And although advance tickets sales for this New Year’s Day clash with the Newport Gwent Dragons are higher than last year, the Scarlets are still preparing for a large walk-up crowd.

Extra staff are being brought in to man the ticket office but supporters are warned that the only way to be sure of avoiding lengthy queues is to buy their tickets in advance.

“It was a great occasion here last New Year but standing in a queue for ages when you could be comfortable in a bar isn’t the greatest start to an evening out,” says Chief Executive Stuart Gallacher.

“Some people are telling us that they want to check the state of their hangover before deciding whether to come but kick-off isn’t until 5.30pm and by then most people will be back in the land of the living and in need of fresh air and possibly the hair of a dog!”.

You can pre-book your tickets via the Scarlets ticketline on 0871 8718088, online at www.scarlets.co.uk , or in person at Stradey Park this week from 9.30am until 5pm.   And for those who insist on checking out that hangover, the ticket office will also be open from 3pm on New Years Day, with kick off at 5.30pm.