THE Scarlets remain in contention for a place in the Challenge Cup quarterfinals after a hard-fought win over Bayonne in France.
Brad Mooar's side are five points behind Toulon in Pool 2 with their destiny in their own hands.
This victory was built on their forward dominance with Wales prop Rob Evans part of a strong Scarlets setpiece. Evans was a shock omission from Warren Gatland's World Cup squad but on this evidence you'd expect him to figure heavily in the upcoming Six Nations. Evans scored the Scarlets' only try of the game with the metronomic boot of Leigh Halfpenny responsible for 14 of the visitors' points.
Mooar might be slightly frustrated his side only scored the one try but he would have been pleased with the way they responded to last weekend's disappointing defeat in Ulster.
After a tense opening ten minutes, Halfpenny put the visitors ahead with three points from the kicking tee but the Scarlets were struggling to get their hands on the ball for long enough to stretch the home side's defence.
But the Welsh region began to show their threat out wide as Steff Evans skinned his opposite number before offloading to Johnny McNicholl. The Wales wing was brought down with the Bayonne defence forcing a knock on from their visitors.
The Scarlets finally wonsome field position with Dan Jones' penalty giving them a lineout on the Bayonne five metre line.
POOL 2
MATCH STATS…
Josh Macleod was held up over the line from the resulting maul but after a period of sustained pressure Wales prop Evans powered his way over.
But Bayonne hit back with a stunning individual try from scrum-half Michael Ruru who chipped over the top of Halfpenny before regathering to score. Blindside flanker Jean Monribot was suspected of being offside but the try was eventually awarded.
Bayonne were temporarily reduced to 14 men on the stroke of half-time when No.8 Sione Tau got sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Ryan Elias. Halfpenny kicked the penalty from straight in front of the posts to give his side a 13-8 lead.
The Scarlets came out of the blocks firing in the second-half with their pack applying huge pressure in the Bayonne 22.
The hosts were forced to give away a number of penalties which allowed Halfpenny to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Bayonne's ill-discipline cost them dearly as inside centre Yan Lestrade was yellow carded for killing the ball on the floor.
Bayonne finished the game by throwing the kitchen sink at the Welsh side. They enjoyed a period of sustained pressure on the Scarlets try line but they were constantly repelled.
REFEREE: Ben Blain (Sco)
ATTENDANCE: 7,456
Star man
Rob Evans – Scarlets
TEAMS
BAYONNE: Graaff 6 (Tisseron 59, 5), Baget 6, Muscarditz 6, Lestrade 5, Robinson 6; Barthelemy 6, Ruru 7; Cormenier 5 (Iguiniz 41, 6), Lamothe 4, Johnston 3, Lill 6, Jaulhac 6 (Maka 68, 5), Monribot 7, Heguy 6, Tau 5 (Duputs 61, 5)
Not used: Delonca, Clercq, Saubusse, Ordas
SCARLETS: Halfpenny 7; McNicholl 7, Hughes 7, Asquith 7 (Baldwin 68, 5), S Evans 7; D Jones 7 (Lamb 63), Hardy 6 (J Evans 54); R Evans 8 (Price 58), Elias 6 (M Jones 67, 5, Kruger 7 (Sebastian 63, 6), Cummins 7 (Helps 63, 6), Lousi 8, Cassiem 8, Macleod 7 (Morgan 71, 6), Thomson 7
