SCARLETS 27 – 26 BENETTON RUGBY
Sam Costelow held his nerve to complete a major second half revival by the Scarlets to earn them their first win in the BKT United Rugby Championship this season as they beat Benetton Rugby.
It looked as though former Scarlets and Wales head coach Wayne Pivac, now in charge of the Italian side, was going to make a happy return to Parc y Scarlets when his team changed ends 21-7 in front.
Sam Lousi may have given the home side an early lead with a close-range try that Costelow converted, but a driving line out try from hooker Suia Maile was soon improved by Jacob Umaga to level.
Then Benetton took a grip on proceedings in the second quarter with a fine solo effort from left wing Onisi Ratave and a close-range try from Italian skipper Michele Lamaro. Umaga converted both to make it 21-7 at the break.
The Scarlets threw No 8 Fletcher Anderson and wily old Wales scrum half Gareth Davies into the fray at the start of the second half, and they both made major impacts. But it was an interception try from Wales full back Blair Murray in the 51st minute that launched the fightback.
He raced three-quarters of the length of the field to score, and Costelow’s conversion cut the gap to seven points. Macs Page then conjured up some magic to send Ellis Mee diving in at the corner and suddenly the gap was down to two points.
The Scarlets then hit the front in the 66th minute when a pin-point Costelow cross field kick allowed Mee to touch down for his second try and grab the bonus-point. Having hit the front it was now a question of staying there to get that much needed win.
Back came Benetton and when international wing Louis Lynagh raced onto a kick through to notch their fourth try in the 73rd minute it looked all over as the Italians returned to the lead at 26-24.
But never say never! The Scarlets won a penalty 40 metres out in the 78th minute and up stepped Costelow to nail the kick and earn his side the full five points.
“It was a huge kick and I could see by Sam’s whole demeanour he was going to mail it. It was a great kick,” said Scarlets’ director of rugby NigeL Davies
“It was a much-needed win, although after one victory from three games we’re not getting carried away. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I’ve seen enough in the first three games to suggest that we can really drive things forward here.”