SCARLETS 23 – 0 GLASGOW WARRIORS
The Scarlets finally broke their duck in their BKT United Rugby Championship campaign as they totally dominated Glasgow Warriors.
With a return to the Investec Champions Cup ahead of them this was the perfect dress-rehearsal for Dwayne Peel’s side. The return of experience forwards Ryan Elias, Max Douglas and skipper Josh Macleod made a massive difference, and the home forwards were rampant.
Glasgow headed to south Wales full of confidence given they sat in third place in the table before the day began and had won their last seven games on Welsh soil. Add in the fact that the Scarlets hadn’t won in their last six league games and it was easy to see why the Scottish side arrived as big favourites.
But with new No 8 recruit from New Zealand, Fletcher Anderson, p[utting in another power packed performance reputation and previous results counted for nothing.
The Scarlets scrum picked up a stream of penalties and caused so much damage that Glasgow head coach Franco Smith changed two of his front five on 36 minutes. James Bhatti was replaced in the front row by Nathan McBeth and Max Williamson took over from Jare Oguntibeju in the second row.
By half-time the visitors were in a whole heap of trouble trailing 13-0 and only just managed to stop Douglas from adding a second try in the right corner with a double team tackle.
It was that man Macleod who opened the scoring in the 16th minute when he converted a driving line-out into a try. Sam Costelow added the extras and then kicked two penalties to build the lead.
There must have been some harsh words in the Glasgow dressing room at the break because the team came out with a lot more intent and purpose. In their first attack after the re-start they manag3ed to create an overload on the left as they worked the ball down the line to Kyle Steyn.
He managed to reach the 22 but was then put into touch and the move petered out. Back came the Scarlets and a cross kick to the left by Costelow on half-way bounced into the arms of Tomi Lewis on the Glasgow 22.
He stepped inside his opposite number and then tried to pass inside to the supporting Macs Page. As he did, so Kerr Johnston flew in and knocked the pass back to his own goal line. Page won the race for the try and Costelow’s latest success off the kicking tee made it 20-0 to the pumped up home side with half-an-hour left to play.
Costelow coolly kicked a third penalty to complete the scoring and was replaced in the final three minutes by 18-year-old Llandovery College captain Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, who made his URC debut and had the honour of kicking the ball off the field to end the game.