Match Centre: United Rugby Championship: Scarlets 23-24 Connacht

Scarlets 23-24 Connacht, Parc Y Scarlets

Scarlets suffered a heartbreaking 24-23 defeat at Parc y Scarlets after a late penalty by Connacht’s Cathal Forde snatched victory from the home side in a thrilling encounter on Saturday.

Despite a valiant comeback from being 14-0 down, the Scarlets were undone in the final minutes when a breakdown penalty allowed Forde to seal the match with a well-placed kick.

Strong Start by Connacht

Connacht took early control of the match, capitalizing on a defensive mistake in the Scarlets’ backfield. Wing Piers O’Conor pounced on the error to open the scoring, followed by a successful conversion by Jack Carty. Moments later, Scarlets found themselves in further trouble when Tom Rogers was yellow-carded. Connacht wasted no time and executed a clever cross-field kick that found Mack Hansen in space for a second try, pushing the Irish side's lead to 14-0.

Scarlets’ Impressive Fightback

Scarlets responded strongly despite the early setbacks. After Connacht’s Bundee Aki was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Sam Costelow, the home side made their numerical advantage count. A well-orchestrated attack initiated by Davies allowed Blair Murray to make significant ground, with Dan Davis going close before Davies eventually darted over the line. Costelow’s conversion brought Scarlets back into the game at 14-7.

Just eight minutes later, Scarlets struck again. A superb offload from Johnny Williams set Eddie James free, who in turn fed Davies to score his second try under the posts. Costelow added the extras, leveling the scores at 14-14.

Connacht Regain the Lead

Despite Scarlets’ resurgence, Connacht had the final say in the first half. A dynamic counter-attack from deep saw scrum-half Ben Murphy slice through the Scarlets’ defense to restore Connacht’s lead, taking them into the break 21-14 ahead.

Nail-Biting Finale

Scarlets resumed the second half with renewed energy, as Costelow’s early penalty reduced the deficit to 21-17. Replacement Ioan Lloyd then added another penalty, bringing Scarlets to within a point of the visitors.

As the match entered its final stages, Costelow stepped up again, slotting a crucial penalty to give Scarlets a slender 23-21 lead with just eight minutes remaining. However, the match took a dramatic turn when referee Marius van der Westhuizen awarded a breakdown penalty to Connacht. Forde held his nerve and calmly slotted the kick from a difficult angle, putting Connacht back in front at 24-23.

Close but Not Enough

Scarlets pushed hard in the dying moments, but Connacht’s defense stood firm, denying the home side their first win of the season. Despite the loss, Scarlets showed resilience and determination, suggesting that their first victory of the campaign might not be far off.

Team line up:

Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Eddie James, Blair Murray; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Sam Lousi, Max Douglas, Josh Macleod (capt), Dan Davis, Taine Plumtree.

Reserves: Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Alex Craig, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Page.

Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki, Piers O'Conor; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray, David O’Connor, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (capt).

Reserves: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley. Temi Lasisi, Oisín Dowling, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Shayne Bolton.