The Dragons were looking to start their championship with a bang against the Scarlets, after winning the Fosters 7s the week before.
The first 15 minutes were a cagey affair with both sides making inroads into opposition territory. The deadlock was broken when a turnover at a ruck saw Keighlee Williams dive over the line to open the scoring.
The next 10 minutes was very much like the first 15 until the Scarlets gave away a kickable penalty in their own 22. Elinor Snowsill slotted the penalty to extend the Dragons lead to 8-0. The Dragons then gave away a penalty seven minutes later which saw Jodie Evans take the points on offer to give the Dragons an 8-3 advantage at the break.
Not long after the start of the second half a great individual try from Scarlets full back Dyddgu Hywel gave the Scarlets the lead. Gathering the ball near the half way line and slicing through the Dragons defence, she scored under the posts, with Evans adding the extras.
The next score was a team effort from the Dragons. Keeping the ball for a number of phases and moving the ball out wide to Charlie Murray, the former Wales winger made it over the whitewash near the 15m line. Snowsill who was in superb form in open play, kicked the conversation which gave the Dragons a 15-10 lead.
Heading into the final stages, the Dragons must have felt they had wrapped up the points but Hywel had other ideas and snatched victory for the Scarlets with another stunning solo effort to score near the posts to give Evans a simple conversion.
In the other game held in a double header, Ospreys signaled their intentions with a comfortable 41-5 victory over Cardiff Blues.
