SUPER SHINGLER SECURES LAST-GASP VICTORY

By Helen ‘Helzbach’ Davies

A second Friday evening in a row spent at Parc y Scarlets, and as last week, the visitors are Irish. This time table topping Munster are the visitors, aiming to maintain their own 100% record and extend their points margin at the top of the Guinness Pro 12, whilst the Scarlets aim is to topple the Munster from the top spot and keep their own 100% record intact in the process.

As the pyrotechnic smoke finally settled on Parc y Scarlets it was Munster that began the game the stronger, easily crossing the gain line before securing a good attacking position deep in the Scarlets’ 22, securing the first penalty attempt of the game. Outside Half Ian Keatley secured the opening points to give his side a 3 point to 0 advantage.

Good hands from the Scarlets’ backs saw the men in red work their way into the Munster 22 for the first time, but despite securing a penalty, Steve Shingler didn’t quite have the legs and the score remained unchanged.

A great penalty touch finder from Shingler saw the Scarlets back in the Munster 22 with the forwards keeping the ball tight as they inched closer to the try line. However, great defence from the Munstermen saw them able to clear their lines.

A superb break from man of the moment DTH saw him jive his way across the pitch, leaving the Munster defenders for dead, whilst quick hands from the mercurial King saw the home team reach the try line, however the ball just spilled forward on the try line to deny the Scarlets what would easily have been the try of the season.

Munster Full Back Andrew Conway crossed the whitewash for the first time, following his hack forward and his speed in chasing his kick. Controversially the TMO judged that he got enough downward pressure on the ball to award the try. Keatley secured the extras to give the Munstermen a 10 point to 0 advantage

This lead was cut to 7 points with Steve Shingler finally putting the Scarlets on the score board with a well struck penalty – 3 points to 10.

This was cancelled out immediately as Keatley was accurate once more with his penalty attempt to give the visitors a 13 point to 3 lead on the half hour mark.

A penalty at the scrum offered the Scarlets a last kick of the half attempt to go into the changing rooms with a 7 point margin the difference between the two teams. Shingler was spot on with his tricky attempt to give a half time score of Scarlets 6 Munster 13.

The second half couldn’t have started any better for the Scarlets with replacement Tom Williams breaking through the Munster defence before passing to the try scoring machine that is DTH Van de Merwe who crossed in the corner. The TMO confirmed the pass wasn’t forward, however Shingler sliced the tricky touchline conversion as the Scarlets cut the deficit to 11 points to 13.

Munster had the opportunity to stretch their lead with another penalty as the Scarlets played strayed off-side and again Keatley made no mistake with this easy attempt from right in front of the posts to give the visitors an 11 point to 16 advantage.

A huge cheer rang out in Parc y Scarlets for the return of World Cup hero Gareth Davies.
Again the Scarlets relied on the TMO before celebrating following Tom Williams crossing the whitewash in the opposite corner, however, the ball was adjudged to have been kicked on by a Munster player and sufficient downward pressure resulted in the try being awarded. Shingler’s attempt to put the Scarlets into the lead for the first time was thwarted only by the posts, but the try saw the two sides all square at 16 points all.

Unfortunately Williams’ heroics were short lived as he was yellow carded shortly after to the puzzlement of all, including a world class referee, stating it should never have been yellow. Worryingly also for the home team was the lengthy injury to Lewis Rawlins saw the player leave the pitch on a stretcher.

The booing and thunderous chanting of ‘cheat, cheat’ accompanied Keatley’s subsequent penalty attempt and possibly it was poetic justice that his kick sailed wide of the posts. He was able to give his team the lead minutes later though with a well-struck drop goal to give a score line of 16 points to 19.

This lead lasted a matter of minutes though as Shingler added another successful penalty to even up the scores once more at 19 points all.

Another controversial penalty decision at the breakdown offered Munster the chance to sneak ahead once more and again it seemed poetic justice reigned as Keatley didn’t quite have the legs to make the kick, just as Williams returned to the fold.

A break from Gareth Davies that saw him sprint through the defence demonstrated that his World cup form was certainly continuing back in Parc y Scarlets as his confidence shone through.

Munster were again offered another chance to re-take the lead following an extended period of advantage played by Irish referee Gary Conway who has had quite a shocker! On this occasion Keatley was successful to give the visitors a 22 point to 19 lead and surely Conway taking the most hated referee crown from Craig Joubert!

Fortunately Conway actually awarded the Scarlets a penalty in a kickable position, despite earlier missing a blatant high tackle on DTH that should surely have been a yellow card. Shingler’s successful kick again saw the game all square at 22 points all as the game entered its final couple of minutes.

A final line-out saw the home team secure the ball and make their way into the opposition 22, and as the game reached full time, the Scarlets were awarded a penalty, however it was just out of the range of Shingler.

With the game deep in injury time another penalty saw Steve Shingler step up for the last kick of the game to possibly secure the win for the home team. As silence descended on Parc y Scarlets, Shingler’s body language told you that for once, the Scarlets had snatched the victory right at the end…..with the game ending with the Scarlets winning 25 points to 22.

The reaction of both the crowd and the players at the end demonstrated just how much the victory meant to each and every one of them. Next Friday the Scarlets welcome Newport Gwent Dragons to Parc y Scarlets, kick off 6pm as the third placed play-off of the World Cup kicks off at 8pm.