Scarlets Rugby enter 2026-27 trying to prove their 2024-25 URC playoff appearance was progress rather than an exception. The response has been aggressive, with veteran control added at fly-half, significant changes in the pack and a young Wales-heavy backline retained.
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These five players capture the central questions around Scarlets this coming season. Can Gareth Anscombe turn close losses into wins? Can Sam Lousi hold together a rebuilt tight five? Can Josh Macleod lead a more reliable team?
Can Joe Roberts keep producing? And can Cullen Grace provide the physical upgrade Scarlets need?
Gareth Anscombe, Fly-Half
No Scarlets signing addresses a 2025-26 problem more directly than Gareth Anscombe.
Scarlets went 2-5-2 in URC matches decided by seven points or fewer last season. Five narrow defeats and two draws represented a substantial number of standings points left available, which helps explain why the club targeted a 35-year-old Wales international known for decision-making, tactical kicking and game control.
Anscombe arrives from Bayonne and projects as the first-choice fly-half alongside veteran scrum-half Gareth Davies.
Scarlets already have runners. Joe Roberts, Blair Murray, Ellis Mee, Eddie James and Joe Hawkins give the backline pace and international-level talent. Anscombe's job is to create better conditions for them: manage territory, recognize when to accelerate or slow a game and convert pressure into points.
Sam Costelow remains a significant option at 10 and a current Wales international, so Anscombe is not arriving because Scarlets had nobody capable of playing fly-half. He arrives because their season demanded more control.
If Scarlets turn several of last year's close defeats into victories, Anscombe likely will be central to the explanation.
Sam Lousi, Lock
Scarlets' most important forward might be the player whose value becomes clearest by looking at everyone who left.
Jake Ball retired. Max Douglas departed for Japan. Marnus van der Merwe joined Munster. Alec Hepburn moved to Edinburgh. Scarlets recruited heavily to replace that front-five experience, but their new second-row options include younger players still establishing themselves in the squad.
That places enormous responsibility on Sam Lousi.
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The 35-year-old Tonga international provides physicality, lineout experience and veteran authority in a lock group featuring Alex Groves, Harvey Cuckson and incoming Tom Allen. Allen does not arrive until November, increasing the importance of stability early in the season.
Lousi also represents something Scarlets desperately need: consistency up front. They went 0-4 against South African opposition last season and were outscored 115-58. Their rebuilt pack must become more dependable against the URC's most physical teams.
Scarlets have alternatives at center, fly-half and back row. They have fewer proven replacements for what Lousi supplies.
That makes his health and form fundamental to the entire rebuild.
Josh Macleod, Openside Flanker
Josh Macleod begins his fourth consecutive season as Scarlets captain, but his importance extends beyond leadership.
The 29-year-old Wales international is the connective piece in what could become Scarlets' strongest forward unit. His breakdown work and defensive influence anchor a back row that could eventually feature Taine Plumtree and Cullen Grace, with Dan Davis and Fletcher Anderson providing additional options.
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That group matters because Scarlets need more than attacking improvement. Their biggest problems last season included defensive inconsistency, physical breakdowns and an inability to control matches away from Parc y Scarlets. Macleod operates in the areas where those problems are often decided.
He entered September with 150 Scarlets appearances, giving a changing squad a captain deeply established in the club.
The intriguing part is what may surround him. Plumtree is targeted to return from shoulder surgery in October, while Grace arrives after New Zealand's NPC in November. If all three are available, Scarlets can field a back row combining breakdown pressure, athleticism, carrying and lineout versatility.
Macleod is the constant around which that potential unit is built.
Joe Roberts, Outside Center
Joe Roberts provides the strongest argument that Scarlets' backline talent was not the primary reason they finished 14th.
The 26-year-old Wales international scored seven tries during the 2025-26 URC season, putting him among the competition's leading try scorers despite Scarlets winning only four matches.
Roberts enters 2026-27 in a crowded midfield. Eddie James, Joe Hawkins, Johnny Williams and Macs Page create multiple combinations. Yet Roberts' ability to finish opportunities gives him a particularly clear role.
The challenge is creating those opportunities under better circumstances.
Scarlets scored 361 league points last season but were held below 20 points eight times. With Anscombe directing territory and a reconstructed pack attempting to provide cleaner possession, Roberts should have opportunities to attack from a more stable platform rather than relying on moments of individual quality.
He is also part of Scarlets' broader Wales-development story, alongside James, Hawkins, Murray, Mee and Costelow.
If the structure improves around him, Roberts has already shown he can supply the finishing.
Cullen Grace, Back Row/Lock
Cullen Grace is the player who could make Scarlets look noticeably different in November than they do in September.
The 26-year-old arrives from New Zealand after his NPC commitments, bringing Crusaders and Canterbury experience, one All Blacks cap and the ability to operate in the back row or second row.
Scarlets recruited him for exactly the areas where their roster needed reinforcement: physicality, lineout versatility and forward leadership.
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His delayed arrival is important. Scarlets begin the season without the complete pack they envisioned, with Chris Apoua sidelined by a torn Achilles and Plumtree initially unavailable following shoulder surgery. Grace will not be present for the October road games against Stormers and Bulls, two severe tests after Scarlets went winless against South African opponents last season.
Once available, however, Grace gives Peel options. He can form a potentially formidable back row with Macleod and Plumtree or provide cover at lock as the new second-row group develops.
Anscombe may determine whether Scarlets become smarter. Grace could determine whether they become harder to overpower.
That combination explains the club's 2026-27 gamble. Scarlets already possessed talent. These additions are about turning talent into control, physical reliability and enough wins to return to the URC playoff race.
Scarlets 2026-27 Frequently Asked Questions
How Can Rugby Fans In The United States Watch Scarlets On FloRugby?
Rugby fans in the United States can watch Scarlets throughout the 2026-27 season on FloRugby, with matches also available to stream through the FloSports app.
Scarlets 2026-27 Schedule: Every URC And Challenge Cup Match
Scarlets 2026-27 URC Schedule
- Round 1: Scarlets vs. Cardiff Rugby, Sept. 26, 2026
- Round 2: Dragons RFC vs. Scarlets, Oct. 3, 2026
- Round 3: Scarlets vs. Benetton Rugby, Oct. 10, 2026
- Round 4: Stormers vs. Scarlets, Oct. 24, 2026
- Round 5: Bulls vs. Scarlets, Oct. 31, 2026
- Round 6: Scarlets vs. Connacht Rugby, Dec. 5, 2026
- Round 7: Munster Rugby vs. Scarlets, Dec. 18, 2026
- Round 8: Ospreys vs. Scarlets, Dec. 26, 2026
- Round 9: Scarlets vs. Dragons RFC, Jan. 2, 2027
- Round 10: Glasgow Warriors vs. Scarlets, Jan. 22, 2027
- Round 11: Scarlets vs. Edinburgh Rugby, Jan. 30, 2027
- Round 12: Zebre Parma vs. Scarlets, Feb. 27, 2027
- Round 13: Scarlets vs. 10Bet Lions, March 20, 2027
- Round 14: Scarlets vs. Leinster Rugby, March 26, 2027
- Round 15: Ulster Rugby vs. Scarlets, April 17, 2027
- Round 16: Scarlets vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, April 24, 2027
- Round 17: Scarlets vs. Ospreys, May 8, 2027
- Round 18: Cardiff Rugby vs. Scarlets, May 15, 2027
Scarlets 2026-27 Challenge Cup Pool Schedule
- Challenge Cup Round 1: Scarlets vs. Newcastle Red Bulls, Oct. 17, 2026
- Challenge Cup Round 2: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Scarlets, Dec. 12, 2026
- Challenge Cup Round 3: Scarlets vs. Lyon, Jan. 9, 2027
- Challenge Cup Round 4: Castres vs. Scarlets, Jan. 16, 2027