European Rugby Champions Cup: Scarlets 15-3 Leicester

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Harry Robinson scores for the ScarletsImage source, Huw Evans picture agency
Image caption,

Scarlets wing Harry Robinson has scored two tries in three appearances for Wales.

Scarlets (8) 15

Tries: Robinson, Davies Con: S Shingler Pen: S Shingler

Leicester (3) 3

Pen: Williams

Scarlets punished Leicester mistakes to get their European Rugby Champions Cup campaign back on course in an error-strewn match in Llanelli.

Wing Harry Robinson pounced for a try after opposite number Miles Benjamin spilled the ball in his own 22 to help the Scarlets into an 8-3 interval lead.

Scrum-half Aled Davies claimed the key try in the 61st minute when he intercepted a Ben Youngs pass.

The result leaves Toulon in control of Pool Three after their win over Ulster.

Rhys Priestland kicked a penalty and Steve Shingler converted Davies' try and slotted a penalty while Owen Williams' penalty provided Tigers' only points.

The result is a blow for the Leicester after their 25-18 defeat of Ulster on the opening weekend of European competition.

They failed to take advantage of early dominance against the Welsh region, while the Scarlets themselves could have paid for their own mistakes as Priestland and Shingler between them missed three kicks at goal in a tight first half.

The home team - who lost 28-18 in Toulon in their opening game - were also hampered by a series of injuries and ended the game with wing Kristian Phillips having to pack down at flanker as they ran out of forward replacements.

Image source, Huw Evans picture agency
Image caption,

The Scarlets had only beaten Leicester once before in seven meetings in European competition.

The Tigers' positive start deserved better reward than Owen Williams' 13th minute penalty, but the one gilt-edged chance they engineered went to waste when centre Anthony Allen dropped Youngs' flat pass five metres from the Scarlets' line.

With captain Youngs sniping and cajoling at their heels, the Tigers' pack looked capable of taking control with the home eight disrupted by the late withdrawal of Wales international Jake Ball and the 10th-minute departure of number eight Rory Pitman with a shoulder injury.

Scarlets found themselves ahead thanks to a mistake by Leicester wing Benjamin, who dropped the ball after fielding a speculative Scarlets kick, with Priestland pouncing on the loose ball to send Robinson over unopposed.

The Wales fly-half missed the conversion, and was also off target with two penalties before Steve Shingler - on for the injured Scott Williams - took over the kicking duties and slotted one from short range.

Shingler's 31st minute kick was the last score before man-of-the-match Davies' decisive intervention.

Youngs' attacked on the narrow side but saw his pass first juggled and then snatched by Davies, who ran 40 metres to the try line with Shingler converting.

Leicester battled for a losing bonus point, but were thwarted by a combination of stubborn Scarlets defence and poor handling, with their frustrating night summed up by a scuffle between the packs on the final whistle.

TEAMS

Scarlets: Liam Williams; Harry Robinson, Michael Tagicakibau, Scott Williams (capt), Kristian Phillips; Rhys Priestland, Aled Davies; Rob Evans, Emyr Phillips, Samson Lee, Richard Kelly, Johan Snyman, Aaron Shingler, Rory Pitman, John Barclay.

Replacements: S. Shingler for S. Williams (20), R. Williams for A. Davies (66), John for R. Evans (60), Myhill for E. Phillips (58), R. Jones for Lee (54), Rawlins for Kelly (27), J. Davies for Pitman (10), J. Williams for Rawlins (74).

Leicester Tigers: Matthew Tait; Blaine Scully, Vereniki Goneva, Anthony Allen, Miles Benjamin; Owen Williams, Ben Youngs (capt); Marcos Ayerza, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Fraser Balmain, Brad Thorn, Graham Kitchener, Jamie Gibson, Julian Salvi, Jordan Crane.

Replacements: Burns for Allen (52), Mele for B. Youngs (68), Rizzo for Ayerza (68), De Chaves for Thorn (68), Barbieri for Crane (66).

Not Used: Thacker, Pasquali, Smith.

Att: 8,235

Referee: Johnny Lacey (Ireland)

Touch judges: Gary Conway (Ireland), Eddie Hogan-O'Connell (Ireland)

TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

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