Match report: Scarlets hammer Reivers
April 6, 2007

Llanelli Scarlets earned an easy bonus point victory over the Borders at Stradey Park to keep their Magners League title hopes alive.

They cruised into third place with this nine-tries-to-one success.

The home side were rampant in the first half earning their bonus point 30 minutes in after scoring their fourth try, going in at half time 26-6 up.

Former Wales prop John Davies led out the team to rapturous applause as he made his 100th appearance for the Scarlets and he was soon in the action as the home side won the first scrum against the head, resulting in Scott MacLeod barging over against his old team, with Stephen Jones converting.

Jones' namesake Steve grabbed back a penalty for the Scots but it was very much against the run of play as the Scarlets scored two more tries in five minutes.

John Davies was making it a night to remember as he was at the forefront of two impressive drives which saw hooker Matthews Rees go over for his first ever try for the Scarlets. Jones converted as the home side led 14-3 after 18 minutes.

Steve Jones grabbed a second penalty back for the Borders but it had little impact on the scoreboard as the Scarlets responded with a third try, scored by Dafydd James after an impressive break and offload from Matthew Watkins.

And the one-sided nature of the contest was confirmed as the Scarlets earned their bonus point on the half-hour mark when Rees went over for a second try.

Having all but put the game to bed before half-time the Scarlets could be forgiven for making a slow start to the second period, but on after minutes Stephen Jones crashed over.

And four minutes later Mark Jones went on a powerful 40-metre run for try number six before the Borders grabbed back a consolation for lock John Dalziel.

Despite making a raft of replacements the Scarlets still managed to finish strongly, with tries for Barry Davies, replacement scrum-half Liam Davies, and substitute hooker Ken Owens who took the Scarlets past the 50 mark.

Llanelli Scarlets (26) 53.
Tries: MacLeod, Rees 2, James, S. Jones, M. Jones, B. Davies, L. Davies, Owen. Cons: S. Jones 4.

Borders (6) 11.
Tries: Dalziel. Pens: Jones 2.

Att: 5,437

Llanelli Scarlets: B. Davies, James, Watkins, G. Evans, M. Jones, S. Jones, Peel, John, Rees, J. Davies, A. Jones, MacLeod, Easterby, Bater, D. Jones.

Replacements: Manu, Owen, Afeaki, Popham, L. Davies, C. Thomas, King.

Border Reivers: Moffatt, Flockhart, MacDougall, Rennie, Law, Jones, C. Cusiter, Kerr, Ford, Douglas, Dalziel, Palepoi, Newlands, Miller, Brown.

Replacements: Scott, Kalman, Vernon, Hamilton, Chrystie, Townsend, De Luca.

Referee: Donald Courtney (RU)

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