Edinburgh qualified for the last 16 stages of the Challenge Cup and gave themselves a chance of a home tie with this bonus point win in Llanelli.

Though there was a worry for Scotland fans with lock Grant Gilchrist being red-carded for two yellows, both for head contact while standing up in the tackle.

It could mean a ban for the opening Six Nations game back in Wales, while at the very least it should be a lesson learned. All that will depend on a possible disciplinary panel, it is not an automatic ban for two yellows.

Apart from that it was a nice little dress rehearsal two weeks before Scotland travel to Wales at the start of the Six Nations, at the ground where Scotland enjoyed their only international success on Welsh soil in the last 22 years during the Covid period.

But not too much should be read into it as an international warm up, though the form of Hamish Watson in the back row would have been encouraging – just as the appearance early in the second half of James Ritchie.

Both could be in Scotland colours in Cardiff in two weeks and Ritchie could be captain after appearing to prove his fitness.

However for Edinburgh it was just what they needed in the Challenge Cup to prolong their involvement after the disappointing defeat to Gloucester by a point at home.

It was a thoroughly efficient performance putting away the team who will finish bottom of the group and who went into this match with no chance of progression.

Edinburgh’s pursuit of that qualification got off to the perfect start, a couple of Scarlets mistakes allowing the Scots to set up a position inside the home 22 and the forward pressure gave scrum half Ben Vellacott an opening to dive over for the try. Ben Healy added the easy conversion.

English referee Sara Cox earned the ire of the home crowd with a series of penalties against the Scarlets, meaning that Edinburgh were once again camped on the home try line.

Once again they worked their way over the line, this time it was the slightly bulkier form of WP Nel who employed brute force rather than an eye for the gap. Healy again added the extras.

It was inevitable the Scarlets would strike back and their backs combined well to work right wing Steff Evans free, his kick infield being collected by scrum half Kieran Hardy.

The Edinburgh defence got back to stop the try, but hooker Dan Cherry came in from the side to earn a yellow card.

Then Scarlets opted for a scrum and after a series of drives the backs were able to easily work centre Joe Roberts clear for him to go over for the unconverted try.

Edinburgh hit back in unlikely style, an up and under from a free kick being collected by full back Emiliani Boffelli whose leap meant he landed clear of the Scarlets defence so he could give supporting wing Duhan van der Merwe a clear run to the corner.

The bonus point try came shotly afterwards, flanker Hamish Watson repeating the formula of the short range drive to force his way over by the posts. Healy added his third conversion.

Just when it was going so well, Edinburgh gave themselves another problem when lock Grant Gilchrist stayed high in the tackle and there was head contact. He saw yellow, saved from red only by the lack of force – a good reminder to go low ahead of the Six Nations.

Edinburgh survived the pressure through to half-time with the job more than half done.

They added a fifth while still down to 14 men early in the second half, once again it was from short range with loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman getting in on the act.

It allowed back rower James Ritchie to make an early appearance and a chance to prove his fitness ahead of the Six Nations.

The home side did get a consolation with Tomi Lewis scoring just before the end and there was time for another yellow card fo the home side with wing van der Merwe knocking the ball on to deny a try scoring chance. They would have been strangely relieved when the fianlk

Scorers: Scarlets: Tries – Roberts, Lewis. Con – Lloyd.

Edinburgh: Tries – Vellacott, Nel, van der Merwe, Watson, Schoeman. Cons – Healy (3).

Scarlets: I Nicholas; Steff Evans (T Lewis 49), J Roberts, J Davies, R Conbeer; I Lloyd (C Titcombe ), K Hardy (G Davies 49); S Thomas (K Mathias 45), R Elias (Capt, E Swart 49), H O’Connor (S Wainwright 49), J Price (M Jones 53), J Price, B Williams (Shaun Evans ), D Davis, V Fifita.

Edinburgh Rugby: E Boffelli; C Dean, M Currie, J Lang, D van der Merwe; B Healy (C Scott 68), B Vellacott (A Price 62); P Schoeman (B Venter 59), D Cherry (E Ashman 59), W Nel (A Williams 59), S Skinner (G Young 55), G Gilchrist (Capt), L Crosbie (T Dodd 68), H Watson (E Ashman 12-22), V Mata (J Ritchie 45).

Referee: Sara Cox (RFU).

Attendance: 5993