By Simon Thomas
Dwayne Peel has challenged his Scarlets team to end the season with a flourish after their first United Rugby Championship win for over three months.
There was a mixture of relief and delight for Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel following a last-gasp 16-13 victory over Benetton Rugby.
Peel said: “I am pleased for the boys because they have been on the wrong end of those losses and they put a lot of hard work in. It was big for us to get that win at the end.
“I thought it was deserved. As the game went on, we applied a lot of pressure. We created and we were bold with the ball when we needed to be.”
“There are six league games to go, so there’s a lot of rugby still to be played and a lot of points to be won. We can still build up some momentum going into the back end of the season.
“For us, it’s about climbing the league as much as we can. I also want us to play with a bit of endeavour and we did that at times out there.”
The game was into the 84th minute when South African replacement hooker Eduan Swart rounded off a mass lineout drive in the right-hand corner for what looked to be the winning score.
⏳ The late show!!!
Diolch i bawb am eich cefnogaeth ❤️
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) March 24, 2024
But that wasn’t the end of the drama, as there was to be a lengthy TMO review before referee Chris Busby finally awarded the try.
The scenes of celebration that followed showed just how much the result meant to the Scarlets. It was only their third victory from 16 matches in all competitions this season and their first in the URC since the start of December.
Ospreys coach Toby Booth was left to reflect on the clinical contrast between the two teams following a 27-17 home defeat to Munster.
It was a strange old game, with the Welsh region having much the better of things in terms of territory (59 per cent) and possession (62 per cent), only to come away empty handed, while the visiting champions picked up the maximum.
Giving his thoughts, Booth said: “I feel for the lads. They feel the pain. The overriding feeling is frustration, but this is part of the journey of this team.
“Looking after the ball in key moments is massively important when you play against the best teams and we were playing against the champions.
@Swansearfc played Saracens in the English Premiership 25 seasons ago as both clubs tried to make pro rugby work. While Swansea morphed into @Ospreys, Sarries kept on reaching for the stars. Their latest attendances:
Ospreys (v Munster) 3,897. @Saracens (v Harlequins) 61,214. https://t.co/VrfXjVY3vV— Peter Jackson (@JackoRugby) March 23, 2024
“You have to take the moments because you don’t get as many. You need to be clinical. They were and we weren’t.”
The Ospreys’ evening was summed up in the final minute when wing Alex Cuthbert looked certain to score his second try of the night and secure two losing bonus points only to pull up as his hamstring went.
It was all the more painful for the Welsh international as he has only just returned from a year out through injury.
“I am just devastated for him,” said Booth.
“That would have been two points and, in a league that’s very congested and tight, that would be massive.
“I thought we deserved something out of the game.”
Munster wing Sean O’Brien was named Player of the Match after snapping up two long range tries off interceptions – opportunistic scores which ultimately proved the difference between these two play-off contenders.
“That’s a massive win for us,” he said.
“We had been saying all week it was the biggest game of the season so far. It’s great to get back in after a couple of weeks off and get a win like that.”
Skipper Alex Kendellen added: “We knew how important this game was. It’s so tight in the league these days, so it’s good to get the five points.”
In Friday night’s other contest, Glasgow turned around a 13-0 half-time deficit to beat Cardiff Rugby 17-13 at a wet and windy Scotstoun.
Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt said: “It’s almost a bitter sweet one because we had chances to win it. We got pushed into touch twice five metres from their line and were held up twice over the line.
“But we are the first team in the league this season to get a point at Glasgow away. Leinster have been here, the Stormers have been here.
“It’s one of the toughest places in the league, so to come here and get something is all credit to the players.”
Welsh wizardry from @Cardiff_Rugby
Ben Thomas finishes off a team try for the visitors #BKTURC #URC #GLAvCAR pic.twitter.com/W1Kw1EYlgR
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) March 22, 2024
Coach Franco Smith said: “The weather conditions made it difficult. It was horrible, it was hideous out there.
“But I must give credit to Cardiff. They came out to play, they made it hard at the breakdown, they defended really well. We lost the physical battle in the first half and they made us pay for it in a lot of areas.
“They are a good side. Nobody should underestimate them. We knew they were going to be tough and competitive.”
Having played into the wind and driving rain in the first half, Glasgow swiftly erased Cardiff’s lead on the resumption, playing a territorial game and turning to their big ball carriers to guide them to victory.
“It was a case of being a bit more pragmatic,” said Smith.
“For us, it was important to get an attacking platform further down the pitch. A win will do, but we need to play better.”
That’s now nine bonus points for Cardiff, an indication of just how many close contests they have been involved in this season.
The sight of Rhodri Williams having a 20st prop in either hand in a dust-up summed up the fight shown by the Dragons against the Bulls.
Needs to be a win against Zebre on Good Friday now.
Some talking points from the loss to the Bulls…https://t.co/aq1vlfAbTg
— Argus on the Dragons (@argusondragons) March 24, 2024
The Dragons also lost after going down 31-10 to the Bulls at Rodney Parade on Saturday night which sent the Newport club to the bottom of the URC table.
Replacement hooker Johan Grobbelaar went over in the last minute to secure the all-important four-try bonus.
That result takes Jake White’s Bulls up to second in the table, with only Leinster ahead of them.
Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said: “It’s disappointing that some big decisions didn’t go our way, particularly when still in the game at 17-3 and going close to the line.
“I’ve spoken to the ref [Eoghan Cross] and said it’s not fair on my players. He’s a good ref but it’s a four-man job and he needs support.
“We deserved more than the score shows. We executed a plan against their physicality. We contained them, showed composure and kept the ball for periods. We just wanted to score more tries.”