SCARLETS: Joe Roberts hat-trick hauls Scarlets level from 19 down, but Stormers win 52-40 in Cape Town

The Scarlets came back from 19 points down to draw level in Cape Town, but two late tries from replacement fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed gave the DHL Stormers a 52-40 win in a 14-try United Rugby Championship thriller.

Wales centre Joe Roberts scored a hat-trick, and the Scarlets’ six tries earned them a bonus point.

The Stormers beat them 34-0 in Wales last season, and they have now won all six meetings between the clubs, a record Nigel Davies was wary of before kick-off.

Five first-half tries put the Stormers 33-14 up

The Scarlets went down to 14 men early on, when former Stormers hooker John McKee was sin-binned for a cynical offence at the breakdown.

Tighthead prop Zachary Porthen opened the scoring on 11 minutes. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu then sparked a counter-attack that ended with scrum-half Haashim Pead scoring his first try on his first Stormers start.

Roberts hit back for the Scarlets, but loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu crashed over as the hosts took control. Right wing Ioan Jones replied to make it 19-14.

Wing Seabelo Senatla then scored his third try in three games, which secured the Stormers’ bonus point. Flanker Deon Fourie scored from a maul right on half-time to make it 33-14.

Joe Roberts’ hat-trick try brings the Scarlets level at 40-40

The Scarlets looked to be playing for little more than a bonus point, but two quick tries after the restart changed the game.

A searing break by full-back Ioan Nicholas led to a try for in-form wing Macs Page a minute into the half. Roberts then intercepted on 45 minutes for the fourth try and the bonus point, making it 33-28.

Replacement prop Olly Reid’s try stretched the Stormers’ lead to 40-28, but the Scarlets would not go away.

Captain Josh Macleod finished off some neat handling to make it a seven-point game on the hour.

Roberts completed his hat-trick six minutes later, and the conversion made it 40-40.

The Scarlets were chasing a third win in a row, after beating Benetton and Newcastle at Parc y Scarlets, and for a while the Stormers were rocking.

Yaqeen Ahmed’s late double seals it for the Stormers

The Stormers bench had the final say. Ahmed went over on 73 minutes, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion put the hosts back in front.

Ahmed scored again at the death to put the game to bed.

Scarlets stay 16th, with the Bulls next

The Scarlets stay 16th in the URC. The Stormers move up to fourth, with three wins from four.

The Scarlets face the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria next Saturday, in the second game of their South African tour.

Scarlets team v DHL Stormers

18-year-old Carwyn Leggatt-Jones started at fly-half, in his first URC game of the season, and kicked five conversions.

Scarlets: 15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Ioan Jones, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Macs Page; 10 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, 9 Dane Blacker; 1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 John McKee, 3 Harri O’Connor, 4 Alex Groves, 5 Sam Lousi, 6 Taine Plumtree, 7 Josh Macleod (capt), 8 Fletcher Anderson.

Replacements: 16 George Roberts, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Gabe Hawley, 19 Harvey Cuckson, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Gareth Anscombe, 23 Isaac Murray-Macgregor.