Scarlets earn first win over Ospreys in three years in fiery PRO12 affair
Last Updated: 03/01/15 11:21pm
Scarlets beat Ospreys 22-10 in a fiery PRO12 encounter at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday.
The home side not only successfully exacted revenge on an Ospreys outfit that beat them last week, but it was also their first win over the visitors in over since the end of 2011.
Rhys Priestland kicked 12 points and Liam Williams and John Barclay crossed the line for the hosts, while a try from Dan Evans and a conversion as well as a penalty from Dan Biggar was all that was offered by Ospreys.
Both sides showed their desire to win the derby as tempers flared on a few occasions, with referee John Lacey and his assistants often having to play peacemaker.
Priestland and Biggar traded penalties in the opening exchanges of the match while Scarlets centre Scott Williams was sent to the bin after just 11 minutes when he was deemed to have tackled Scott Baldwin high in a challenge.
Ospreys were unable to capitalise though, and in fact it was Scarlets who scored next as Priestland gave them a three-point lead with the second of his penalty goals.
Break
The fly-half then made a break that was finished by full-back Liam Williams as the hosts stretched their lead, but Priestland was unable to convert the try.
The pivot made amends with two minutes to play in the first half when he gave Scarlets a 14-3 lead going into the break with another penalty.
Ospreys came out for the second half hoping to reverse their fortune, but within seconds they were standing under the poles once again as openside John Barclay scored Scarlets’ second try of the game after Liam Williams came close to scoring himself.
Priestland missed with his conversion attempt but just as in the first half he compensated with a penalty shortly thereafter to give his side a 22-3 lead going into the final quarter.
Ospreys scored the final try of the game when full-back Evans spun his way out of tackles from a group of defenders on the Scarlets line, and Biggar added the extras.
However they were not to breach the hosts’ defence thereafter as Scarlets closed the game out in clinical fashion to earn a 22-10 win over their old rivals.
