Five try Scarlets continute push for play-off spot

Clear skies after a day of sunshine ensured that the pitch at Parc Y Scarlets was dry and firm underfoot; ideal you would say for the running brand of rugby that the Scarlets are famed for. Their opposition, Connacht, are certainly a team that won’t go away without a fight, and the Scarlets would need to improve on their performance of last weekend if they were to prevent the Irish provinces making it three wins in a row over them.

The Scarlets however, were on their best home run in the league since 2006, and with a handful of their international stars back and starting, in the shape of Rhodri Jones, Lou Reed, Aaron Shingler, Stephen Jones and Liam Williams, they might take more stopping than even Connachts well known battling defence could cope with.

Despite knocking the ball on from the kick off, it appeared that Connacht might very well be able to spoil the Scarlets’ day. It was only four minutes into the game when, after some slick passing through the backs, the Connacht winger, Tiernan O’Halloran made a great break, only to be brought down just short of the try line by a superb Scarlets cover tackle, resulting in a turnover.

What followed next was a general war of attrition with both sides flagrantly ignoring the offside line, and the match officials seemingly happy to let them do so.

The Scarlets’ endeavour to go forward was countered by the quick passing Connacht side, with their fly half Nikora, easily winning the early kicking battle, frequently putting the ball in behind the Scarlets’ defence.

It was down to the old general Stephen Jones to finally clear the ball and get the homeside playing in the right areas of the pitch. It wasn’t until the fourteenth minute that the first kickable penalty was awarded, in this instance to the Scarlets, due to a Connacht hand in the ruck. The Scarlets however opted to kick to the corner instead of taking an easy three pointer. The lineout ball was secured, but the following maul was brought down illegaly by Connacht leading to a scrum to Scarlets. This was swiftly followed by a penalty.

Another scrum, another penalty, but this time it was a quick tap and go from sharp scrum half Liam Davies. Some quick passing through the backs soon had the Scarlets beating the Connacht scramble defence, allowing wing Andy Fenby to cross over in the corner. Stephen Jones calmly converted, and in the seventeenth minute the score was 7-0 to the Scarlets.

Both teams then continued the fight up front in the forwards, with two sets of aggressive defences forcing errors and knock ons in contact. It wasn’t until the twenty first minute that Connacht were awarded a penalty when finally, the referee pinged a player for being offside. Perhaps surprisingly, Connacht opted to kick to the corner instead of taking the points, but a few minutes later they were rewarded with another chance as the Scarlets were penalised for hands in the ruck. This time, they took the points.

Twenty four minutes on the clock and the score read Scarlets 7 – 3 Connacht.

As the game progressed, Connacht had the best of the possession, yet an aggressive Scarlets defence, mainly led by fearless winger Liam Williams, forced them back or sideways and into kicking possession away.

As the clock hit thirty three minutes, the Scarlets forwards finally started to make inroads through the tough Connacht defensive line, with hooker Emyr Phillips making good ground. He then linked up with Captain Gareth Maule, who with quick hands fed Liam Williams into Connacht’s 22. The Scarlets forwards, with neat pick and go’s quickly made their way to 5m out from the Connacht try line. It appeared that Connacht had done enough to take the sting out of the Scarlets attack, but prop Rhodri Jones had other ideas, as he gathered the ball to crash through two defenders, and over for the try, which was duly converted by Jones to make the score 14 – 3 at thirty seven minutes.

A bit of complacency then crept into the Scarlets’ game, when from the gathered re-start, they then proceeded to pass aimlessly within their own 22. The result? A knock on and scrum down to Connacht. They secured quick ball, and looked to release their backs, but the Scarlets defence, marshalled by Jones and lead by Williams again, pressurised them enough to force the error and allow the Scarlets to clear their lines.

Half time Scarlets 14 – 3 Connacht.

The second half resumed with a few exchanged scrums, but in general the next ten minutes of play were aimless from both sides as they looked to get some rhythm back into their game.

At the fifty second minute mark, Connacht started unloading their bench with Denis Buckley replacing prop Ronan Loughney, and John Muldoon replacing Michael Swift. Unlucky for Muldoon perhaps that he joined the game during a period of consistent Scarlets pressure in the Connacht 22. In the fifty sixth minute, referee Marius Mitrea decided that Connacht had infringed one time too many, and Muldoon received a yellow card and ten minutes in the sin bin for his efforts.

The resulting Scrum V for the Scarlets, right in front of the posts, led to hooker Phillips crashing over for the Scarlets’ third try of the match, with Jones again slotting the conversion to extend their lead in the fifty seventh minute to 24 – 3 to add to an earlier penalty, also kicked by Jones.
Another error by the Scarlets after gathering the re-start handed the advantage back to Connacht, but they were unable to make the most of it as the Scarlets forced yet another knock on.

The sixtieth minute mark was reached, and Scarlets coach Nigel Davies, true to form started his substitutions with Deacon Manu, Rhodri Jones and Liam Davies all making way for Pete Edwards, Phil John and Gareth Davies.

Some hard work by the Scarlets forwards provided Stephen Jones with enough time to slot a superb kick deep into Connacht’s 22, with the bounce cruelly evading the covering defenders grasp to trickle into touch.

Connacht secured the lineout but the ferocious counter maul from the Scarlets led to a turnover, and with quick hands the ball found its way to the tireless no 8, Kieran Murphy, who side stepped a defender to sprint his way over just to the right of the posts. Jones once more converted, taking the score at sixty three minutes to Scarlets 31 – 3 Connacht.

Both sides made more changes with the hard working Eoin Griffin making way for Tonetti, and the superb Williams swapping with Iongi.
All momentum was now with the Scarlets with Jones dictating play and the forwards making good ground. Connacht would not be subdued though, with the ever dangerous O’Halloran making another good break. Their persistence paid off as after repeat infringements in their own 22, the Scarlets replacement tight head Pete Edwards was duly sent to the sin bin for ten minutes in the 68th minute.

With Connacht back up to their full compliment, they cleverly kept the ball in play from a Gareth Davies clearance box kick. The ball was fed to Mulldoon, who making up for his ten minutes in the bin, made a great break down the left side to feed the ball to replacement Reynecke, who ran through the rest of the Scarlets defence with ease to cross for a try. Nikora landed the conversion to make it 31-10 to the Scarlets in the seventy fourth minute.

Connacht’s intent to continuously keep playing though ended up being their downfall. In the seventy ninth minute, the Scarlets put in a clearance kick from a scrum that reached half way, and looking to run it Connacht were turned over, and the resulting breakaway by the Scarlets ended up with replacement prop Phil John crossing the whitewash, with time long having ticked into the red. Jones maintained his 100% kicking display to convert.

Connacht had shown throughout the match the same spirit, resolve and hard work they are famed for, but the tireless Scarlets pack, aided by the returning internationals and the assured control of Jones, had too much fire power and finishing ability for them to content with.

Full time: Scarlets 38 – 10 Connacht

Attendance: 7, 534
Stadium Man of the Match: Stephen Jones
My Man of the Match: Liam Williams/Kieran Murphy

Scarlets: Dan Newton; Liam Williams, Gareth Maule (capt), Adam Warren, Andy Fenby; Stephen Jones, Liam Davies; Rhodri Jones, Emyr Phillips , Deacon Manu, Lou Reed, Aaron Shingler, Josh Turnbull, Johnathan Edwards, Kieran Murphy.

Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Phil John, Peter Edwards, Dominic Day, Mat Gilbert, Gareth Davies, Nick Reynolds, Viliame Iongi.

Connacht: Gavin Duffy (capt); Fetu'u Vainikolo, Eoin Griffin, Dave McSharry, Tiernan O'Halloran; Miah Nikora, Frank Murphy; Ronan Loughney, Adrian Flavin, Peter Borlase, Michael Swift, Mick Kearney, Dave Heffernan, Ray Ofisa, George Naoupu.

Replacements: Ethienne Reynecke , Denis Buckley , Stewart Maguire , John Muldoon , Eoghan Grace , Dave Moore , Matthew Jarvis , Kyle Tonetti

Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Tim Hayes, Greg Morgan
Citing Commissioner: Richard Gwynn