Scarlets running out of rope

Guy Easterby knows his little brother pretty well.

Last Monday the Leinster team manager chuckled when asked if he had spoken to Simon since his Scarlets side went down 49-16 to Clermont Auvergne in the first round of the Heineken Cup. As if. As soon as he heard about Morgan Stoddart’s sending-off at the Stade Marcel Michelin, Guy knew to give it a few days before ringing.

Sure enough, it was the following morning – three days after the game in France — before the brothers hooked up. The Scarlets coach was on media duties later that day and, by then, any lingering frustration or anger had been siphoned from the system as attention turned squarely towards yet another big ask.