Much like at Parc y Scarlets a week previous, a lack of cutting edge in the opponents twenty-two would cost the West-Walian’s dear as the Dragons bounced back from their 55-21 hammering to Cardiff to win a close contest.
In atrocious conditions, returning fly-half Sam Castelow would be the centre of the games main talking points as the Scarlets would strike first. The Scarlets number ten combining with full back Ioan Lloyd after a neat kick had gained territory to set up wing Tom Rogers in the corner.
The Dragons though would be the side in the lead at the break with number eight Aaron Wainwright, playing his 100th game for the region, crashing over to give the home side a slender lead.
Both regions would struggle with the conditions in the second half before Costelow turned provider once more to find Lloyd in a moment of rare quality.
With the scores evenly set with one point in it, the fly-half though would turn from hero to villain as his kicking boots would let him down. A missed conversion costing his side victory as the Dragons held out for only their second win in the league this season, leaving Peel reeling from the games missed chances.
“We had put ourselves in a position to win the game. There was a lot of pressure in the twenty-two, Said Peel.
“TMO deemed no try. From where I was sitting it seemed as if Vaea [Fifita] had gone over, so I was disappointed with that call if I’m honest.
“We then missed the kick and it put us under pressure. It’s a tough one to take.
“It is one of those things [Sam Costelow’s missed kicks], you don’t expect it to happen, but that’s the way it goes at times.
“It is tough on him, but he will bounce back. I thought he had played exceptionally well, especially in that first-half where he put us in the right areas against the wind.
“Both Sam and Ioan Lloyd together created a couple of opportunities. He looked good for his first game back.
“It is tough at the minute and what we have to do is stay tight and work hard.
“We go to Clermont next, which isn’t the easiest place to go. We have a couple of weeks to recoup after that and make sure that we keep on getting better.
“What the last two weeks have shown us is that there were two games we should have won.
“In terms of pressure last week, we didn’t convert it into points and tonight again I think we left some points out there. We have got to finish when we have opportunities.”
Peel would also rue the loss of back row Sam Lousi who had to pull out of the match-day squad and be the latest casualty to join the Scarlets mounting injury list.
“It unfortunate for him [Sam Lousi] and us really. He is a class player but wasn’t quite right in training this week, continued Peel.
“It’s tough we have a few injuries at the minute, both him, Taine Plumtree, Teddy Leatherbarrow and Dan Davies who give us strength to our back row.
“At the minute we haven’t got those guys and that’s the way it goes. In a game like that Lous [Sam Lousi] was a big loss and would have made a difference with his weight and size.
“We are all disappointed with results. We need to keep working hard and stay together.
“The will to work hard has always been there. You look at the games played over the last couple of weeks, they were one score games and could have easily gone [our way].
“We are at the wrong end of it and need to get better, but we are working hard at it.”
[Lead image: Scarlets Rugby]
