70 Sport The Blues never gave up,
however, and were in the game until the very end, but it was the Scarlets who ultimately came out on top and would continue their unbeaten at home run into next week’s fixture against Ulster! Scarlets kicked off the New Year
on a bitterly cold afternoon in front of a 10,000 strong crowd. The home side went ahead early on
after an aerial battle which was ended when Patchell stepped away from Cuthbert’s flying tackle and made a break through the middle. After being dragged down, the ball was recycled in a flash to Steff Evans who weaved a path through the defence to score the opening try. Patchell’s conversion was wide but it was a positive start for the hosts after just 12 minutes. Scarlets then suffered a blow
in the front row as Samson Lee was forced from the field with an injury with just 16 minutes on the clock; Werner Kruger, the former Springbok, took his place at tighthead. They continued to put the pressure
Beaten: The Scarlets come out on top (Pic. Oscar James) Scarlets
Cardiff Blues
15 10
Guinness Pro12 THE SCARLETS have now
won their last eight home games in all competitions following a gritty performance against the Cardiff Blues on Sunday (Jan 1). The first game of the New Year
is always an important one, with teams looking to set their goals on the right track and banish the demons of the previous year. The Scarlets had already defeated the Blues this season with an impressive bonus point victory at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, but
with the internationals back on duty, it was always going to be a much more physical encounter. The first half’s only try came
through some quick thinking on the Scarlets’ behalf, with Rhys Patchell countering from deep to set up a ruck inside Blues’ territory. A quick ruck set loose Steff Evans out wide who showed some dazzling feet and pace to finish the move off with a try. Patchell and Shingler exchanged a penalty each before the interval, meaning the Scarlets would begin the second half with a five point advantage. It was the hosts that struck first this time too, with Steff Evans again
masterminding the counter attack, showing incredible balance and pace to thread his way between the defence. Jonathan Davies would receive the ball before feeding his fellow centre, Scott Williams, for the simplest of finishes.
on and their good work was rewarded when referee Nigel Owens awarded them a penalty as the Blues were penalised for coming in from the side. Patchell sent the kick straight through the posts for an 8-0 score line. The Blues came back in to the
game shortly after when the home side were guilty of an infringement and Shingler sent a penalty through the posts. It remained 8-3 to the Scarlets at
THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 6 2017
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Scarlets earn eighth home win in a row
half time but they came out strongly at the start of the second half. Some good play saw Steff
Evans throwing a dummy to beat the Blues defenders before offloading to Jonathan Davies, who passed the ball on to Scott Williams, who surged forward to score the Scarlets’ second try. Patchell then added the extra two points for a score of 15-3. Despite the difference, the Blues
were still in the game and they scored their first try of the game 10 minutes in to the second half as Willis Halaholo found space down the wing to cross over. Shingler added the extra two points to cut the lead to just five points. The Blues piled on the pressure
looking for a score that would have seen them take the lead. However, the Scarlets forced
a penalty at the scrum to ease the pressure but Aled Thomas, who had taken over kicking duties after Patchell had gone off injured, sent the kick just wide of the posts. The 10,000 strong crowd were
playing their part in trying to lift the Scarlets and they began to overpower their opponents and with the clock ticking into overtime a knock on from the Blues signalled an end to the game and another impressive home win for the Scarlets. It wasn’t the most fluid of games,
but it was a victory nonetheless and an important one in the context of the GUINNESS PRO12 and the rest of the season.
Davies makes winning return JONATHAN DAVIES made
a return to action for the New Year’s Day derby, having missed the third and fourth rounds of the Champions Cup and the West Wales derby against Ospreys due to a hamstring injury. Davies’ return to action saw him
link up with centre partner Scott Williams, who captained the side on Sunday, and Davies made an all- important assist in Williams’ second half try. Winger Steff Evans made an
impressive break in midfield, with Davies in support on his left
shoulder. The ball came left to Davies who then passed back inside to Williams who crossed for the region’s second try against Cardiff Blues. Scarlets’ 15-10 victory saw
the West Wales region move back into the top four of the Guinness PRO12. Despite it being a tense closing quarter of an hour, with Davies having to watch from the replacements bench having been replaced at 65 minutes by Hadleigh Parkes, he said that they had confidence in the team to secure the result.
“We had enough confidence
in the boys to close the game. The Blues came here and were very physical, as we expected, but it was nice to get the victory after the result against the Ospreys.” When quizzed about what was
different from the West Wales derby, with the Ospreys coming away with the victory and four points, Davies said: “We were much better at the breakdown, making the right decisions about when to attack and when not to attack. We did a lot of work in the week and it was nice to get the result for the fans today.”
Blues win keeps top four hopes alive SCARLETS got the New Year
off to a winning start, securing a season double over Cardiff Blues with a 15-10 victory at Parc y Scarlets. Following a disappointing defeat
to the Ospreys on Tuesday, December 27, the Scarlets needed to bounce back against Cardiff Blues to keep the top four race alive. The victory over Cardiff Blues
sees Scarlets move into fourth place with Friday night’s opposition, Ulster, only four points behind in fifth position.
Speaking after the game, head
coach Wayne Pivac said that he was relieved that his side managed to hold on for the victory: “The feeling at the end of the game was one of relief really after such a short turnaround. “When you look back at those
Toulon matches, it has taken a bit of a toll; we’ve picked up a few injuries. We backed the squad and rested a couple of guys as well so that we could have some fresher bodies for Ulster as well as this game tonight. “We got through it and really pleased, really.”
He went on to say: “That result
has kept us in touch with the top four and put a bit of a gap between ourselves and the Blues now which is important. We can just focus on what’s ahead of us; attention turns now to a big game on Friday. “Ulster could be the side we’re
vying for the top four with; it doesn’t get any easier!” Scarlets welcome Ulster to Parc
y Scarlets this Friday (Jan 6), kicking off at 7.35pm. Tickets are available now from
tickets.scarlets.wales.
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