Wayne Pivac, Head Coach of Scarlets, has quashed ideas that the failure for the sides from the Pro12 to make the last eight of the Champions Cup shows why people suggest that it is weaker than its English and French equivalent, by claiming that it was simply a one-off.
When speaking to BBC Wales, he stated that “The standard is down – I put that down to significant injuries to significant players”.
Although his side are currently top of the Pro12, it finished bottom of its European group, without a single win, behind 3rd place – and fellow Pro 12 member – Glasgow Warriors. The two that did go through from that particular phrase were French and English, which is perhaps why people claim that the standard of the Pro12 is significantly lower.
Yet, Ospreys were unlucky not to make it out of their group, finishing with 16 points (as did the top two), and the bottom side had 15. If Ospreys had beaten Exeter on Sunday, they would have made it.
He went on to say that “It’s World Cup year, it’s a one-off year, and it’s better to judge the competition in the years outside a Rugby World Cup,”
“(The Irish) had significant injuries as well, it’s got to take a toll.”
