Leinster smash seven tries past Scarlets in Llanelli
WELSH fans will be hoping for a much different scoreline when the majority of the best players from these two teams clash in the opening round of the Six Nations in Cardiff on Sunday.
The Scarlets were without 12 of their 1st XV and Leinster arrived without 17 Irish squad members. They did, however, have the Ireland and British & Irish Lions tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong in their front row.
All eyes were on him as he played his first competitive game in almost a year and he gave the Irish selectors a big boost by successfully negotiating 40 minutes.
With a bonus point wrapped up before the break, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen was able to replace hm for the second half and send him back to the Irish camp with a five star rating.
It was Furlong’s first game since packing down against England in last year’s Six Nations on February 23. Since then he has been dogged by calf and hamstring injuries. Now he can start preparing for a return trip to Wales for next weekend’s clash with Wales in Cardiff.
It turned into a pretty routine victory for the reigning PRO14 champions in the end as they worked their way back to the top of Conference A to stay on course for another final appearance.
The Scarlets kicked poorly, gave away too many penalties and were eventually overpowered after a spirited first quarter.
Two of the four first half tries came from driving lineouts from 15 metres out, the second being awarded as penalty try, and there was another from the base of a five metre scrum and the bonus point score came on the narrow side of another close range line out.
To their credit, the Scarlets hit back straight away after Dan Leavy bagged the first try from a close range scrum.
A great, flat midfield pass from Costello put No.8 Uzair Cassiem into a hole and he ran from halfway to the 22 before sending scrum-half Dane Blacker racing to the line.
Costello’s conversion made it 10-7 to the home side, but the only other points they could muster in the first half was a second penalty. Leinster added three more tries, two of which Harry Byrne improved and the outside half also kicked a penalty.
The Scarlets lost Cassiem to a yellow card after the penalty try for joining the driving maul from the side and Cian Kelleher’s try on the stroke of half-time came while the home side were down to 14 men.
Skipper Luke McGrath, full-back Max O’Reilly and replacement centre David Hawkshaw ran in three more tries after the break, all of which Byrne converted, to take them through the half-century mark.
The Sarlets’ blushes were saved by two longrange, late tries.
Tyler Morgan made the break for the first before sending in replacement scrum-half Will Homer. Then Angus O’Brien skipped through the Leinster line and sped to the posts for a try he also converted.