Llanelli maintain unbeaten record - report

Llanelli Scarlets 19 Agen 15

Llanelli survived a major Heineken Cup scare at Stradey Park tonight before preserving their unbeaten Pool Four record and staying on course for the quarter-finals.

Agen valiantly made them fight all the way, shading Llanelli 2-1 on tries, but Wales fly-half Stephen Jones’ goalkicking ultimately steered the Scarlets home.

The prolific Jones booted 14 points – four penalties and a conversion of talisman number eight Scott Quinnell’s first-half try – which thwarted Agen’s victory hopes.

Yet there was nothing to suggest on this latest evidence that Llanelli are good enough to land the European title which so agonisingly eluded them courtesy of semi-final exits in 2000 and 2002.

Agen manufactured tries for wing Matthieu Dourthe and hooker Noel Curnier, while fly-half Jerome Miquel slotted a conversion and penalty, and they will fancy their chances in next Saturday’s Stade Armandie return.

Agen arrived in Wales without their French World Cup prop Jean-Jacques Crenca, who was sent off and banned for four weeks after he butted England hooker Steve Thompson during the Heineken Cup defeat against Northampton last month.

His fellow international, 35-year-old flanker Philippe Benetton, took over as captain but the tournament debutants knew they faced a huge task against a Llanelli side boosted by Quinnell’s quick recovery from a leg injury.

After posting pre-Christmas victories over Northampton and the Borders, Llanelli were determined to stay unbeaten ahead of the potentially hazardous return mission in Agen.

Wales coach Steve Hansen was among a bumper crowd, running the rule over 10 Llanelli players named in his 47-man preliminary training squad for this season’s RBS Six Nations Championship.

But it was Agen who made all the running after absorbing early Llanelli pressure and Miquel, in his first appearance since completing a four-week suspension, slotted an opening penalty on five minutes.

The same man played a key role in Agen’s second score five minutes later. The Llanelli defence failed to cope with his steepling up and under, and centre Sebastien Bonetti sent Dourthe scampering over for a simply-worked try.

Miquel though missed the easy conversion and another penalty, and there were huge sighs of relief around Stradey Park when Jones opened Llanelli’s account through a 12th-minute strike.

The Scarlets were guilty of squandering some excellent attacking opportunities, notably when flanker Dafydd Jones blissfully ignored a one-man overlap, and centre Mark Taylor’s supreme midfield running looked in danger of going unrewarded.

But Quinnell’s 21st-minute try, when he powered over from a close-range scrum in trademark fashion, gave the Scarlets momentum, and Jones secured a 13-8 interval advantage by landing the conversion and a later penalty.

The Scarlets looked a much more confident outfit than they appeared during the initial flurries, and Jones’ third successful penalty on 51 minutes following sustained forward pressure, left Agen eight points adrift.

And there were further problems for the French side when World Cup utility back Pepito Elhorga limped off, yet they did not let his premature departure affect them.

From their next attack, Agen narrowed the gap to a point. The forwards drove a lineout 10 metres towards Llanelli’s line, and Curnier touched down for a try which Miquel converted.

Entering the final quarter, Llanelli held a nervous 16-15 lead, and there were shades of last season’s quarter-final home defeat against Perpignan.

Hooker Robin McBryde emphasised the growing sense of frustration when he punched Agen prop Patrick Blanco after Llanelli had been awarded a kickable penalty. Referee David McHugh had no option but to reverse his decision, although McBryde was still fortunate to escape a yellow card.

Llanelli just could not kill the game off, but a fourth Jones penalty nine minutes from time gave them a glimmer of breathing space.

The Scarlets had just enough in the tank to keep going, although Agen gained a losing bonus point, emulating Northampton’s achievement at Stradey Park last month, which could prove priceless in the final pool shake-up.