European Challenge Cup: Scarlets 19-31 Edinburgh - Visitors romp into knockouts as Scarlets suffer

Try-scorer Duhan van der Merwe was one of six starting changes for Edinburgh

Edinburgh romped into the Challenge Cup knockout stages as Scarlets endured a record low by being the first Welsh region to not earn a pool point.

Edinburgh ran in five tries in Llanelli, but finished with 13 players as Grant Gilchrist saw a red card.

British and Irish Lions duo Duhan van der Merwe and Hamish Watson were among the visiting try scorers.

Joe Roberts and Ryan Conbeer scored in either half for Scarlets, who were awarded a penalty try at the death.

Edinburgh went into the game in need of a bonus-point win and they got off to the perfect start, the co-captain Ben Vellacott crashing over on their first visit to the Scarlets 22.

The visitors doubled their lead just a few minutes later, WP Nel also over from close range as Scarlets looked shell-shocked.

Steff Evans brought a much needed spark to the cold Llanelli air when he tore down his opposite wing and put in a grubber kick for Kieran Hardy to chase. The bounce favoured the Wales scrum-half, but he was brought down inches short of the line.

Referee Sara Cox showed a yellow card to David Cherry for illegally slowing play down as Scarlets looked to recycle.

Scarlets were able to build from the resulting penalty and Roberts was put in when a gap opened up out wide.

But even a man down, Edinburgh continued to show their threat, the returning Van de Merwe finishing off after a superb high ball take and run from Emiliano Boffelli.

Watson added salt to the wounds moments later, wrestling his way over the line to bag the bonus-point just after the half hour mark.

But Edinburgh's discipline once again came under the spotlight, the other co-captain Grant Gilchrist was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Dan Davis just before the break.

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Scarlets lock Alex Craig joined him on sideline soon after the break by being yellow carded for a similar high tackle. Edinburgh kicked to touch and after a series of powerful carries Pierre Schoeman touched down.

Peel emptied the Scarlets bench early in search of inspiration as the crowd and atmosphere fell flat, but a Tomi Lewis run down his wing was the only thing for the home fans to cheer before a dramatic final few minutes.

Gilchrist was sent off after a second yellow card for another high tackle on Lewis, which saw Scarlets finish with a flurry.

Conbeer ran in a great try down his wing and Cox awarded a penalty try when Van der Merwe deliberately knocked on in the final play.

With Van der Merwe in the bin, Edinburgh finished the game with 13 men while Scarlets made the score far more respectable.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: "I was disappointed with the first half, we gave them too many soft points.

"Physically they dominated the middle of the field and we couldn't get speed of ball. That hurt us ultimately, when we did get speed of ball we did get through edges.

"I thought the likes of Joe Roberts looked threatening tonight and Tomi Lewis is coming on as well.

"We piggy-backed them up the field and that's the disappointing part for me, we have got to get better than that."

Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt said: "We came here to do a job and to get five points and there was also a bit of pride at stake as well after what happened here last year.

"We did chat about that during the week and for us it was about being resilient and sticking to our plan and obviously trying to outwork Scarlets. I thought we did that really well in the first half.

"Discipline was good in the first half, only conceding four penalties, and they got a bit loose in the second half where we conceded seven and we made life difficult for ourselves."

Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas; Steff Evans, Joe Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Ryan Conbeer; Ioan Lloyd, Kieran Hardy; Steff Thomas, Ryan Elias (capt), Harri O'Connor, Alex Craig, Jac Price, Ben Williams, Dan Davis, Vaea Fifita.

Replacements: Eduan Swart, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Morgan Jones, Shaun Evans, Gareth Davies, Charlie Titcombe, Tomi Lewis.

Edinburgh: Emiliano Boffelli; Chris Dean, Matt Currie, James Lang, Duhan van der Merwe; Ben Healy, Ben Vellacott; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, WP Nel, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Luke Crosbie, Hamish Watson, Viliame Mata.

Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Boan Venter, Angus Williams, Glen Young, Jamie Ritchie, Tom Dodd, Ali Price, Cameron Scott.

Referee: Sara Cox (England)

Assistant referees: Harry Walbaum & Paul Dix (England)

TMO: Dean Richards (England)

Yellow card: Dave Cherry, Alex Craig, Van der Merwe

Red card: Grant Gilchrist