GLASGOW’S coronation as Conference A champions will have to wait, but coach Dave Rennie admitted the style of this defeat caused the greatest concern – the Scarlets had bite, while the Warriors were toothless.
A scrum that yielded a series of penalties, many crucially timed, kicks going straight out, an interception try which brought back horrible memories of Scotland’s Six Nations loss to Wales, worrying injuries to back rower Ryan Wilson and prop Oliver Kebble to be assessed next week – there were not many positives at Parc y Scarlets.
In fact the only Scottish highlight of the game was the send-off for
Scotland skipper Johnny Barclay after probably his last home game
for the Scarlets before heading for Edinburgh next season.
“We were disappointing,” admitted Rennie, while also confirming he has not been part of recent Wales efforts to replace coach Warren Gatland after 2019.“I felt we were really conservative today, we kicked a lot of ball away, and while the second half was better there were too many handling errors. When we had them under a bit of pressure we released it.
“It was a pretty flat performance. We are not looking for excuses – a few international boys coming back in after a couple of weeks off, we just were not as sharp as we needed to be.
“We get three more cracks at it prior to play-offs so, we need to be better. A six-day turnaround is good, the quicker we get out after that performance the better, we will make sure we make it better next week.”
Top place should still be sealed at home to Connacht on Friday, but this performance will haunt them more with the Scarlets as potential opponents. Finn Russell, one of six returning Scotland internationals, missed a 40-yard penalty attempt and then hit the post with a more straightforward kick, while Welsh kicking wizard Leigh Halfpenny also hit the post with an easy penalty attempt.
Glasgow had a try opportunity chalked off for a knock on by wing DTH van der Merwe when it appeared to come off his knee.
With both sides looking to play with plenty of width and attacking kicking, the first try was an out-of character charge through the middle.
Scarlets outside-half Rhys Patchell, Scotland’s tormentor in Cardiff in the Six Nations, took the ball back close to the ruck, bounced off Glasgow scrum-half Ali Price and found his route to the line clear.
Halfpenny missed the conversion but added a penalty, while Glasgow turned down a kick in front of the posts just before half time in favour of a scrum where the dominant Scarlets eight earned a penalty to keep their opponents pointless at the break.
Lessons were learned and immediately after half time Glasgow elected to take the points in a similar position under the posts, Peter Horne landing the kick having come on for Russell.
The decisive moment was an eerily familiar one for Scotland fans. A crucial moment in the Six Nations Cardiff defeat was scrum-half Gareth Davies intercepting Price and sprinting 50 yards for the try. There was a carbon copy and you could almost see Davies laughing as he sprinted clear. Price was replaced by Henry Pyrgos, who scored his side’s first try thanks to a half break by Horne.
However as both sides rung the changes, Patchell added his second standing out on the right wing to seal a commanding performance for the Scarlets.
Scorers: Scarlets: Pens – Halfpenny (3). Tries – Patchell (2), G Davies. Con – Halfpenny.
Glasgow Warriors: Pen – Horne. Try – Pyrgos.
Scarlets: L Halfpenny, I Nicholas, S Williams (D Jones 75), H Parkes (S Hughes 46), S Evans, R Patchell, G Davies (A Davies 65), R Evans (D Evans 77), K Owens (Capt, R Elias 72), S Lee (W Kruger 43), T Beirne (L Rawlins 75), S Cummins, A Shingler (W Boyde ), J Davies, J Barclay.
Glasgow Warriors:
S Hogg; T Seymour, N Grigg, S Johnson, DTH van der Merwe (L Masaga 72); F Russell (P Horne 40), A Price (H Pyrgos 60); J Bhatti (O Kebble 40-75), G Turner (G Stewart 3), Z Fagerson (S Halanukonuka 56), T Swinson), J Gray, R Harley (Chris Fusaro 60), C Gibbins, R Wilson, (Capt, S Cummings 65).
Referee: G Clancy (IRFU).
Attendance: 10,076.
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