Scarlets 32 – 9 Aironi Rugby
Scarlets ground out a result against a stubborn Aironi at a wet Parc y Scarlets to win their opening RaboDirect PRO 12 clash.
The Italians proved stubborn opponents and held the home side to 9-9 after 50 minutes after Dan Newton and Naas Olivier traded penalties.
However once prop Rhys Thomas dived over in the corner after a sublime pass from back row Josh Turnbull cut out two men to put the big fella over, there was only going to be one winner.
Andy Fenby finished off Aironi when stealing the ball from a maul in the dying stages to glide over in the slippery conditions.
Both sides went into the match decimated by World Cup calls. The Scarlets were minus 10, including their entire first-choice back division, while the Italians have 11 out in New Zealand.
Heavy rain ruindc the game as any sort of spectacle, with the home side in particular struggling to get their running game going.
The Scarlets led 9-6 at the break as Aironi made life difficult for the favourites but in the second half the Italians lacked a cutting edge to trouble the hosts as Nigel Davies’s men got their campaign off to a winning start.
