Scarlets fly-half Ioan Lloyd produced a “box office” display in his side’s 29-23 bonus point victory over Cardiff Rugby at a packed Arms Park.
Lloyd delivered a Player of the Match performance in the derby clash, sparking the back line with his assured distribution and showing real enterprise with his willingness to run from deep and take on defenders.
Speaking after a game in which the Scarlets turned around an early 14-0 deficit, the 22-year-old said: “It was a massive effort from the boys.
“Our biggest theme was getting out there and working for your brothers and we did that.
“Cardiff are a hell of a team. They came out firing and we went two tries down. Credit to all the boys for getting up from there.
“It’s been a tough start to the season, but hopefully we can build some momentum now going into this next block of games.”
Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel was full of praise for his play-making fly-half.
“He was outstanding. He is electric in attack. He’s box office and he lit up that game,” he said.
“People coming to watch that match – either Scarlets or Cardiff fans – will have thought ‘Bloody hell, he’s good’.
“You have your heart in your mouth sometimes when you see him running from behind your own sticks in a derby, but that’s great.
“As a coach, you are half watching the game with your hands on your head because you don’t know what he’s going to do next, but then the other half you are celebrating what he’s doing.
“He’s growing all the time as a 10 and I thought he was excellent. That was his best performance for us. He is such a threat with ball in hand.”