European Challenge Cup: Scarlets 39-7 Bayonne - Hosts storm to morale-boosting win

Dane Blacker missed out on a first Wales cap last month - but was on the scoresheet for Scarlets

A new competition brought a fresh start for Scarlets with an easy win over Bayonne in the European Challenge Cup.

Dwayne Peel's side shrugged off their miserable league form to move top of Pool B with a bonus-point victory.

Ryan Conbeer, Dane Blacker and Sam Lousi all scored in the first half to stop the French side in their tracks at Parc y Scarlets.

Blade Thomson and Steff Evans then followed and Sam Costelow kicked 14 points for a morale-boosting win.

The result capped a successful opening weekend for the Welsh regions in the Challenge Cup after Dragons drew at the Lions and Cardiff thrashed Pau to halt a 20-game losing run.

However, if one team needs the feelgood factor of a cup run, it is Scarlets.

European rugby holds a special place in the hearts of this club - and vice versa - but this season the Challenge Cup could prove even more cathartic than ever.

Head coach Peel admitted they were grateful for a "clean slate" after one win from nine in the United Rugby Championship - and they played like a team freed of their baggage.

Two quickfire tries snatched a 12-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes.

Jonathan Davies' miss-pass released Conbeer and the wing combined smartly with Blacker to beat the last defender.

Scrum-half Blacker, left uncapped on the bench by Wales in the autumn, then finished himself three minutes later after Aaron Shingler's turnover and Josh Macleod's burst.

Costelow missed the conversion but two penalties opened an 18-0 lead that sparked Bayonne into action.

Back in Europe following promotion to the Top 14, they have already beaten the likes of Clermont-Auvergne, Toulouse and La Rochelle this season.

The deficit forced their hand to kick a series of penalties to the corner that ended with number eight Thomson being shown a yellow card and Bayonne hooker Thomas Acquier scoring.

Delight for the Scarlets as Sam Lousie (number five) touches down

Both sides showed enterprise but Scarlets struck a crucial blow just before half-time.

After Blacker's counter-attack took Scarlets the length of the field, lock Konstantine Mikautadze was shown a yellow card as Bayonne's defence panicked and Sam Lousi scored from a resulting drive.

The French side dug their heels in early in the second half but the Scarlets scrum, anchored by WillGriff John, eventually broke that resistance.

Thomson touched down for the bonus point from a disintegrating scrum that saw one-time Scarlet Pieter Scholtz sent to the sin bin.

Evans then finished a wonderful break that featured a delightful reverse pass by prop Kemsley Mathias just moments later.

Bayonne's miserable night was compounded by two disallowed tries as Scarlets breezed through the closing stages of a rare night of joy at Parc y Scarlets.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said:

"I was pleased with the defensive effort. We scored some lovely tries but I felt we had a bit of fight in us in defence and that's pleasing to see.

"There was a bit of ill-disciplined stuff early on and they came hard and they are heavy in that set-piece. They put us under pressure there and credit to the boys who managed to keep them out.

"We executed, especially first half, for the three tries with really nice line breaks to completion and that's something we need to improve on."

Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl; Tom Rogers, Ioan Nicholas, Jonathan Davies (capt), Ryan Conbeer; Sam Costelow, Dane Blacker; Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, WillGriff John, Sione Kalamafoni, Sam Lousi, Aaron Shingler, Josh Macleod, Blade Thomson.

Replacements: Ken Owens, Steff Thomas, Harri O'Connor, Tom Price, Tomás Lezana, Kieran Hardy, Rhys Patchell, Steff Evans.

Bayonne: Martin Bogado; Bastien Pourailly, Peyo Muscarditz (capt), Guillame Martocq, Teiva Jacquelain; Thomas Dolhagaray, Michael Ruru; Pieter Scholtz, Thomas Acquier, Chris Talakai, Manuel Leindekar, Konstantine Mikautadze, OJ Noah, Geoffrey Cridge, Afa Amosa.

Replacements: Facundo Bosch, Swan Cormenier, Pascal Cotet, Baptiste Heguy, Uzair Cassiem, Guillame Rouet, Jason Robertson, Tom Spring.

Referee: Jack Makepeace (England)

Assistant referees: Mike Hudson & Charlie Gayther (England)

TMO: Steve Leyshon (England)

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