants that. It’s where the match is headed.
“They won that battle,” he says. “And whoever wins that will win.”
