Scarlets 30
Connacht 8
Daragh Small reports from the Sportsground
CRAIG RONALDSON WAS the only Connacht try-scorer as Scarlets spoiled the party in the Sportsground in Connacht’s last home Pro12 game this season.
In what was head coach Pat Lam and backs coach Conor McPhillips’ last home league game in charge before they depart for Bristol, Scarlets blitzed their hosts to set up a 22-3 half-time lead.
Two tries from Steff Evans and one each from Johnny McNicholl and Liam Williams put them out clear after 40 minutes at the cold dog-track – DTH van der Merwe scored late on.
There was 5,290 in attendance to wave goodbye to a number of Connacht stalwarts also, but outside of Ronaldson’s second-half try, they had very little to cheer.
Indeed it was the Scarlets faithful who made most of the noise as they qualified for the semi-finals of the Pro12 where they will face either Leinster or Munster in the final four.
Connacht coach Lam made ten changes to his side after their disappointing 37-24 interprovincial defeat against Leinster in Round 20 in Galway.
Coming into this game Ospreys were the only Welsh opposition that Connacht had lost against in the Sportsground in the last three seasons.
But when McNicholl touched down inside five minutes the signs were ominous. Marnitz Boshoff hit back with a penalty but Connacht were under pressure all of the time.
Steff Evans ran in the second try 14th minute, and then doubled his tally 12 minutes later. The floodgates had opened and despite the unusual inaccuracy of the returning Rhys Patchell, Scarlets found another try through Liam Williams.
They led 22-3 at half-time, and Ronaldson crossed for a consolation in the 58th minute, but it was difficult night for the hosts and their home campaign ended in a whimper, with van der Merwe adding a fifth late on.
Connacht scorersTry: Craig RonaldsonConversion: Marnitz Boshoff 0 / 1Penalties: Marnitz Boshoff 1 / 2Scarlets scorers
Tries: Johnny McNicholl, Steff Evans (2), Liam Williams, DTH van der Merwe
Conversions: Rhys Patchell 1 / 5
Penalty: Rhys Patchell 1 / 2
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran (Danie Poolman 72); Darragh Leader, Tom Farrell, Eoin Griffin (Craig Ronaldson 23), Cian Kelleher; Marnitz Boshoff, Caolin Blade (John Cooney 62); Finlay Bealham (JP Cooney 68), Dave Heffernan (Shane Delahunt 68), Dominic Robertson-McCoy (Denis Buckley 40); James Cannon (Quinn Roux 47), Andrew Browne; Sean O’Brien, Jake Heenan, Eoghan Masterson (John Muldoon 47)
SCARLETS: Johnny McNicholl; Liam Williams (DTH van der Merwe 40), Jonathan Davies (Scott Williams 53), Hadleigh Parkes, Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Jonathan Evans (Gareth Davies 53); Rob Evans (Wyn Jones 66), Ken Owens (Ryan Elias 53), Samson Lee (Werner Kruger 40); Jake Ball (David Bulbring 39), Tadhg Beirne; Aaron Shingler (Lewis Rawlins 72), Josh McLeod, Will Boyde.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
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