Quinnell back at Scarlets
Gavin Quinnell has moved back to the Scarlets ahead of the start to the new Magners League season.
Quinnell expressed a desire to move from Italian league side Viadana where it seemed he was finding it difficult to settle in and make an impression. This is natural for a lot of players who move far away from home to play in a foreign league.
He left the club back in 2006 and has spent four years playing in different leagues and adding extra strings to his bow. He says he is more determined than ever to come back to the side and make a big impression.
Quinnell has a number of attributes that will ensure he takes to the club again like a duck to water. However, his confidence has been knocked and it will be important for the club to do a number of off the field things well when it comes to handling him.
Attributes
Quinnell is a big and versatile player who is strong in many areas of the field. He can be used in defence to add extra weight to a team and to make it more difficult for an opposition attack to burst through a gap.
He can be used going forward to add extra power in the pack and the scrum. This will give the side a much better chance of getting forward, gaining territory and turning the ball over.
He has developed his experience by playing at different clubs and leagues. Worcester would have given him a new angle on domestic rugby while his time in Italy would have allowed him to experience the culture of another league in another country. He can bring all of these things back with him.
He said: "It's good to be coming back to Wales and obviously to be back with the Scarlets is a real bonus for me, particularly in this great new stadium and with a region that I feel most at home with and passionate about. I followed the Scarlets last season and it's good to see so many young players coming through well, there's the makings of a great team there and plenty of really proud, enthusiastic players who want to achieve more."
Care
The club must make sure they take extra care of their new player. If there have been any damaging effects on his confidence because of his time in Italy then Scarlets will have to give him some help as he blends back into Magners League life. However, his experience would not have been entirely negative.
Scarlets have the coaches and the players to compliment Quinnell's game in a very positive way. They have to make sure they keep on telling him he is doing well in the same way that the club would talk to a younger player to build up his confidence.
He added: "It will be interesting to be part of the new set-up and be part of this squad. I'm just really looking forward to joining them and getting into pre-season training with the team next week. I've learnt a lot and had some great experience in Italy. It's been good to be part of a different set-up and culture and Viadana has been a good place for me to be."
Betting advice
Scarlets are looking a better bet to win the Magners League with each day that passes and you should keep this in mind when you come to make your selection. Quinnell is not likely to score many tries and points so work out a better statistical player to back.
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