Plenty of positives in pre-season opener
Plenty of positives in pre-season opener
RESULT
Scarlets V Bristol Bears
02 SEP 2022 KO 19:00 | Parc y Scarlets
28
  
34
Club Friendlies
Att.:
Head to Head
Scarlets Bristol Bears
WINS
35
30
LOSSES
30
35
DRAWS
3
3


Head coach Dwayne Peel was encouraged by his side’s first outing of the season, despite Bristol claiming the spoils at Parc y Scarlets with a 34-28 win.

The Scarlets led 28-15 midway through the second half, but despite a battling finale from a young home line-up, it was Bristol who held out for the victory.

Star of the show for the Scarlets was undoubtedly new signing Vaea Fifita, who produced a superb solo try and made a couple of dazzling breaks in a stunning 40-minute debut.

The Scarlets were up and running early with centre Scott Williams powering over at the posts for a try converted by Dan Jones.

To set the tone for a see-sawing contest, Bristol hit back through flanker Jake Heenan, then England scrum-half Harry Randall produced a moment of magic to dummy and race over blindside.

Fifita hit a scything line to touch down at the posts for the Scarlets’ second on 23 minutes, but back came the Bears with a third try through wing Luke Morahan. Amazingly, fly-half AJ MacGinty hit the post for a third successive occasion to make the score 15-14.

It was the Scarlets who took a lead into the break thanks to impressive hooker Daf Hughes, who picked up at the base of a ruck and dived over. Jones again added the extras to ensure the home side headed down the tunnel 21-15 ahead.

Flanker Tomas Lezana extended the advantage with a close-range score early in the second half, but the majority of the second period belonged to the visitors.

Yann Thomas, Rich Lane and Jack Bates crossed to make it 34-28 to Bears, but to their credit, a youthful Scarlets pressed to the end with the likes of Luca Giannini, Eddie James and Josh Phillips making a mark on their debuts.

Afterwards Peel said: "On the whole I am fairly content, we moved the ball well, we played well in patches, but we let in soft tries and missed a couple of opportunities as well. A lot of boys made debuts and we had a very young team at the end who battled well.

"There is a lot to work on and we will go away and work hard, but the beauty of these pre-season games is that they are trial games for what is to come."

RESULT
Scarlets V Bristol Bears
02 SEP 2022 KO 19:00 | Parc y Scarlets
28
  
34
Club Friendlies
Att.:

SCORECARD
ScarletsBristol Bears
Scott Williams
Dafydd Hughes
Vaea Fifita
Tomas Lezana
 TRY Yann Thomas(2)
Luke Morahan
Harry Randall
Jake Heenan
Jack Bates
Dan Jones(4)
 CON Callum Sheedy
Richard Lane
- PEN -
- DG -
- YC -
- YC -


Head to Head
Scarlets Bristol Bears
WINS
35
30
LOSSES
30
35
DRAWS
3
3


SCORECARD
ScarletsBristol Bears
Scott Williams
Dafydd Hughes
Vaea Fifita
Tomas Lezana
 TRY Yann Thomas(2)
Luke Morahan
Harry Randall
Jake Heenan
Jack Bates
Dan Jones(4)
 CON Callum Sheedy
Richard Lane
- PEN -
- DG -
- YC -
- YC -




Head coach Dwayne Peel was encouraged by his side’s first outing of the season, despite Bristol claiming the spoils at Parc y Scarlets with a 34-28 win.

The Scarlets led 28-15 midway through the second half, but despite a battling finale from a young home line-up, it was Bristol who held out for the victory.

Star of the show for the Scarlets was undoubtedly new signing Vaea Fifita, who produced a superb solo try and made a couple of dazzling breaks in a stunning 40-minute debut.

The Scarlets were up and running early with centre Scott Williams powering over at the posts for a try converted by Dan Jones.

To set the tone for a see-sawing contest, Bristol hit back through flanker Jake Heenan, then England scrum-half Harry Randall produced a moment of magic to dummy and race over blindside.

Fifita hit a scything line to touch down at the posts for the Scarlets’ second on 23 minutes, but back came the Bears with a third try through wing Luke Morahan. Amazingly, fly-half AJ MacGinty hit the post for a third successive occasion to make the score 15-14.

It was the Scarlets who took a lead into the break thanks to impressive hooker Daf Hughes, who picked up at the base of a ruck and dived over. Jones again added the extras to ensure the home side headed down the tunnel 21-15 ahead.

Flanker Tomas Lezana extended the advantage with a close-range score early in the second half, but the majority of the second period belonged to the visitors.

Yann Thomas, Rich Lane and Jack Bates crossed to make it 34-28 to Bears, but to their credit, a youthful Scarlets pressed to the end with the likes of Luca Giannini, Eddie James and Josh Phillips making a mark on their debuts.

Afterwards Peel said: "On the whole I am fairly content, we moved the ball well, we played well in patches, but we let in soft tries and missed a couple of opportunities as well. A lot of boys made debuts and we had a very young team at the end who battled well.

"There is a lot to work on and we will go away and work hard, but the beauty of these pre-season games is that they are trial games for what is to come."

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