SWEET REVENGE FOR PEEL’S STARS
THE Scarlets gained sweet revenge over the Dragons with a bonus point victory at Rodney Parade to remain in pole position for Champions Cup qualification and keep alive their URC play-off hopes.
Dwayne Peel’s side had gone down to a surprise 38-27 home defeat to the Men of Gwent last weekend, but responded with a six-try triumph in an entertaining encounter that swung back and fore.
They built a 17-0 lead, only for the Dragons to go in front with 19 unanswered points of their own, but three tries in the final 15 minutes took the visitors clear.
Ultimately, it was their mighty driving maul that proved the difference, as it provided three of their touchdowns, with full-back Angus O’Brien also crossing twice against his former region.
The Dragons will look back and rue the opportunities they spurned in a first half where they had much more of the ball only to trail 17-7 at the break. For the Scarlets, it’s a result that strengthens their status as the leading Welsh side in the United Rugby Championship table, keeping them on course for European qualification with two games left to play. It also means they are still in the hunt for the top-eight finish that would mean a spot in the end-of-season league play-offs.
In terms of how the game unfolded, well the first half was a strange old affair. The Dragons had 70 per cent possession and 80 per cent territory, plus a one-man advantage for ten minutes following the sin-binning of winger Steff Evans.
But it was the visitors who delivered the points, claiming tries through lock Sam Lousi, full-back O’Brien and hooker Ryan Elias to go 17-0 up.
Tongan international Lousi opened the scoring with a magicianlike one-handed finish from close range following a strong lineout drive and three minutes later it was the turn of the versatile O’Brien to take centre stage. Off a counter from a turnover, the former Dragon hit the line and showed good pace as he sprinted in from his own half.
The Scarlets then had winger Evans yellow carded for a deliberate knockon, but despite being reduced to 14 men they posted their third try. The driving maul once again proved a real weapon, with Elias rounding things off following a concerted forward surge off a Josh Macleod lineout take. As for the Dragons, they were left to reflect on missed opportunities, with scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou spilling the ball with the line at his mercy early on and then winger Rio Dyer being denied by an ankle tap from that man O’Brien.
They eventually succeeded in converting possession into points six minutes before the break when centre Jack Dixon picked up from a ruck following an attacking scrum and forced his way to cut the half-time deficit to 17-7.
The hosts started the second half strongly and on 50 minutes it was Jordan Williams’ turn to score against his former region as the full-back spun over following sustained pressure.
Then just past the hour they took the lead from a well worked move off a scrum, with Sam Davies sending juggling centre Aaron Warren away to the line.
But the Scarlets were soon back in front, with the rolling maul once again their key weapon, replacement prop Rob Evans peeling off from the drive to claim the bonus point try, ahead of wing Corey Baldwin and O’Brien both crossing out wide in the closing minutes.