Greg Somerville top of Scarlets shopping list

Apr 29 2008 by Andy Howell, Western Mail

SCARLETS chiefs have arrived back from a scouting mission Down Under hoping audacious bids to sign a clutch of southern hemisphere stars will succeed.

Chief executive Stuart Gallacher and coach Phil Davies jetted to Australia and New Zealand last week for a series of high-ranking meetings with players, their agents and coaches.

And the ambitious Scarlets have lined up:

Greg Somerville, New Zealand’s second most capped prop in history;

Mose Tuiali’i, a skilful All Blacks back-row forward who has been likened to former Test great Zinzan Brooke;

Rocky Elsom, a rugged flanker and a regular in Australia’s back-row;

David Lyons, a 44-times capped Wallaby No.8 ball-carrier in the mould of Scott Quinnell.

“This isn’t just about going to Australia or New Zealand and signing a big name,” said Gallacher beforehand.

“It’s about building relationships with the relevant people. We are obviously looking to strengthen our squad but that is an on-going scenario as we look to an extremely prosperous future.”

But it’s common knowledge the Scarlets are desperate to recruit a top-quality tighthead prop and have put Somerville top of their extensive shopping list.

Only Craig Dowd, with 58 appearances, has packed down more for New Zealand at prop. Somerville, 30, who can also play loosehead, has been capped 57 times.

He has made an incredible 110 appearances for Super 14 table-toppers Crusaders, being a key figure in their long domination of the crack tournament.

The Hawke’s Bay-raised Somerville became the fourth man to play a century of matches for the Crusaders in the 2006 Super 14 semi-final victory over the Bulls.

Somerville made his debut for Canterbury in a National Provincial Championship semi-final in 1998, was a Crusader the following season, and an All Black within two years of his first representative appearance.

Sources in New Zealand claim Gallacher and Davies met Somerville and Tuiali’i in Christchurch last week, the Crusaders consolidating top spot in this year’s Super 14 with a thrilling 26-22 victory over arch-rivals Blues.

Tuiali’i was the inaugural winner of the Crusaders players’ player of the year award in 2007.

He made his New Zealand debut against Argentina in June 2004 and was a stand-out player in the 26-25 victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium later that year.

With their plush new home going up fast, the Scarlets are anxious to again become a major force in European rugby.

They hope their raid on the southern hemisphere will net them at least a couple of big names.

The Australian leg of Gallacher and Davies’ journey Down Under saw the Scarlets linked heavily with Elsom and Lyons.

They want to nail down a replacement before giving Wales international Alix Popham permission to make a big-money move to French club Brive.

Elsom and Lyons, both ball-carriers in the mould of former Wales and British Lions blockbuster Quinnell, fit the bill.