'Meet fire with fire' says Welch

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs will have to meet "fire with fire" insists lock Damian Welch as he prepares to face former club Scarlets in the Heineken Cup on Saturday (1.35pm).

Having made the switch from the Parc Y Scarlets to Sandy Park during the summer, 30-year-old Welch is hoping his first return to the Welsh region will prove a successful one as the Chiefs look to claim their maiden scalp in European Rugby's top club competition.

With both clubs having suffered earlier defeats to both Leinster and Clermont Auvergne, the need to get up and running in Pool 5 is clearly high on the agenda for both teams.

The Chiefs, though, head across the Severn in buoyant mood having recorded victories in their last five fixtures - and Welch wants that winning streak to continue a little longer against his former club.

"I'm looking forward to going back, especially because we are up against the Scarlets," said Welch, whose only other starts for the Chiefs first team came last month in the LV= Cup against London Welsh and the Ospreys. "It will be good to get out on the pitch again and hopefully we can put in a good performance.

"In the past I've had a few games for the Scarlets playing against old clubs, so it's always a game you want to do well in for whatever reasons. As I said, this will be my first major start for the Chiefs and because it's against the Scarlets, it just makes it sweet for two reasons."

And having been handed his chance by head coach Rob Baxter this weekend, the Reading-born forward says he is hoping to make the most of his opportunity having waited patiently in the wings for much of the current campaign.

"Bearing in mind the calibre of the squad and the boys that are here, Rob made it clear to me from the outset it wouldn't be a case of just turning up and simply slotting in," explained Welch. "The boys who are here have been around for a while and they've all played exceptionally well this season, so there was not too much I could have done apart from wait my turn.

"You have to give them credit because they've been playing well and the team has been winning games, but it's nice to have been given my chance this weekend and now it's up to me to emulate them."

Looking to upset Welch, however, will be a Scarlets side who despite missing skipper Rob McCusker, George North and Josh Turnbull, will be boosted by the return of international stars Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Liam Williams, Matthew Rees, Rhys Priestland, Aaron Shingler and prop Samson Lee returning to the starting line-up, whilst scrum-half Tavis Knoyle and hooker Ken Owens are named among the replacements.

"It will be tough for us up there," warned Welch, who spent three years at the Scarlets having been at Cardiff Blues previously. "The Scarlets are one of those clubs who have a real tradition with the Heineken Cup. It's a competition they like to target, bearing in mind they did well a few years ago. They are a club who are always looking to push their way into the latter stages and they always take it very serious.

"I think what the Chiefs will see going there is a club who are very passionate about the Heineken Cup and who want to do well, so I think we'll have to meet fire with fire from the outset. They'll look at the competition so far and see they've not done as well as they would have expected, so they'll be trying to change that by doing a number on us."

Welch, however, believes the Chiefs have what it takes to succeed on foreign soil and has backed Baxter's in-form charges to continue their winning run.

"Exeter is a great club and a great place to be," he continued. "Right now there is a great atmosphere about the place and all of us are enjoying coming to work. Obviously winning games makes it even more enjoyable, so hopefully we can keep that going."