Scarlets roll over Northampton
Llanelli Scarlets 14 Northampton 9
England World Cup stars Ben Cohen, Steve Thompson and Paul Grayson tasted defeat for the first time this season as Northampton’s Heineken Cup campaign began in miserable fashion at Stradey Park.
Wing Cohen started the Pool Four clash, while his England colleagues appeared as second-half substitutes, but they could make little impression on a committed and organised Llanelli side.
The Scarlets avenged their 31-28 Heineken Cup semi-final defeat against Saints three years ago, giving them cause for satisfaction even though the game never remotely hit top gear.
Man-of-the-match Scott Quinnell’s early try, plus a penalty hat-trick from Stephen Jones, gave Llanelli the upper hand.
Northampton could only manage penalties by Grayson (two) and Shane Drahm, with tonight’s defeat – even allowing for a losing bonus point – meaning they cannot afford another loss when French outfit Agen visit Franklin’s Gardens next Saturday.
Llanelli included eight members of Wales’ World squad – wing Garan Evans, centre Mark Taylor, fly-half Jones, scrum-half Dwayne Peel, prop Iestyn Thomas, hooker Robin McBryde, lock Chris Wyatt and flanker Dafydd Jones.
The opening flurries were dominated by Llanelli, as they put width on their game and stretched Northampton in defence.
Saints resorted to a hurried kicking game, but they could only withstand the onslaught for six minutes before Quinnell pounced after superb approach work from Peel and Wyatt.
Wyatt’s contribution proved a short-lived one though, and he limped off injured six minutes later, to be replaced by Adam Jones.
Saints fly-half Drahm cut the deficit through a 30-metre penalty, but Llanelli responded swiftly through another sniping Peel break that tested Northampton’s defence.
Jones then matched his opposite number from similar range, restoring the Scarlets’ early five-point advantage, and at 8-3 adrift, Northampton knew they had to start imposing themselves on what was always going to be a tough European opener.
Saints should have scored nine minutes before the break when scrum-half Mark Robinson breached Llanelli’s defensive line, but possession bobbled clear and full-back Nick Beal knocked on as he tried to gather with the try-line at his mercy.
Llanelli ended the opening period on top territorially, yet the Scarlets could not turn pressure into points, and a narrow Jones drop-goal miss was the closest they came.
Robinson, comfortably Northampton’s biggest attacking threat, almost scampered his way over the Llanelli line within 60 seconds of the restart, and it served as a wake-up call, with Saints seriously fancying their chances.
Northampton had soaked up much of what Llanelli threw at them, and a triple Saints substitution provided fresh momentum, with Thompson, prop Chris Budgen and lock Mark Connors all joining the action.
Grayson entered the fray eight minutes later, but the game needed a flash of inspiration to lift it from a prolonged stalemate.
Jones’ second successful penalty on the hour-mark edged Llanelli 11-3 ahead and gave the Scarlets a hint of breathing space, yet a penalty miss from identical range shortly afterwards meant the overwhelming majority among a 9,000 crowd still could not relax.
Grayson narrowed the deficit 10 minutes from time, guaranteeing a frenzied finale to what was an otherwise hugely-disappointing encounter.
Llanelli though, had more than enough experience and tactical acumen to close the game down, and Jones’ third penalty two minutes from time shut the door on Northampton’s chances.
A late Saints rally meant that the Scarlets could not switch off, but as if to confirm it was not Northampton’s night, their Scotland and Lions prop Tom Smith departed through injury during the closing seconds, just before Grayson’s second penalty strike.
