The Scarlets did Heineken Cup holders Leinster a huge favour by recording a stunning 31-22 victory over London Irish in Sunday’s early kick-off in West Wales.
The 2007 semi-finalists produced an incredible comeback to dent the visitors’ chances of making the knockout stages of the continent’s most-respected competition.
The Exiles had appeared to be on their way to a comfortable bonus-point win as they led 22-10 with three tries in the bag and less than 20 minutes remaining.
But a brace of converted scores inside five minutes from the Scarlets’ Rob McCusker, together with a last-minute try from Jonathan Davies, saw the Welsh region inflict a second pool defeat on their English opponents.
Davies’ 80th-minute effort even prevented London Irish from leaving with a losing bonus-point, meaning they remain five points behind the European Champions ahead of next weekend’s mouth-watering Round 6 encounter at Twickenham.
As for the Scarlets, the victory keeps their own slim chances of qualification alive. Nigel Davies’ men travel to Brive in the final game of their Pool 6 campaign knowing a bonus-point victory could see them sneak into either a Heineken Cup or Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final.
The Scarlets should have opened the scoring inside the first minute in West Wales but fly-half Rhys Priestland sent a relatively straight-forward penalty attempt wide of the far post.
Instead it was the visitors who moved in front just a minute-and-a-half later courtesy of Tom Homer’s fourth Heineken Cup try of the season.
The young wing finished off a fine move after Ryan Lamb’s cross kick had created space wide on the right. Lamb miscued the attempted extras but Irish led 5-0 with just three minutes on the clock.
The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Scarlets hit back with a try of their own five minutes later. Andy Fenby’s fine break down the left-hand touchline created a two-on-one on the edge of the Exiles’ 22 and Jonathan Davies was on hand to hand to sprint home and level the scores.
Priestland’s conversion edged the home side 7-5 in front but again the lead changed hands just a few minutes later. This time it was London Irish hooker David Paice who got his name on the scoreboard, following a quickly-taken tap penalty by Paul Hodgson.
The England Saxons cap powered through the last line of defence after No8 Chris Hala’ufia had done the initial damage inside the Scarlets 22.
Lamb’s conversion made it 12-7 in Irish’s favour before Priestland missed the chance to narrow the gap on 19 minutes when he sent another penalty attempt wide of the mark.
The Scarlets lost second row Lou Reed to the sin bin for a deliberate block on Hodgson two minutes before the half-hour mark but it was they who finished the half the stronger of the two teams. Priestland was again off target with a difficult penalty attempt after 37 minutes but he did narrow the gap with his first penalty of the day a minute before half-time.
Having taken a 15-10 lead into the interval, it was Irish who grabbed the first score after the break. A scoreless and scrappy opening to the half came to an end when Hala’ufia claimed the Exiles’ third try of the game with 51 minutes played.
The score was a direct result of two Scarlets errors, with Priestland failing to find touch from a penalty and openside Josh Turnbull misjudging Peter Hewat’s hanging up-and-under in between the 10-metre line and 22. The impressive Hala’ufia was quickest to react, picking up the bouncing ball and racing home unopposed.
Lamb’s conversion from directly underneath the uprights moved the visitors 12 points in front at 22-10, but the Scarlets refused to give up hope of a repeat of their memorable Madjeski Stadium victory.
McCusker intervened to turn things in their favour in the space of just four minutes. First, the young blindside claimed a superb individual score after blitzing through the Irish defence from 40 metres out with 62 minutes played. Priestland put his previous misses behind him to slot a difficult conversion and suddenly the Scarlets were within touching distance at 22-17.
That deficit soon became a two-point advantage when McCusker held off desperate last-ditch tackles from replacements Peter Richards and Danie Coetzee to dive over from close-range eight metres in from the right-hand touchline.
Priestland again kept his nerve to make it a seven-point score as the Scarlets regained the lead for the first time since the opening quarter.
Irish pressed hard to get themselves back into the game but the Scarlets held firm and added insulted to injury by claiming a fourth score of their own with the final play of the game when Davies burst through underneath the posts.
