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The Scarlets this week announced a significant change, with Nigel Davies returning to the club above Dwayne Peel
Dwayne Peel is no longer responsible for team selection and results(Image: Huw Evans Agency)
Nigel Davies has revealed how Dwayne Peel reacted to his surprise return to the Scarlets this week, admitting the move was not an easy one for the head coach – but insisting their relationship is strong and the new structure will benefit the team.
Davies was confirmed on Tuesday as interim director of rugby until the end of the season, stepping in above Peel after a difficult campaign that has yielded just two wins. While Peel remains head coach, Davies now carries full accountability for performance, results and selection.
While Davies accepted Peel may not have welcomed the news initially, he praised the 43-year-old’s response and he revealed he contacted him personally before accepting the role officially.
“Dwayne has been brilliant,” Davies said. “It’s probably not great for him and he probably didn’t want to see me in here on Tuesday. I understand that – it is what it is.
“But he’s a passionate Scarlet. He knows himself that a lot of the operational work he’s had to do has taken him away from where he needs to be. Now we’ve taken that pressure away and he’s allowed to do what he’s really good at.”
Speaking about the process, Davies said Peel was the first person he contacted before agreeing to return to Parc y Scarlets.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” Davies said.
“The board had a review and felt there was a need for new impetus at a crucial time in Welsh rugby. I was contacted and asked if I’d be interested, and it didn’t take me very long to make a decision.
“This club is very dear to me and so are the people in it. I’ve worked with Dwayne previously and I know the pressures that come with running a rugby club.”
Davies acknowledged the modern head coach role has become all-consuming, something he believes has taken Peel away from his greatest strengths.
“The scope of the modern rugby team is massive and I know Dwayne will have been taken away from a lot of what he’s really good at,” he said.
“So I spoke to Dwayne before making any decisions and was very clear that I wanted him to continue and be part of anything I was involved in. He agreed to that in terms of moving forward together.
“At that stage I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it. I’ll come back, because I have a passion for this place.’
“On the two previous occasions I left the team in a good place and that’s my aim this time as well.”
Davies was also keen to stress the clarity of the new working relationship, insisting there is no overlap or confusion over roles.
“It’s pretty straightforward,” he said. “From day one I was clear that if I was to come in, I had to have complete accountability for performance and selection. People need to know there’s a clear line of responsibility.
“Within that, a big part of my role is to work with the coaches. Dwayne is still head of that coaching group and he’ll be 100% on the field now. He’s an excellent coach and that’s what we need him doing, working with the players 24/7.”
Davies says the coaching group have embraced the change, with the restructure also freeing them up to focus purely on rugby.
“There are a lot of quality coaches within this group and now they can just coach,” he added. “Performance and results are my responsibility, but in the short time I’ve been here, I trust them to deliver.”
As for whether this marks a longer-term return to professional rugby, Davies stopped short of committing beyond this season – but left the door open.
“No, possibly not,” he said. “But I am old enough now to know that the phrase ‘never say never’ is very true.”
