Edinburgh Beat Scarlets 16-17

Edinburgh won a tight Magners League contest at Parc y Scarlets, a dropped-goal by David Blair ultimately making the difference.

Tries from Greig Laidlaw and Craig Hamilton were enough to earn the visitors victory and condemn the Scarlets to a sixth defeat in eight league games.

Rhys Priestland and Blair struck a penalty and dropped goal respectively to leave the game level at 3-3 before a moment of inspiration from the Welsh region provided the game with its opening try, some neat handling and side-stepping sending Richie Pugh over.

Seven minutes into the second half Edinburgh found themselves in front for the first time when Chris Paterson converted a try by Laidlaw.

The lead kept changing hands, with Lee Williams’s try and a Stephen Jones penalty from in front of the posts bringing the Scarlets to within a point, but the Welsh region’s late efforts counted for nothing and Edinburgh deservedly hung on.

Scarlets: D Evans (S Jones 48); L Williams, S Lamont, J Davies, A Fenby; R Priestland, M Roberts; I Thomas (P John 65), K Owens, D Manu, L Reed, D Day (V Cooper 76), S Easterby (J Turnbull 57), R Pugh, D Lyons (capt).
Tries: Pugh, Williams.
Penalties: Priestland, Jones.

Edinburgh: C Paterson (capt. J Houston 59); M Robertson (J Thompson 48), B Cairns, N De Luca, T Visser; D Blair, G Laidlaw; A Jacobsen (K Traynor 52), A Kelly (R Ford 59), G Cross, S Turnbull (C Hamilton 40), S MacLeod, A Macdonald, R Grant, S Newlands (D Callam 68).
Tries: Laidlaw, Hamilton.
Conversions: Paterson (2).
Drop goals: Blair.
Referee: C Damasco (Italy).