James Davies starred with a man of the match performance as Scarlets recorded a hard-fought victory at Scotstoun to go above Glasgow Warriors in the Guinness PRO12 table. A Pat MacArthur try had given Warriors the lead but scores from Tom Williams and Davies gave Scarlets a lead that they – with just one defeat in their last 11 – never looked like giving up. Glasgow’s pack got on top of their counterparts in the opening scrum as Scarlets were penalised for collapsing and Rory Clegg knocked over the resulting penalty to open the scoring in the second minute. But Dan Jones hit back before there were ten minutes on the clock with an effort from just inside the half-way line. Nick Grigg almost made a telling break two minutes later, streaking up to the Scarlets 22 but the visitors turned it over and cleared their lines. Seren y gêm / Man of the match @cubbyboi 👏 pic.twitter.com/qrcC1ISbod — Scarlets (@scarlets_rugby) February 10, 2017 Jones then went to the bin on the quarter-hour mark after he was adjudged to have taken Sam Johnson late when both going for a loose ball. From the resulting lineout Warriors charged over and the TMO decided Pat MacArthur had grounded the ball at the bottom of the ruck – Clegg missing the conversion. A man down, Scarlets enjoyed a spell of pressure inside the Warriors 22, coming from a Will Boyde break down the right. And the try came soon after as Scarlets swiftly switched play from left to right, with Williams going in at the corner before converting himself to give his side the lead. But the lead was short-lived as a driving maul rumbled into Scarlets territory and when the ball broke free, the Welsh side were penalised for a high tackle, with Clegg accurate from the tee to regain the lead for Warriors. Scarlets hit back straight away, though, and the lead switched hands again as a Jones penalty put them two in front. Two then became nine as a slight feint allowed Davies to finish in the right corner after phase after phase of powerful drives eventually led to the break out wide – Jones adding the extras to send Glasgow into the break trailing 20-11 at home. A big second-half coming up with the Warriors trailing @scarlets_rugby at the break. pic.twitter.com/k3mZnNhmX7 — Glasgow Warriors 🏉 (@GlasgowWarriors) February 10, 2017 Neat hands from the Glasgow forwards looked to have given them a platform to build from early in the second period, but a steal from Davies allowed Scarlets to clear downfield from their own 22. But Warriors did get on the board nine minutes into the half, with Clegg kicking a long-range effort of his own to give Glasgow some respite from Scarlets’ pressure. The home side then exerted some pressure of their own, but after 14 phases a knock on put pay to their position in the Scarlets 22. And when Grigg found himself offside in his own half Jones knocked over another penalty to re-establish their nine-point lead. Huge thank you to those of you who made the journey! #inthepack Diolch i’r rheini ohono chi a deithiodd. 👍 — Scarlets (@scarlets_rugby) February 10, 2017 Try as Glasgow might to string phases together and force their way back into the game, handling errors and turnovers were costing the home side dearly as the clock ticked ever closer to 80 minutes. In the final ten minutes Warriors struggled to get out of their own half as the Scarlets defence, led by Davies, strangled the home side’s backs at every opportunity as Wayne Pivac’s side sealed the 12-point win to leapfrog their Scottish opponents in the league.
