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Scarlets take on Benetton Rugby on Saturday at Parc y Scarlets
Scarlets take on Benetton Rugby on Saturday at Parc y Scarlets, with both sides looking for their first European Rugby Champions Cup win of the season, live on Sky Sports.
· Scarlets have won three of the previous four meetings between the clubs, including each of their two home games.
· Benetton Rugby haven’t recorded an away victory in the competition since December 2007, losing 26 in a row on the road. That last victory did come in Wales, however, against the Dragons.
· Scarlets’ last five games have all been decided by margins of five points or fewer (W1, D1, L3) with the region neither scoring nor conceding more than 25 points in any of those games.
· Benetton have conceded just two second half tries so far this season, a tally only three teams – including Scarlets who are yet to concede in that time – can better (also Munster and Bath).
Dreams of the European Rugby Champions Cup knockout stages remain alive for Scarlets following a comfortable 31-12 bonus-point victory against Benetton Rugby at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo on Saturday. - 16/12/2017 16:37
Scarlets kept their hopes of reaching the European Rugby Champions Cup knockout stages with a 33-28 victory over Benetton Rugby in a tumultuous affair at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday.
- Scrum-half Gareth Davies dotted down twice in the opening six minutes, while Tadhg Beirne, Steff Evans and Paul Asquith also joined the scoresheet as Scarlets collected a bonus-point victory to move within one point of Pool 5 leaders Bath Rugby and RC Toulon, who lock horns later on Saturday.
- Wales international Davies got the hosts off to a flying start in Llanelli with a brace of tries in three minutes, both converted by Leigh Halfpenny to give them an early 14-point advantage, only for Benetton Rugby No 8 Robert Barbieri to open the visitors tally to halve the deficit in an action-packed opening quarter.
- Scarlets' advantage was enhanced on 24 minutes when flanker Francesco Minto was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle, reducing Benetton Treviso to 14 men for the remainder – and the hosts made it pay as flanker Bernie crossed in a third home try and Halfpenny restored the 14-point cushion.
- Despite their numerical disadvantage, Benetton were boosted before the break as full-back Jayden Hayward dotted down a second try and Tommaso Allan's conversion reduced the gap back to seven and the visitors were level 16 minutes into the second half as winger Angelo Esposito raced in a third try.
- Against the run of play, Federico Ruzza added a bonus-point score for Benetton Rugby, who took a seven-point lead with just nine minutes to play, which they could be forgiven for thinking would be enough to see them home.
- However, Scarlets – roared on by a partisan home crowd – battled to the end with wing Evans and centre Asquith securing a late victory in a fiercely contested encounter, which will all be repeated again next weekend.
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