Depleted Scarlets keep heat on Leinster
SCARLETS showed they have plenty of young talent coming through as a weakened side claimed a famous bonus-point win over a strong Ulster team in Llanelli.
Tries from young duo Ioan Nicholas and Ryan Conbeer and efforts from Paul Asquith and Tadhg Beirne plus the boot of Dan Jones gave Wayne Pivac’s men victory as they kept up the pressure on Leinster at the top of Conference B.
Ulster scored early through Stuart McCloskey, but disappointed on the whole as Scarlets returned to winning ways after backto-back defeats.
Hit hard by international call-ups, the Scarlets looked up against it taking on a strong Ulster side and they were soon behind with McCloskey the scorer.
Former Ireland wing Tommy Bowe was the creator as he collected a high ball, raced clear and found McCloskey in support. The centre was given an easy finish and John Cooney converted.
It was a bad start for the men from Llanelli, but after Jones kicked a penalty, the game settled down. Bowe remained lively in an unfamiliar left wing position and it was the former Ireland man’s team that looked the more dangerous in attack as Scarlets made tackle after tackle.
Keen to prove a point after his release by Wales, James Davies contributed one exceptional turnover, but Scarlets did have their share of the luck when Ulster had a second try ruled out.
McCloskey looked liked he’d turned from scorer to creator after he passed to Nick Timoney and the flanker jogged in under the posts. Referee Sean Brickell sent the decision to the TMO, the officials working together to rule out the score for a block on Scarlets scrum-half Jonathan Evans.
Ulster pair Bowe and Matthew Rea were the ones judged to have interfered, but it looked a marginal call which allowed Scarlets to make it to the break only 7-3 down.
Pivac’s men started the second period with a bang. Jones orchestrated things from fly-half and he was at the heart of the move which saw Nicholas dive over in the left corner.
It was a fine acrobatic finish from the young winger and to make things even better for his team, Jones nailed the touchline conversion.
Ulster full-back Louis Ludik and Asquith then collided in the air, before Davies was penalised and Cooney stepped up to level the scores at 10-10. It was now nip and tuck, Ulster surprisingly unable to move clear despite boasting the stronger team.
A simple Jones kick saw the advantage swing Scarlets’ way before substitute Conbeer produced a moment of magic. The young back weaved his way through the Ulster defence from more than 40 metres for what was a superb individual finish. Jones converted.
It gave Scarlets a 20-10 lead going into the final quarter and it was one they didn’t let go as Jones kicked ahead for Asquith to score the third try which he converted.
Nicholas had what would have been his second ruled out, but remarkably the bonus-point score then arrived with four minutes to go as Beirne stripped Timoney on his own line to score.
Jones converted and Pivac would surely have been delighted to take maximum points given his long list of first-choice absentees.