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Video: Scarlets secure European place with thrilling comeback in 77-point thriller versus Connacht
The Scarlets overturned a 21 point half-time deficit to beat Connacht 41-36 in Llanelli to secure Champions Cup qualification. Tries from Aaron Shingler, Steffan Hughes (twice), Dane Blacker, Tom Rogers, and Javan Sebastian, along with eleven points from the boot of Dan Jones, secured the Scarlets a bonus-point win.
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John Porch, Abraham Papali’i, Sean O’Brien, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, and Kieran Marmion crossed for Connacht, while Conor Fitzgerald and Jack Carty kicked eleven points between them.
It took the Scarlets a mere three minutes to score their opening try of a dry evening in Llanelli. The hosts created an overlap, with a well-timed looping pass from captain Hughes sending Wales international Shingler over in the far left-hand corner.
Connacht hit back with a period of sustained pressure as their forwards lay siege to the Scarlets line, with powerful number eight Papali’i held up over the line. The Scarlets were starting to get strained by Connacht’s pressure, resulting in hooker Marc Jones being sent to the sin bin for illegally killing the ball at the breakdown.
The visitors’ pressure finally told with their full-back Porch crossing the line after the Irish province had worked an overlap to the left after a couple of dominant scrums.
Match. Of. The. Season. ?
An incredible comeback from @scarlets_rugby saw them defeat @connachtrugby on Monday night in an absolute classic! ?
#?? #SCAvCON
? #GuinnessPRO14 pic.twitter.com/CGcOg5yN0w— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) March 22, 2021
Connacht were soon celebrating their second try. Ireland international scrum-half Marmion was the architect with a break into the Scarlets 22. The ball was quickly recycled, with a long pass from Fitzgerald taken by former rugby league star Papali’i who powered his way over the line.
Scarlets full-back Rogers had a try disallowed, with referee Ben Whitehouse sending tighthead prop Pieter Scholtz to the sin bin for leading with the elbow into a tackle. Connacht scored arguably their try of the season with impressive centre O’Brien making a 50 metres break, before offloading to Porch, who delicately flicked the ball back inside for O’Brien to score.
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Steff Evans probed and attracted defenders, with a lovely offload sending Hughes over for the Scarlets’ second try. But Connacht hit straight back with the hosts missing too many first-up tackles and, after going through the phases, Robertson-McCoy dived over from short-range before Marmion crossed to give them a commanding 33-12 lead at the interval.
The second half was a complete role reversal to the first with the Scarlets scoring three tries in the space of 18 minutes. Hughes was first to score after a strong break from Johnny Williams before big lock Sam Lousi sent Blacker over.
Rogers then made amends for his disallowed try as he raced down the touchline to bring Scarlets back within two points. The Scarlets were now rampant and took the lead through Jones’ boot after Connacht pulled down the maul, and they extended their lead even further when replacement prop Sebastian powered over from short range, although Carty secured two losing bonus points with a late penalty.
'I came over last March and weighed 108kgs. I’m now 115kgs… I’m 100 per cent a different man than when I walked in'@Highlanders lock @JackRegan16 left Ireland with just 1 PRO14 sub appearance. Now he's playing with @AllBlacks , writes @heagneyl ???https://t.co/2s4YhHCYov
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 21, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
This sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
12 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
12 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
12 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
12 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
12 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
12 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to comments