Gallacher has said no Welsh coaches had the skills the Scarlets required

Llanelli Scarlets have defended appointing two Australian coaches in Nigel Davies' backroom staff.

The Stradey Park region insist no Welsh talent was available so they chose John Muggleton and Brad Harrington as their defence and fitness coaches.

Asked why they had not signed Welsh coaching talent instead chief executive Stuart Gallacher said no-one had the necessary level of experience.

"You can only bring Welsh people in if they're competent enough," he said.

Muggleton comes to the Scarlets on a two-year contract as their new defence coach after 10 years as assistant coach for Australia where he helped them win the 1999 World Cup and beat the Lions in 2001.

We have to bring what we consider the best in and that's exactly what we've done Scarlets chief executive Stuart Gallacher

Within that period the 48-year-old also worked as defence guru for both New South Wales Waratahs and the Queensland Reds.

Meanwhile, 34-year-old Harrington arrives this month as fitness coach after spending the past year in a similar role with the Waratahs, three years with Leinster and helping within the Ireland international set-up.

Both will work alongside new head coach Nigel Davies who asked the Gallacher to appoint the duo in the first place.

"We would have loved to have brought Welsh coaches in but there's no-one in Wales, certainly, that has John Muggleton's experience - particularly at international level," explained Gallacher about the overseas influx into Stradey.

"And he's coached defensively at all the regions and provinces in Australia. It's the same really with the conditioning coach.

"Brad has been with Ireland for three years he's been at Super 14 now. We didn't have the luxury of that in Wales.

"I'm not decrying the coaches in the Premier Division but no-one's been exposed to the level of competition that these two guys have.

"We have to bring what we consider the best in and that's exactly what we've done."

"I suppose one has to look really at the whole structure of coach development in Wales and I know the Welsh Rugby Union are doing that now.

606: DEBATE These guys will bring a fresh approach to the coaching team onlyturkinthevillage

"That's the reason, really. No ulterior motive, just that we felt that they were the right people and they just happened to be from the Southern Hemisphere."

However, former Wales international Paul Moriarty has been retained as forwards coach after impressing the Llanelli hierarchy with his work with the players since taking over at the end of last season.

As the two Aussies have walked in through the doors two Welsh coaches have decided to move in the opposite direction with backs coach Robert Jones and fitness coach Wayne Proctor leaving the club by mutual consent.

Gallacher said there were no hard feelings about their departures and said: "It was all very amicable and they both understand why we have taken the decisions that we have.

"We thank Robert and Wayne for the work they've put in on behalf of the Scarlets and we wish them all the best for the future."