SCARLETS 21 DRAGONS 13

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons failed to get their LV= Cup campaign off to a flying start after losing 21-13 to the Scarlets in Llanelli.

The Rodney Parade region went down to their fifth away defeat of the season and didn’t even have the consolation of a losing bonus point.

Both sides fielded a mixture of youth and experienced fringe players, so it was unsurprisingly a scrappy affair.

The first half was woeful before things sparked into life in the final quarter but the result was oh-so-familiar for the Dragons, despite them ringing the changes for the tournament.

The visitors gave debuts to six players, five of them teenagers.

A first taste of regional rugby was given to 17-year-old lock and Newport High School pupil Joe Davies, 18-year-old centre and Coleg Gwent student Tyler Morgan, 18-year-old Wales Under-20s wing Ashton Hewitt and 19-year-old scrum-half Luc Jones, while the relatively old Cross Keys utility back Rhys Jones made his Dragons bow at the age of 26.

But pick of the bunch was 19-year-old openside Scott Matthews with the pocket rocket taking his fine Cross Keys form onto a bigger stage, smashing things with glee and not scared to put his head where it hurts.

However, this is a development competition and the youngster learnt a harsh lesson in the second half when he was yellow-carded for a breakdown offence in his 22.

The Scarlets scored their two tries while the young flanker was off the field; it was a costly infringement and swung the game in the way of the west Walians.

The hosts were first to strike after the Dragons failed to learn last week’s lesson when lock Adam Jones’ yellow card for taking a man out at the lineout cost them 14 points and the game against Leinster.

The former Wales forward repeated his mistake to allow the hosts to kick into the 22 and prop Aaron Coundley promptly did likewise.

This time there was no sin-binning but former Dragons fly-half Aled Thomas knocked over the penalty and added a second for a 6-0 lead after the first quarter.

Both sides were predictably making plenty of errors and the visitors were hindered by an awful kicking display by one of their seniors.

Former Italy fly-half Kris Burton had put the boot into the Scarlets when in the colours of Treviso last season, notching a personal haul of 21 points.

But the 33-year-old shanked an early drop goal attempt and then twice failed from the tee, both efforts failing to have the legs despite being in enemy territory.

Thankfully Thomas proved to be just as wasteful with a pair of attempts and the score remained at 6-0 after a scrappy half that was desperately short on incident.

The only winners from the first 40 minutes were the Scarlets accountants – they were not going to be crying into their beer courtesy of the offer of 2p off a pint for every point scored by the hosts.

Burton must have had a change of boots at the break because he nailed his first effort after the restart.

But then Matthews saw yellow and the Scarlets stretched their lead to 11-3 when quick hands released Wales sevens speedster Chris Knight down the right.

And it was 18-3 five minutes later when the winger’s dazzling 60-metre break allowed Wales number eight Rob McCusker to barge over to make it 18-3.

That sparked the Dragons into life and they responded with a seven-pointer when Burton went over from Wayne Evans’ short ball.

Rhys Jones got the visitors back to within a score with a penalty only for ex-Ebbw Vale fly-half Josh Lewis to respond.

And the Dragons’ hopes of heading back east with at least a bonus point were dashed when wing Matthew Pewtner spilled the ball with the line at his mercy in the closing stages.

Scarlets: G Owen (K Phillips 60), J Williams, G Maule, A Warren, C Knight, A Thomas (J Lewis 60), A Davies, S Hopkins (G Thomas 68), K Myhill (D Harris 68), R Jones, J Snyman, R Kelly, C Price, D Thomas (J Davies 57), R McCusker (captain).

Replacements: tries – C Knight, R McCusker; conversion – J Lewis

; penalties – A Thomas (2), J Lewis

Yellow card: G Maule

Dragons: D Evans, W Harries (A Hewitt), T Morgan, A Smith, M Pewtner, K Burton (R Jones 68), W Evans (L Jones 68), A Coundley (N Williams 57), E Dee (H Gustafson 57), F Chaparro (N Buck 65), J Davies (R Sidoli 57), A Jones (lock), J Groves, S Matthews (N Talei 68), I Jones.

Replacements: try – K Burton; conversion – K Burton; penalties – K Burton, R Jones

Yellow card: S Matthews

Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

Attendance: 5,971