Llanelli gain revenge on Connacht

Connacht 20 Llanelli 25

It was the Welsh side that mustered the game’s first score on 16 minutes, through the boot of outside-half Gareth Bowen.

The tournament’s top points scorer punished Connacht for infringing and two minutes later converted centre Matt Watkins’ try, as Llanelli burrowed up field directly from a 22 metre drop gathered by prop David Maddocks, for a 13-0 lead.

Bowen added a penalty on 20 minutes before Llanelli began to dominate.

Watkins had sidled through the Connacht line from 15 metres out, but scrum-half Mike Phillips out-did him after 33 minutes when he muscled past four Connacht tacklers from a scrum 35 metres out, to ground Llanelli’s second try under the posts.

Twenty points in arrears at half-time, Eric Elwood reduced the deficit on 50 minutes with a penalty on the Llanelli 22 for their first points.

Tal Selley angled his run perfectly from his centre position six minutes later to touch down for the visitors, away to the right touchline.

Bowen missed his fifth kick of the night before flanker Ian Boobyer was sin-binned for deliberately going to ground on the hour mark.

Elwood thumped over the resulting penalty before Llanelli’s composure wavered with number eight Scott Quinnell receiving a yellow card.

Llanelli conceded two Connacht tries in the final quarter with wing Connor McPhillips crossing for his fourth league score and centre Darren Yapp ghosting through poor Welsh tackling on 74 minutes.

Outside-half Elwood converted both.

CONNACHT: McHugh, Mostyn, Yapp, T. Allnut, McPhillips, Elwood, Walls., Hogan, Jackman, Boiroux, Browne, Farley, Neville, Carter., O’Sullivan.

Connacht scorers: Tries: Yapp, McPhillips. Cons: Elwood 2. Pens: Elwood 2.

LLANELLI SCARLETS: B. Davies, Rees, Selley, Watkins, Finau, G. Bowen, Phillips, Maddocks, A. Gravelle, J. Davies, A. Jones, J. Griffiths, Cooper, Boobyer, S. Quinnell.

Llanelli Scarlets scorers: Tries: Selley, Watkins, Phillips. Cons: C. Bowen 2. Pens: C. Bowen 2.

Celtic League: Celtic Warriors 19 Newport Gwent Dragons 12