JUDGEMENT Day turned out to be a frustrating day for us in terms of the result but the game certainly did not disappoint.

Both us and the Scarlets wanted to prove a point and get a win at the Millennium Stadium in front of a record crowd for a Pro12 match.

The tempo was up there with one of the fastest paced games I have witnessed in recent weeks and I think seeing more than half the boys from both teams with hands on knees after a fantastic few phases of play showed the intent to win from both sides.

The old east v west encounter is always a great game and our fantastic win early last season sparked a really good start to the year for us, as it can mean so much for confidence.

The set-piece was a key area that was tested the week before in Edinburgh and it proved to be one of the best facets of our game against our Welsh rivals.

We dominated the lineout, which is always a strength of the Scarlets, with more than five clean turnovers.

In coaching jargon that is what we call a massive Key Performance Indicator (or KPI) for any team.

I had a great view from Alex James' box on the halfway line and the boys certainly came out firing.

But Liam Williams is one of the in-form backs in Wales at the moment and he can produce moments of brilliance that can transform a game.

The Scarlets were really up against it at times but the five minutes either side of the break proved to be the difference.

Whether it be lack of concentration or confidence at times; Scarlets just came out on top and scored the points when they mattered.

We certainly had the chances to get the points but fell short on occasions when experienced and ruthless teams would not.

We are not a million miles away by any means, and next year with a better start we won't just be aiming to be the third best Welsh region, we’ll be looking higher up the table.

This week has been the first where I could really test the wrist and elbow.

Being pain-free allows me to get the ball rolling so that the road to recovery is a short and smooth one.

Dragons physio Hannah has given me the programme that mainly involves 'farmers' walking with weights and dangling from a chin bar, which is all I could really do anyway!

The running is about to start and since the last time I ran was approximately three months ago it is not a prospect that I'm looking forward to, but the aim is to be fit and ready for the dreaded pre-season at the end of June.

Before I think about that I have been enjoying working with Life Education Wales' Richard Davenport and Heolddu High School in Bargoed recently.

It's a school that has great potential and our job is to get these pupils to realise what opportunities they can have from a sporting or educational route.

Hopefully we can help them develop their KPIs alongside their GCSEs.

And, as many of you will have read, I will also be working with Newport RFC next year and that is something that I'm really looking forward to.

Being referred to as a defence 'guru' is something that has certainly put pressure on me to ensure the defence is up there with the likes of Ponty next year.

Being involved with a team in the Premiership is something that will only develop me as a coach even more and further my understanding to see if professional coaching is an avenue I would like to pursue when I have to hang up the boots one day. Time will tell!