A last-gasp penalty from Fergus McFadden ensured Nigel Davies’ troops were beaten 16-13 by the reigning European Champions at the RDS.
McFadden bounced back from a horror showing in Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations defeat to Wales a fortnight ago – when he was unceremoniously handed off by George North as the giant wing set up Jonathan Davies’ second try – by scoring all of his side’s points in an impressive individual display.
The result is a dent to the seventh-placed Scarlets’ play-off aspirations, especially with both the Blues and Ospreys winning this evening, but the manner of the performance will give Davies and co plenty of encouragement for the remainder of the season.
Prior to this evening’s fixture, Leinster had scored an incredible 136 points in their last three home games but the Scarlets never looked like shipping a big tally in Round 15.
Instead, the visitors had looked set to leave Dublin with a surprise win after a converted try from Dan Newton and a Stephen Jones penalty had handed them a 10-3 lead the break.
And although McFadden converted his own score just moments into the second period to bring Leinster level, a Newton penalty again wrestled the initiative back into Scarlets’ hands.
But McFadden’s second three pointer set up a frantic final quarter and it was the home side who scraped home right at the death.
