It would be a slow start for Peel’s side with the Ospreys firing out the blocks quickly to open up a 17-point lead in 15 minutes with Scarlets punished for a series of critical errors.
Number eight Morgan Morris and full-back Iestyn Hopkins executing well after poor defending from first Ellis Mee and then Ioan Lloyd.
The home side though would grow into the game, and led by captain Josh Macleod from the front, and the mercurial Vaea Fifita disrupted the Ospreys’ breakdown.
Both would be heavily involved as a well-worked try for Wales wing Blair Murray following a long looping Ioan Lloyd pass put Dwayne Peel’s side on the scoreboard.
The game though would swing minutes before the break as the visitors would be undone by ill-discipline of their own making.,
Ospreys hooker George McGuigan on his full debut would be reprimanded several times before being sent to the sin bin, before minutes later, former Scarlet Kieran Hardy joined his teammate on the sidelines. This would be much to the glee of the home fans as South African referee Griffin Brandon Colby clamped down on a series of infringements awarding the home side a penalty try.
With the Ospreys reeling, Fifita would level the scores up at the break after a well-worked move involving promising Macs Page seeing the Fijian go over in the corner with the extra men used to full effect in opening gaps in the visiting defense.
With all to play for in the second half, the first try would always be decisive, and it would go to the Scarlets who took the game by the scruff of the neck. Scores from Wales trio Joe Roberts, Eddie James, and Taine Plumtree in the end then sealing the bonus-point win.
Ospreys fly-half Dan Edwards would score a fine solo effort late on, but his side would leave Llanelli with nothing as the Scarlets would pick up maximum points and move back into the playoff reckoning.
“To say it was a ropey start from us would be an understatement,” said Peel in his post-match press conference.
“I don’t think we looked like a rugby team for the first 15 minutes, and it was error after error.
“I am proud of the resilience we showed, and for the last 60 minutes, we showed we were a good side and played in the right areas.
“When they had a few yellow cards, we made them pay and that is what the game is about.
“Thinking back to Christmas, we went to Cardiff and went down to 13 [players], and managed to see that one out and today we had the flip side.
“We managed that period well and were clinical when we needed to be and looked after the ball better than in the first 20.
“Once we had a sniff of it [momentum], we were good. It was important the way we managed the last 15 minutes.
“We kept the Ospreys in their twenty-two which was important for many reasons. Both the game perspective and it meant we took a bonus point away from them.
“Everything matters going into the last phase of the season. I felt we defended well today in that period and some of the kicks were right on the money.”
The two foes now are locked level on points in 11th and 12th place in a jam-packed cluster of teams in the middle of the URC table.
With four games remaining all is still very much to play for, believes Peel, with four points separating eight teams from Ulster in sixth to Connacht in 13th.
“There is a lot of work to be done,” continued Peel.
“We have four games left, we will probably need [to win] two of them, if I am being honest, if not three.
“Sides will take points off each other, all we can do is work on the next game and see where we are. We have the Dragons away in the Principality in a couple of weeks, then Leinster coming here which will be a huge occasion again.
“In the meantime, we have a huge European knockout stage. For us, as a group, we have always said we want to be competitive, and to be in the knockout stages is big for us.
“We have a big chance now to go away and repeat today. I’m sure though the Ospreys will be hurting after that and I’m sure it will be a good game next Sunday night.”
[Lead image: Scarlets Rugby]
