SCARLETS SUFFER A BREAKDOWN AT THE BREAKDOWN
THE Scarlets’ indifferent start to the season continued in Galway as Wayne Pivac’s side came off second best to Connacht. With Ireland international centre Bundee Aki shining, Connacht tore into the Scarlets from the whistle, earning an early lead the Irish province were never to relinquish.
It was a day to forget for the Scarlets, but at least one player stood out to give Wayne Pivac, and Wales boss Warren Gatland, a timely boost.
Here we assess the main talking points as the Scarlets endured their second defeat across the Irish Sea this season.
SCARLETS WERE WIPED OUT AT THE BREAKDOWN
In recent years the Scarlets have forged a reputation as the turnover kings of the PRO14.
Last season Tadhg Beirne pilfered a staggering 38 turnovers in the competition, while James Davies and John Barclay have regularly been near the top of the charts.
Of course, Pivac knew he would have to cope without the influence of Beirne and Barclay, who have joined Munster and Edinburgh respectively.
But he couldn’t have envisaged losing his top three opensides to injury within the first month of the campaign.
Against Connacht, with no specialist seven in their line-up, the Scarlets came off second best at the breakdown.
They struggled to get men over the ball to slow down possession and had problems keeping hold of their own ball.
One of the main factors behind the Scarlets’ recent success has been their ability to cope with injuries to key personnel, but they will desperately hope Davies’s knee injury isn’t a bad one.
He was sorely missed at the Sportsground.
“We’re hurt without a seven at the moment,” admitted Pivac.
“It’s one of our strengths, slowing ball down and turning ball over. We weren’t able to do that.”
THE STATS TOLD THEIR OWN STORY
Very rarely do sides emerge with a win when they have to feed off scraps like the Scarlets did in Galway.
The visitors had to dine on just 35 per cent possession and much of that was in the opening half.
They found themselves camped in their own territory, with the postmatch statistics showing a paltry 19 per cent of the game being spent in the home half.
The Scarlets had to make 117 tackles to Connacht’s 55, while only one Scarlet — Hadleigh Parkes — made double-figure carries compared to five from the home ranks.
The statistics really do tell their own story.
The Scarlets need to do what Connacht managed to do so effectively: keep hold of the ball and go through phases.
THE SCARLETS DEFENCE WAS FOUND WANTING
The alarm bells would have been ringing inside the opening four minutes when man of the match Aki, a thorn in the Scarlets side the whole game, beat three defenders to set up Connacht’s opening try for Tom Farrell.
Wing Cian Kelleher sliced through the defensive line in the second half, while Connacht also targeted the returning Rhys Patchell, who had a tough afternoon trying to halt the impressive Aki.
In total, the Scarlets missed 25 tackles.
You can guarantee that defence coach Byron Hayward will be having a few stern words this week.
AT LEAST JAKE BALL SHOWED HIS METTLE
In the week before the game Ball spoke to the media about his journey back from shoulder surgery and his determination to win back his Wales jersey. That determination was summed up in a few minutes in the second half.
Ball took a nasty blow to his left shoulder — the same one he dislocated against the All Blacks last November — putting in one of many defensive hits.
He looked in considerable pain but got up, tried to shake it off, took his place in the defensive line and made a crucial tackle on Niyi Adeolokun.
Ball needed treatment and even referee Marius Mitrea suggested “I think you need to take care of him”.
But he opted to stay on, packed down in a defensive scrum and moments after was charging into Connacht defenders, with little regard for that shoulder, making a brilliant offload off the floor to Wyn Jones that led to Tom Prydie’s 72nd-minute try.
Ball finished the game as the Scarlets’ joint highest tackler.
In a match of few positives for the West Walians, his performance was one that will encourage Pivac, not to mention Wales coach Gatland.
THE CRUSADERS CONNECTION SHOWED PROMISE
One of the main frustrations for the Scarlets, and there were many, would have been that when they did hold on to possession and put the ball through the hands, they looked a real danger.
Centre Kieron Fonotia has enjoyed a solid start following his move from the Ospreys and was one of the Scarets’ few standout players at the Sportsground.
Fonotia has some familiar faces around him at the Scarlets.
He used to share a flat with Parkes in the early part of their careers Down Under and was a team-mate of McNicholl at the Crusaders.
Fonotia and McNicholl linked cleverly for the visitors’ opening try, and if those two can forge an understanding in Scarlets colours they are going to be entertaining to watch this season.