SCARLETS ITALIAN JOB OVER AIRONI

  

SCARLETS ITALIAN JOB OVER AIRONI

By Helen ‘Helzbach’ Davies

  

 

 

 

The travelling Scarlets continued their improvement this season with a bonus point win against the new Italian team, Aironi, the first Welsh team to secure a bonus point on Italian soil.

With Neath’s very own Rowland Phillips, Head of Rugby at Aironi, unable to lead his men to victory, the Scarlets retained their second position at the top of the Magners League, but thanks to a shock win for the Dragons last night, and the 5 points from this win, they are now just 2 points behind leaders Munster.

It took the visitors a while to settle, and it was not until the final quarter of the match that the Scarlets finally ran in the tries to secure a comfortable win.

The Italians opened the scoring early on with outside half, Tito Tebaldi giving the home team an early lead at the Stadio Zaffanella.

On a day when the Millennium Stadium crowd had witnessed New Zealand’s Dan Carter become the World Record points scorer in a game where he seemed to have left his kicking boots behind, it seemed as though the same was to be true of Scarlet Rhys Priestland who missed his first penalty minutes later.

The curse of the boot soon rubbed off on Tebaldi who was unable to build on his success, and missed his next three attempts at goal. However, he was able to make up for his lack of success with the boot by becoming the first try scorer of the night, which he duly converted to give the home side a 10 point to nil lead.

It took the Scarlets a whole half an hour before they had something to show for their efforts, with Rhys Priestland kicking his second attempt at goal.

He was soon adding a further kick, with a conversion for Morgan Stoddart’s try to make the score all square at 10 all, with half time looming.

However, Priestland wasn’t finished, and ensured the visitors took a half time lead of 13 points to 10, scoring a drop goal in the last minute of the half.

Priestland continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over with another penalty almost 10 minutes into the second half, but their 6 point lead was soon wiped out when Aironi centre Gabriel Pizzaro scored their second try of the match, which was converted by Tebaldi, brining his personal tally to 12, and giving the Italians a slender 1 point lead, 17 points to 16.

With thoughts that it was going to be yet another heart-in-mouth ending to the match, Priestland added another 3 points soon after to regain the Scarlets’ lead and settle the nerves.

The Scarlets proved too strong for the home team during the final 10 minutes, with flanker Johnathan Edwards scoring a try to further increase the Scarlets lead, with centre Gareth Maule adding a third soon after.

Unfortunately Rhys Priestland’s kicking boots ran out of steam and he missed with both conversions but the score was a far healthier, 29 points to 17.

Just when it seemed as though it was all over and Scarlets score updates were sent to season ticket holders, giving the final score 29-17, Morgan Stoddart decided to have the final word, scoring a bonus point fourth try, his second of the evening, ensuring at least one team wearing red are celebrating in Wales today!

The Scarlets’ next match is next Friday night at Parc y Scarlets where they welcome Irish Province Leinster in the Magners League, kick off, 7.05pm.