Scarlets 10
Munster 6
Alex Bywater reports from Parc y Scarlets
MUNSTER SLIPPED FROM the top of Guinness Pro14 Conference A after they were beaten in driving rain in Llanelli.
Johann van Graan’s men had two tries ruled out, but they only had themselves to blame as they squandered plenty of possession and spilled the ball on countless occasions with the line begging.
Bill Johnston kicked two first-half penalties, but Munster didn’t score after the break. The Scarlets came out on top thanks to a try from Ioan Nicholas and a conversion and penalty from Leigh Halfpenny.
Munster had 80% of the first-half possession and 84% territory, but they still turned around 7-6 down as they failed to turn their dominance into points.
Johnston did open the scoring with the simplest of penalties after two home line-outs from Ryan Elias went awry. Still, the Scarlets were able to respond with the only try of the game.
Driving rain and a poor surface in Llanelli meant this was never going to be a classic and both sides were without their leading Welsh and Irish internationals respectively.
Nevertheless, the one Test star on show lit up the encounter. Halfpenny collected a high kick for the Scarlets and ran it back with intent to steam through a gap.
The ball was recycled and Johnny McNicholl’s superb pass out of the tackle found his fellow wing Nicholas, who dived over. The try was given after consultation with TMO Ian Davies for what the officials thought may have been blocking by Uzair Cassiem.
Munster had total control of the rest of the first half, yet they made errors at crucial times as they camped themselves on the opposition’s line. Mike Haley also bombed an overlap out wide.
The statistics showed Scarlets made 140 of 149 tackle attempts in the first half and their defensive rearguard proved crucial as they saw far more of the ball when the game resumed.
A swirling wind didn’t seem to favour either team, but the Scarlets made it 10-6 when a series of forward surges close to the line ended in Halfpenny slotting the simplest of penalties.
Munster couldn’t get going as they had done in the first period. The visitors thought they had a try when Jean Kleyn crossed following a rolling maul, but Davies again ruled it out due to hooker Rhys Marshall causing obstruction.
Darren Sweetnam then burst on to an Alby Mathewson pass to storm clear for Munster. Again they laid siege to the home line and, once more, the ball was spilled.
It was not good enough for those of an Irish persuasion and as Munster continued to kick to give their forwards a platform, that strategy was countered by the outstanding Halfpenny and substitute Rhys Patchell, who regularly dropped into the back field to help with covering Munster forays.
It meant the Scarlets held out, with man-of-the-match Cassiem ending the game with 30 tackles, while Halfpenny was equally as outstanding.
Scarlets scorers:
Tries: Nicholas
Conversions: Halfpenny
Penalties: Halfpenny
Munster scorers:
Penalties: Johnston 2
SCARLETS: Halfpenny; McNicholl (Evans 76), Fonotia, Asquith, Nicholas; D Jones (Patchell 55), Hardy (Hidalgo-Clyne 72); W Jones (P Price 69), Elias (M Jones 69), Kruger; Helps (T Price 68), Rawlins; Macleod, Davis (Phillips 19), Cassiem.
MUNSTER: Haley; O’Mahony, Goggin (Taute 65), Scannell, Sweetnam; Johnston (Bleyendaal 68), Mathewson (Cronin 76); Loughman (O’Connor 65), Marshall (O’Byrne 65), Ryan (Archer 60); Kleyn (O’Shea 65), Holland; Wycherley, Oliver (O’Donoghue 54), Botha.
Referee: Mike Adamson
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