United Rugby Championship: Scarlets 35-10 Glasgow Warriors

Scarlets ended a four-match losing streak with an emphatic United Rugby Championship five-try bonus-point victory over Glasgow Warriors.

Glasgow dominated the opening exchanges in Llanelli and led 10-0 through a Johnny Matthews try.

Scarlets battled back with tries from Steff Evans, Scott Williams, Gareth Davies, Sione Kalamafoni and Ryan Conbeer.

Wales fly-half Rhys Patchell kicked three conversions.

Glasgow remain third in the table after their five-match winning league streak ended as Danny Wilson's side failed to score a second-half point.

Wales scrum-half Davies started for Scarlets after being released for the weekend from international duty.

Outside-half Patchell returned alongside Davies as Dwayne Peel made seven changes and a positional switch from last month's defeat at home by Connacht.

It was Patchell's first league start since 2019 and the first time the Wales half-backs had started together in the league for four years.

Glasgow made seven changes including the return from an ankle injury of New Zealander Josh McKay on the right wing.

The visitors opened the scoring through hooker Matthews following a rolling maul before prop Oli Kebble was forced off injured with a broken nose and suspected concussion.

Weir added a conversion and penalty before Scarlets rose above their mediocrity when half-backs Patchell and Davies combined to send over wing Evans as Glasgow led 10-7 at half-time.

Evans and flanker Dan Davis turned creators early in the second half as they sent captain Williams over for a second Scarlets try.

Some sublime handling almost resulted in a third score for the hosts but scrum-half Davies could not hold on to possession with the Glasgow line begging.

Glasgow full-back Ollie Smith looked to have set up a try for scrum-half Jamie Dobie but referee Chris Busby adjudged Ryan Wilson obstructed opposite number Blade Thomson from making a tackle.

Scarlets centre Johnny Williams is challenged by Glasgow fly-half Duncan Weir

It proved a critical decision as Scarlets went down the field and scored through an instinctive individual effort from scrum-half Davies. Patchell's conversion ensured it was a 14-point swing.

The hosts were rampant and the bonus-point try came from number eight and man-of-the-match Kalamafoni after a fine run from wing Conbeer.

Glasgow lost Ollie Smith and Cole Forbes to injury and Sam Johnson, Fraser Brown and Jack Dempsey to illness.

Scarlets took advantage of their opponents' reshuffled backline with Conbeer squeezing in at the corner to complete the scoring.

Scarlets now travel to South Africa on Sunday to face Sharks and Bulls after a failed trip in November and December because of Covid-19.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel: "We absorbed a lot of early pressure from Glasgow and I am pleased we did.

"It was important we changed the way we played - we didn't really give the ball to the backs at all in the first 20 minutes.

"Our first-up tackling was poor and we allowed them dominance in that area.

"Once we fixed that and got some front-foot ball, the tries either side of half-time were huge for us.

"To score two tries in quick succession in the second half was excellent. We saw flashes of the way we want to play."

Glasgow head coach Danny Wilson: "It wasn't like us. We've gone well recently and it was a second-half collapse.

"It was a mixture of poor execution from us and very good attack from the Scarlets, along with injury and illness with us having to make a whole host of changes.

"The week has led to that a little bit. We thought we were in control of the game at half-time but we didn't get enough points for our pressure.

"We conceded 14 turnovers in the second half as opposed to three in the first half. We'll have to bounce back quickly from that."

Scarlets: Rogers; S Evans, J Williams, S Williams (capt), Conbeer; Patchell, G Davies; S Thomas, D Hughes, Lee, Lousi, J Price, Thomson, D Davis, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: M Jones, Mathias, O'Connor, Shingler, Tuipulotu, Blacker, Costelow, J Roberts.

Glasgow: Smith; McKay, Steyn, Johnson, Forbes; Weir, Dobie; Kebble, Matthews, Berghan, McDonald, Harley, Wilson (capt), Miller, Dempsey.

Replacements: Brown, Walker, McQuillin, R Gray, Gordon, Lenac, Thompson, McDowall.

Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)

Assistants: Elgan Williams & Steffan Edwards (WRU)

TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

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