Scarlets grab the bonus
Scarlets are back in the hunt in Pool Five after a bonus-point win over Benetton Treviso at Parc y Scarlets.
Last Updated: 11/12/10 5:19pm
Scarlets are back in the hunt in Pool Five after a bonus-point win over Benetton Treviso at Parc y Scarlets.
The hosts claimed a 35-27 success over their Magners League rivals to join Leicester and Perpignan on two wins from three starts.
And with a trip to Italy to come next weekend, Scarlets will be hoping to go top of the pool on their own with two rounds to play next year.
Wing Sean Lamont scored two tries for Scarlets, who out-scored Treviso four tries to three but were hanging on as Treviso mounted a late rally.
Stephen Jones, who turned 33 this week, helped give the home side a perfect start. He sent Lamont through for a converted try after only 87 seconds before putting over a fifth-minute penalty to give the Scarlets an early 10-0 lead.
But any hopes the Scarlets had of a comfortable victory disappeared midway through the half.
First Treviso outside-half Kris Burton knocked over a penalty and a drop-goal before the Scarlets lost Stephen Jones to a knee injury after just 18 minutes.
And Treviso went into a shock lead when centre Gonzalo Garcia crashed over after good work by the Italian pack.
Stunning
But from 13-10 down the Scarlets regrouped to score a stunning try.
They went through the phases before Rhys Priestland, who had taken over the fly-half duties, broke through and put Regan King over by the posts with a cheeky back-handed pass.
By half-time the Scarlets had stretched their lead to 10 points with two Priestland penalties, although he did miss another from right in front.
Just as they did in the first half the Scarlets hit Treviso with the early try after the break.
A Treviso kick was half charged down and replacement Dan Newton started a counter attack finished off by flanker Josh Turnbull on 44 minutes.
But a 17-point advantage was whittled away to just three as Treviso hit back with two converted tries in the space of six minutes.
First wing Tommaso Benvenuti finished off a break out of defence by Burton after Scarlets No. 8 had knocked on in the opposition 22.
And scrum-half Fabio Semenzato raced down the blindside to score Treviso's third try after a five-metre line-out.
The Scarlets were not helped that Priestland was wayward with two penalty kicks.
Bonus
But Lamont went in for his second try on the hour mark, which not only gave his side a bonus point but also an eight-point cushion.
Treviso refused to be beaten however and pressed the Scarlets line. From a five-metre scrum the Italians looked certain to score through Manoa Vosawai but he was held up brilliantly by Josh Turnbull.
