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OPPOSITION
Most of the season has been spent as league leaders but things couldn’t
be tighter at the top with only one point separating first placed Ulster and
Scarlets in fourth.
It was a dramatic victory over the PRO12 champions that got the
Scarlets’ season off to a positive start in the first round.
In the midst of Rugby World Cup fervor and with two tries, two penalties
and a dramatic finish to rival any World Cup game the Scarlets closed
out a 10-16 victory with only 11 players on the field to secure a first
success at Scotstoun by an opposition side in the PRO12 since
November 2013.
The Scarlets backed up their dramatic victory over Glasgow in Scotstoun
with another win over tough PRO12 opponents, Ulster Rugby. It wasn’t
always comfortable for Scarlets fans as the home side conceded two
tries and saw three players sent to the sin bin. Ulster have yet to pick up
a victory at the Parc since 2010.
A classic it may not have been but an 8-20 victory over Zebre Rugby at
their Stadio Lanfranchi home ensured an historic day for the Scarlets
in the PRO12 in round three. Scarlets were looking for a seventh
consecutive PRO12 victory in Italy to ensure their best ever run in the
competition. The victory over Zebre also meant five consecutive victories
on the road.
A defiant Leinster were put to the sword at Parc y Scarlets as DTH
secured a brace on debut. Despite a late resurgence from Leinster in
the second half, the Scarlets had done more than enough to secure a
comfortable victory in the end.
As the Scarlets went in search of their ninth consecutive victory, so too
were Munster looking to continue their own run of victories, not having
lost a game all season. It wasn’t the start the home crowd had hoped
for with Munster drawing first blood and going ahead early on. It was the
Scarlets who made the most of possession in the opening exchange
however and a pair of tries ensured the game would come down to a
tense climax. The first time the Scarlets took the lead was in the 80th
minute with the final kick of the game.
A win over Newport Gwent Dragons in the side’s first Welsh derby of the
season was followed quickly by a first defeat in the PRO12 this season
as Leinster reigned supreme at their RDS home ahead of the Champions
Cup opener.
Scarlets got back to winning ways with a pair of Italian jobs secured over
Zebre, at the Parc, followed by a tense affair against Treviso sandwiched
in between the European rounds.
There was no festive spirit in West Wales as the Scarlets recorded
defeats in both Christmas derbies, against Ospreys at the Parc and
Cardiff Blues at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park.
A 21-19 victory over this afternoon’s opposition a few weeks back, at
Parc y Scarlets, ensured that the Scarlets remained at the top of the table
before heading into the final rounds of the Champions Cup campaign.
West was best as January came to a close but the West of Ireland and
not West Wales as Connacht ran in four tries to defeat the Scarlets 30-17
as the Welsh failed to capitalise on opportunities and allowed indiscipline
to rule the roost.
Last week’s home game, against Edinburgh, was a much-needed win
with Aled Thomas showing nerves of steel kicking a penalty to win the
game in the dying moments.
With only seven rounds of the regular Guinness
PRO12 season remaining, Scarlets take on this
afternoon’s opposition, Ulster, looking for a result that
will keep them in the top four and play-off positions.
@scarlets_rugby
OfficialScarlets
CLUB STATS
//Location
Llanelli, Wales
//Founded
2003
//Ground
Parc y Scarlets
//Capacity
14,800
//Last Game
Edinburgh Rugby (H) 22 - 21(W)
Friday 12th Feb 2016, 20:15
//Next Game
Edinburgh Rugby (A)
Sunday 28th Feb 2016, 14:05
//Recent Form
L L W L W
STAFF
// Coach
Wayne Pivac
// Captain
Ken Owens
CONTACT
Parc y Scarlets
Pemberton Retail Park
Llanelli
Carmarthenshire
Tel
+44 1554 783 900
TICKET OFFICE
Tel
+44 1554 783 900
www.scarlets.co.ukscarlets_rugby
SCARLETS SEASON SO FAR …