A stirring second-half comeback packed with character wasn’t enough as Scarlets left the new DAM Health Stadium in Edinburgh with a losing bonus point after a breathless URC round one contest.

Tries by Steff Evans, Kieran Hardy and Johnny McNicholl kept the visitors in contention right up until the final whistle, but it was Edinburgh who held out for a 26-22 win to give a crowd of more than 5,000 a victorious house-warming party.

Scarlets started the match with real tempo, with their off-loading game causing Edinburgh’s defence plenty of problems.

Centre Scott Williams, on his competitive return to the side, had a try chalked off for a forward pass after great interplay behind the scrum, but the Scarlets did turn their pressure into points with a try on 12 minutes by wing Steff Evans.

Sione Kalamafoni made the initial bust and after strong work by front-rowers Rob Evans and Samson Lee, slick hands put the winger over for an acrobatic score in the left-hand corner.

Scarlets could have had a second score shortly afterwards only for hooker Ryan Elias to be held up over the line following a line-out rumble.

With scrum-half Ben Vellacott posing a constant threat, the rest of the half belonged to the hosts.

Fly-half Blair Kinghorn hit an inside line for his side’s first try, then centre Mark Bennett sliced through for the second.

Dan Jones reduced the arrears with a 40m penalty three minutes before the interval, but on the stroke of half-time flying wing Darcy Graham darted away from a ruck.

Despite protestations from the Scarlets that Edinburgh infringed in the build-up, the score remained and Edinburgh went in at the break 19-8 to the good.

Scarlets and Steff Evans thought they had their second try of the night seven minutes after the restart, but the wing just put his foot on the touchline as he dived over in the corner.

However, moments later scrum-half Kieran Hardy darted blind, spotted the gap and raced over unopposed to bring the visitors right back into the match.

Edinburgh and, in particular, that man Graham were refusing to buckle though and on 57 minutes the winger stepped his way over for his second and Edinburgh’s fourth and bonus-point try.

But the see-sawing nature of the contest continued in a breathless final period.

On 66 minutes, a clever switch of play by replacement Dane Blacker found space, Jon Davies fended off a defender to burst through and his pass found Johnny McNicholl on a lovely inside line for the score. Sam Costelow struck a beautiful conversion and it was a one-score game again.

Scarlets had a couple of attacking line-outs in the final moments as they pressed for the win, but it was Edinburgh who held out to clinch a thriller.

Replacement Tom Phillips left the field on a stretcher, but was up and about on crutches after the game. Scarlets will know the full extent of his injury in the coming days.