Scarlets earn Treviso bonus

Josh Turnbull was among the try scorers for the Scarlets

The Scarlets climbed to fifth in the RaboDirect PRO12 table with a bonus-point 34-20 victory over Benetton Treviso at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli.

There were tries for Josh Turnbull, Deacon Manu, Liam Williams and Liam Davies and 14 points from the boot of Aled Thomas.

But the Welsh region, who included Dom Day just 24 hours after it was confirmed he was leaving for Bath on a three-year contract, had to claw their way back from 14-0 down after just six minutes.

Treviso were without 15 players due to injuries and RBS Six Nations duty, but they nevertheless stunned the Scarlets with two tries in the opening six minutes.

Charged down

Full-back Ludovico Nitoglia slid into the right corner from a line-out after two minutes and then fly-half Thomas was charged down by lock Valerio Bernabo, who picked up and went over.

Despite struggling to come to terms with a big Treviso outfit, the Scarlets finally broke their duck and halved the deficit with a converted try for Turnbull, who was put through by Emyr Phillips after a line-out inside Treviso's 22.

And just before half-time the Scarlets battled their way back to parity with a second converted try, Manu squeezing in after a useful run a kick ahead from scrum-half Davies.

But on the stroke of half-time Willem De Waal put Treviso back in front 17-14 with a penalty after the Scarlets went in from the side at a maul.

The Scarlets struggled in the early exchanges of the second half to get back on terms and sent on Aaron Shingler after eight minutes.

Soon after he entered the fray the Scarlets earned a penalty, only for Thomas to drag his kick wide.

Patient build-up

But a patient build-up saw the Scarlets into the lead for the first time on 55 minutes as full-back Williams burst through for the region's third converted try. And a penalty for Thomas gave the home side a 24-17 lead.

Both sides suffered yellow cards with replacement Gonzalo Garcia and Shingler being sent to the sin bin.

De Waal and Thomas swapped penalties as Scarlets led 27-20 before replacement scrum-half Davies went in for the bonus-point try four minutes from time and in some style, drifting across field before cutting in.