Inside Welsh Rugby

Inside Welsh Rugby

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Inside Welsh Rugby
Inside Welsh Rugby
Three men and a jersey: Why that sums up Welsh rugby's best side

Three men and a jersey: Why that sums up Welsh rugby's best side

Having three full-backs has provided the Scarlets with the sort of fluidity that has epitomised their best sides over the years

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Ben James
May 30, 2025
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Inside Welsh Rugby
Inside Welsh Rugby
Three men and a jersey: Why that sums up Welsh rugby's best side
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Perhaps, in a different Welsh rugby landscape a little way down the road, those at the top of the Welsh Rugby Union would see fit to meddle with the Scarlets’ back-three options.

Their full-back cupboard, on paper, is stocked. And that’s before you even consider Ioan Jones, who is joining from Gloucester ahead of next season.

They have, at the minute, three young men who essentially want to play in one position.

At the end of the Six Nations, Blair Murray, 23, was Wales’ starting full-back. With some, he was even a Lions bolter - although he’ll tour Japan rather than Australia this summer.

Ellis Mee, 21, arrived in Llanelli from Nottingham last summer and, within the space of a season, was capped by Wales. He won’t be in Japan this summer, having missed out on Matt Sherratt’s squad, but seems to have a bright future ahead of him.

And Tom Rogers, 26, had long been seen as a future Scarlets full-back - perhaps to his own detriment. Having focused just on enjoying his rugby, he’s now enjoying a run of games for club and country on the wing.

Any of them could do a job in the 15 jersey.

Murray started the season on the wing, but, having been moved there by Warren Gatland, he has now nailed down the jersey post-Six Nations in Llanelli.

Rogers has had some starts in his preferred jersey - along with Ioan Lloyd and Ioan Nicholas - but most of his rugby has come on the wing.

As for Mee, those close to him insist full-back is his best position - given his height and aerial ability - but all of his outings this season have come out wide.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel is understandably enjoying having three Test- quality players in his back-three.

“I think it's very interchangeable, if I'm being honest. At the start of the season, Blair was playing well on the left wing.

“He had his opportunity at full-back and hasn't really looked back, to be honest. I can genuinely see all three of them having an opportunity at full-back and playing well.

“We just see it at the minute that Blair has that left-footed option which is big for us. But I see it as very interchangeable.

“It'll depend at times. I think, if we were to give Ellis a run at 15, he'd need a couple of games for us to bed in. But he's doing a good job for us on the wing.

“I don't see a reason why he couldn't have a good run at 15. It's all very interchangeable with where the three of them can play.”

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