SCARLETS AND OSPREYS... WHAT WE LEARNED...

THE Scarlets booked their place in the Guinness PRO12 play-offs with an impressive 30-8 victory away to reigning champions Connacht on the weekend.

Rugby correspondent SIMON THOMAS reflects on a remarkable turnaround in the team's fortunes and their prospects in the semifinals. A TEAM TRANSFORMED Scroll back to the evening of September 16, 2016. If you had said then that the Scarlets would make the Guinness PRO12 play-offs come the end of the season, it would have seemed a laughable idea.

They had lost their first three league matches to Munster, Edinburgh and Ulster and they looked in a bad place. What has happened since has been nothing short of remarkable. They have gone on to win 16 of their last 18 league fixtures to book a spot in the semi-finals. BRILLIANT BACKS They won't all be together that much longer, so enjoy them while you can. Liam Williams and DTH van der Merwe will be heading for pastures new come the end of the season, but for now they remain on board and they are part of a damn potent unit.

The fact Wales centre Scott Williams was restricted to bench duty in Galway on Saturday evening speaks volumes for the back-line riches currently at the Scarlets' disposal.

There are few teams in Europe with greater attacking potency behind and that was vividly illustrated at the Sportsground. PACK PLATFORM You can have all the big names you like behind, but if they haven't got any ball, it doesn't really matter.

With that in mind, the Scarlets pack deserves a collective pat on the back for their Galway graft. Their efforts were all the more commendable given the missing personnel.

James Davies is currently sidelined with shoulder damage and he was joined on the injury list by fellow back rower John Barclay, who was a late withdrawal with a tight hamstring.

Those are two key men to lose, while Jake Ball also had to leave the fray early, but it was credit to the visitors how they coped. WHAT NEXT? Well, the Scarlets are into the PRO12 play-offs and they know they are heading for Ireland.

But whether it's a trip to Munster or Leinster that lies in store remains to be seen. All will be revealed next Saturday. They are currently third and victory at home to the Ospreys in the final round of league matches would confirm that finishing position. We just have to wait and see. But it should certainly be a real occasion at Parc y Scarlets next weekend, with more than 10,000 tickets having already been sold for the visit from the Ospreys, who are all but into the play-offs themselves.

There are an interesting few weeks ahead.