Honest owens admits errors cost scarlets
KEN Owens admitted the Scarlets were on the end of a hiding after the Welsh region were dumped out of the European Champions Cup in humiliating style.
Sale Sharks’ 57-14 win at Parc y Scarlets stunned many, with the last-16 knockout game proving to be a huge mismatch.
Scarlets skipper Owens, who recently lifted the Six Nations title with Wales, said: “Nothing much went right. Rugby is a very simple game, and we didn’t match their physicality at all.
“We made back-to-back errors, especially in the first 30 minutes, far too often, which played into their hands.
“They came very direct, which we knew they would, and it is very difficult stop when they get it right.
“We were beaten by a better side on the day. We got dominated physically. We can’t have any complaints.
“A lot of it is easy fixes. Dealing with the physicality of the game, and not making errors. We have had a hiding today and we can’t shy away from that.
“We are definitely a lot better side than what we showed tonight.”
It was a chastening experience for Scarlets head coach Glenn Delaney, who admitted his side were way off the level he expected.
“In the first half we were making too many uncharacteristic errors and Sale didn’t have to do too much,” said the New Zealander. “They had the territory and momentum went with them.
“When you don’t manage territory early on in a big European game it is going to be pretty hard to come back from that.
“There were a couple of errors that didn’t really set the game up well for us.
“Once momentum built against us, we were second best.”
In contrast, Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson is now looking forward to the challenge of beating La Rochelle and claiming a semi-final spot.
He said: “It was a case of us catching them a bit cold and us being red hot.
It was an 80-minute performance which we’ve been building towards for the last 11 weeks.”