Scarlets 10-46 Glasgow: Finn Russell impresses in Pro12 win
Last Updated: 18/04/16 8:10am
Finn Russell was in impressive form as defending Pro12 champions Glasgow Warriors secured a bonus-point 46-10 win over Scarlets.
Fly-half Russell and wing Lee Jones crossed twice each as Glasgow extended their winning run to eight Guinness Pro12 games with a seven-try hammering of Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets.
Glasgow moved up to second place in the Pro12 table with this comprehensive win while Scarlets, who had to deal with 20 players being struck down with a stomach bug in midweek, slipped out of the play-off places with Ulster winning at Zebre.
Russell provided a personal tally of 21 points with two tries, a penalty and and four conversions while Jones (two), scrum-half Henry Pyrgos, centre Mark Bennett and Tommy Seymour scored the other tries.
Wales full-back Liam Williams, who returned for only his second game of the season, scored Scarlets' only try, with Steven Shingler kicking a penalty and a conversion.
Defending champions Glasgow were able to name an all international squad of 23 and they deserved their 20-10 interval lead having been on the front foot for most of the half, scoring three tries to Scarlets' one.
Scarlets opened the scoring with a third-minute Shingler penalty but after that it was the Russell show. His first try came when he chipped over the Scarlets defence in the 22, caught it and scored. His conversion gave the visitors a 7-3 lead on seven minutes.
If Scarlets had not had enough problems with the stomach bug, which had caused the region to cancel Thursday's training session, they then lost influential Canada wing DTH van der Merwe with a shoulder injury after only 12 minutes.
After Russell added a penalty he was over again on 25 minutes when Pyrgos released the ball from a driving maul and the athletic Russell got the ball down in the right corner.
At 15-3 down Scarlets were on the back foot but responded well. They turned down two shots at goal and it paid off with Williams dancing over from 10 metres under the posts. Shingler converted to cut the deficit to five points.
Scarlets worked hard to launch another attack but when they turned over the ball Pyrgos conceived a counter attack and sent wing Jones in at the left corner for the third score.
Glasgow carried on after the break where they had left off with Pygros over the line in the 41st minute for the bonus-point try after a fine break from Seymour. Russell added the extras.
On 59 minutes Scarlets conceded a soft fifth try with Bennett picking up a loose ball and running on unopposed from 30 metres out with Russell converting again.
It was not a great afternoon for the Scarlets, who had lost their previous home game to Cardiff Blues, and it only got worse when Seymour went over for the sixth try on 65 minutes after good work by Russell, who converted, and replacement Leone Nakarawa.
Six minutes from time Russell went close to scoring a hat-trick before Jones was on hand to score his second to compound Scarlets' misery.
