Scarlets 18 – 32 Leicester Tigers
The Scarlets released their grip on a Heineken Cup quarter-final after a second half fightback by Leicester Tigers saw the English club secure a hard fought victory in an enthralling Pool Five clash at Parc y Scarlets.
The home side started the game in pole position in a fiercely competitive group with the Tigers and Perpignan behind them in the pecking order but after this defeat the Scarlets have slipped to third in the pool.
Nigel Davies’s men are still technically alive in the competition but if the French outfit beat the Scarlets next weekend and claim a five-point maximum in France, they will win the pool, but twice European champions Leicester can still expect to progress if they carry out a ruthless Italian job.
The Scarlets led 10-6 at the break thanks to a breathtaking try finished off in emphatic fashion by Morgan Stoddart whose current form could see him included in Warren Gatland’s Wales Six Nations squad.
Stephen Jones added the extras to Stoddart’s try and knocked over a first half penalty with his opposite number Toby Flood replying with his own brace of penalties to keep the Tigers within touching distance at the break.
However it could have been so much better for the Scarlets. Rookie prop Simon Gardiner got a touch of white line fever when he ignored the unmarked Stoddart and went for glory himself. With the try-line at his mercy the front rower was bundled into touch inches short of the line with a frustrated Stoddart screaming for the ball in vain.
The Tigers squeezed the life out of the Scarlets in the second half where Leicester’s superiority at the set-piece ensured there was no way the Welsh region were going to avenge their 46-10 drubbing in Leicester three months ago.
Both sides burst out of the blocks with the Scarlets storming into Tigers territory from the kick-off. The Scarlets tore into men in green but it was the visiting side who hit the lead after the Tigers scrum minced the Scarlets pack. Flood slotted from close range and shortly afterwards doubled the lead when when Scarlets full-back Rhys Priestland was harshly punished for obstruction on Alesana Tuilagi.
The Scarlets illustrated their counter-attacking prowess when Jonathan Davies set up Stoddart who finished off in the corner after a sweeping 75m move.
Gareth Maule, a replacement for Regan King who was ruled out before the game, thought he had scored for the Scarlets but referee Alain Rolland ruled a double movement.
The Tigers have a history of making teams pay for their failure to score and so it proved once again in a compelling second half.
Leicester’s scrum squeezed the life out of the Scarlets pack with the English side showing their ruthless efficiency when Tuilagi powered his way over in the corner.
Ben Youngs then delivered the killer blow when he sped clear from halfway to show the Scarlets defence a clean pair of heals. Steve Mafi put the icing on the cake for the Tigers when he scored, although the Scarlets had the last word when winger Sean Lamont caught a Jones cross-field kick to plunge over in the dying seconds.
