Dead-shot Priestland fires timely reminder to Gatland
RHYS Priestland returned to Parc-yScarlets to blast a huge dent in Scarlets’ chances of progressing to the quarter-finals following last week’s defeat to Toulon.
The Carmarthen-born Bath fly-half, who scored over 1,100 points in 157 games during his nine seasons at Scarlets, booted six penalties from seven attempts to send the PRO12 champions tumbling to a shattering defeat.
Adding to his exemplary goal-kicking, Priestland, with the aid of his halfback partner Kahn Fotuali’i, kept a stranglehold on Scarlets throughout by pinning them in their own half with some well-judged tactical kicking to earn huge praise from his director of rugby, Todd Blackadder.
Blackadder said: “Rhys took control of the game and he’s certainly having an outstanding season.
“He looks really composed; our game plan suits him as he’s now become a leader in the group. I just hope we don’t lose him to Wales for a month.”
That is likely to happen as Wales coaches Warren Gatland and Rob Howley were both present at the game and the 30-year-old Priestland will surely have impressed sufficiently to be recalled to the international squad, which is to be announced on Tuesday.
The 48-cap Priestland has not played for Wales for over 18 months and confirmed he has not heard from their coaching staff.
He said: “I’d love to play for Wales but I haven’t got a clue where I stand. I’m not going to build up my hopes and at present my sole objective is to try and win games for Bath.
“I’ve been pretty nervous all week about coming back here. I thought the game wasn’t much of a spectacle but we got our tactics right and dominated.
“I loved watching Scarlets last year. We did our analysis and knew we had to work hard to match them before grinding them down.”
Bath did just that as their pack surprisingly out battled their opponents, who struggled for territory and possession as Taulupe Faletau and Sam Underhill comfortably won the contest at the breakdown.
Two penalties from Priestland to one from Leigh Halfpenny had given the visitors a 6-3 lead at the end of the first quarter before Scarlets scored the only try of the game – and what a brilliant one it was in dreadful conditions.
Halfpenny collected a loose clearance to send Steff Evans skating past Semesa Rokoduguni before handing on to the supporting Gareth Davies. The scrum-half was hauled down by Anthony Watson but Evans was on hand to finish off the 60m move.
Halfpenny converted but two more penalties from Priestland gave his side a 12-10 interval lead before the fly-half missed a great chance to extend that advantage.
He charged down an attempted clearance from Rhys Patchell, kicked ahead but then knocked on with the line at his mercy.
It mattered little as Scarlets were kept firmly in check with two more penalties from Priestland seeing his side home with Halfpenny’s late effort earning a bonus point to just about keep Scarlets’ qualification hopes alive. can happen but realistically we need to win all our remaining games and hope things elsewhere go our way.”
Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder hailed an outstanding performance from his side: “The boys played the conditions very well. We trained in similar conditions on Wednesday so it was an easier job for them tonight.
“It was hard on Scarlets as they only had a five day turnaround after playing in France but it’s a tough pool and we must take all the points we can get.”