SCARLETS GIVE SHARKS A SCARE
THE Scarlets put in a stirring effort in Durban against a star-studded Sharks team, but were left to rue a series of missed opportunities in the first half.
A thrilling first half saw the Scarlets – shorn of their Wales internationals for the trip – denied two tries by the TMO, while the Sharks, whose starting XV was littered with Springboks, were held up over the line.
They did cross twice after the break through Aaron Shingler and Steff Evans, but the hosts doubled that tally, claiming the bonus-point touchdown deep into stoppage time.
The Scarlets started brightly and came within a whisker of claiming a try after just seven minutes.
It seemed as though fly-half Sam Costelow had done the business after appearing to win the race in chasing his own kick ahead.
But after repeated replays in a TMO check, the decision was that Sharks wing Aphelele Fassi had just got his fingertips to the ball ahead of Costelow grounding it.
Then came a moment winger Steff Evans will want to forget. He seemed certain to score from a searing backs move, with full-back Tom Rogers hitting the line and giving the final pass.
But as Evans took off to produce an acrobatic one-handed finish in the corner, his foot just clipped the touchline and the try was ruled out.
The Scarlets did take a deserved lead through the boot of Costelow before going so close to a try yet again.
Brilliant work from dummying skipper Scott Williams off a line-out sent scrum-half Dane Blacker racing towards the whitewash, only for Siya Kolisi to snare him from behind.
Towards the end of the half it was the Sharks who piled on the pressure, but Jaden Hendrikse was held up over the line following some desperate Scarlets defending four minutes from the break.
So, in the end, all the points in the opening period came through the boot, with Curwin Bosch replying to two successful shots by opposite number Costelow.
The second half began in encouraging fashion for the visitors as they finally managed to get over the whitewash to take the lead.
From a close-range attacking lineout, Sam Lousi leapt high to claim the ball and then fed it direct to replacement lock Aaron Shingler, who dummied his way over.
But the Sharks levelled the scores again when exciting full-back Aphelele Fassi raced in after latching on to a no-look grubber kick from scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse.
The Scarlets spurned more points as replacement fly-half Dan Jones struck the woodwork with a very kickable penalty, ahead of a decisive moment just past the hour mark.
Looking to clear his lines, Scott Williams had his kick charged down by Ben Tapuai, with Bosch diving on the loose ball for a try he converted himself.
As the Sharks set-piece power began to tell, they went further ahead with a penalty try which saw Kemsley Mathias yellow-carded for collapsing a maul.
Despite being down to 14 men, the Scarlets didn’t give up, with Steff Evans sprinting over after being put into a hole by a superb one-handed offload from lock Lousi.
But the Sharks had the last word amid another yellow card as they secured the bonus-point fourth try through centre Marius Louw.