Connacht robbed of unbeaten start
Connacht 15 Llanelli 37
Llanelli Scarlets robbed Connacht of their unbeaten start to the Magners League as tries from Darren Daniel, Simon Easterby and a second-half brace from Regan King rocked the hosts at the Sportsground.
The Scarlets mercilessly picked up their third league win in the space of seven days, following on from their defeats of Glasgow and the Dragons, to mark themselves out as real title contenders.
Connacht’s stand-in captain Mark McHugh, who tallied 10 points with a converted try and a penalty, was overshadowed by Wales fly-half Stephen Jones - who knocked over seven out of seven kicks for a 17-point haul.
Jones opened the scoring in the third-minute when he posted a penalty from 25 metres out – but moments later Connacht had cause for celebration when McHugh and Conor McPhillips combined to put former Newport winger Matt Mostyn in for a try.
McHugh’s conversion was wide and from then on, it was all Scarlets as their open, expansive play proved a handful to control.
On the 10-minute mark, danger man Daniel, who only turned 20 on Wednesday, finished off a flowing move in the corner. Jones’ conversion had Phil Davies’ men 10-5 ahead.
After a Jones penalty, Ireland flanker Simon Easterby then frustrated his countrymen in the 40th minute when he barged over for only his second try in Celtic League history.
Jones’ conversion was followed by an injury-time McHugh penalty, which left Connacht trailing by 20-8 at the break.
The in-form Jones increased his influence, after the resumption, with an early penalty and while Connacht stepped up a gear when McHugh grabbed a loose pass from Jones, in his own 22, and raced away for a breakaway score, the Scarlets failed to be rattled.
Replacement centre King, barely on the field, soon tore in under the posts for Jones to convert for a 30-15 lead, and the classy Kiwi grabbed what could prove to be a vital bonus point for the visitors when he was put away by his fellow sub Dwayne Peel in the dying minutes.
