07/08/2008 - Defence is top priority
John Muggleton has served notice that there will be no free gifts for the Scarlets' opponents in the coming rugby season.
As he settled into his new surroundings after arriving from Australia, the region's Australian highly-rated defence coach laid out his blunt, uncomplicated blueprint for shoring up a rearguard that leaked 80 tries in 29 games last term.
Muggleton is promising there will be nothing over-elaborate about his methods.
And he is confident he has the right material to work with in the Scarlets squad.
"The first priority will be to make our defence solid," said the 48-year-old former rugby league player, Australia's defence coach for a decade before joining the Scarlets.
"We are not going to be fancy at all.
"I have always believed a coach is better off doing what he does well rather than trying to be too clever.
"As a player, any time a coach tried to be fancy, with selection or whatever, it did my head in.
"Fancy defences, like rush-up and all that sort of stuff, they come later. They come after you've got everything else perfect.
"What we'll do first is work on being a very tight and a very cohesive group and a group that's hard to score against. When we do that, then we can work on being more aggressive on attacking with our defence."
Muggleton has heard much about the Scarlets' creative talents but he believes they have the potential to be a mean defensive side as well.
To succeed in making them more stingy, however, the 48-year-old accepts he will have to change attitudes, but he does not see that as being a problem.
"The feedback and the vibe I am getting is