Two tries: George North
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Scarlets provided the biggest shock of the opening weekend of the PRO12 with a 45-20 demolition of European champions Leinster at Parc y Scarlets.
Scott Williams and Liam Williams scored two first-half tries as the hosts led 14-6 at the break, with Ian Madigan responding for the visitors. Further tries in the second half from Wales' international George North (twice), Andy Fenby (twice) and Kieran Murphy confirmed the win.
The visitors managed consolation scores through Devin Toner and Madigan, but they have failed to win on the opening day for the past five years.
Due to reasons beyond their control, the Irish province went into the game with 11 international players unavailable and a further seven injured. They therefore had an unfamiliar looking line-up.
However, the defending Heineken Cup champions managed to open the scoring through Madigan. Their lead didn't last long, though, as centre Williams went over, Aled Thomas converting.
The other Williams, full-back Liam, became the next player to breach the Leinster defence after slick hands along the hosts' backline sent him across the whitewash.
Scarlets' fly-half Thomas once again did the honours from the tee as the Welsh region led 14-3, although Madigan reduced the deficit just before half-time.
But the home side continued their dominance in the second half as an unconverted try from North extended the advantage. A superb Aaron Shingler break then saw Fenby touch down, Thomas converting, as Leinster's challenge faded.
However, their severely weakened outfit were gallant throughout and were rewarded with Toner going over for a converted score.
Leinster's brief resistance was ended when late tries from Murphy, North and Fenby - the latter two converted by Rhys Priestland - added gloss to the scoreline.
Madigan had the last word when he went over with the last move of the match.
The scorers:
For Scarlets:
Tries: M. Williams, L. Williams, North 2, Fenby 2, Murphy
Cons: Thomas 3, Priestland
For Leinster:
Tries: Toner, Madigan
Cons: Madigan 2
Pens: Madigan 2
Scarlets:15 Liam Williams, 14 George North, 13 Gareth Maule, 12 Scott Williams, 11 Andy Fenby, 10 Aled Thomas, 9 Tavis Knoyle, 8 Rob McCusker (c), 7 Josh Turnbull, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Richard Kelly, 4 George Earle, 3 Deacon Manu, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Rhodri Jones.
Replacements: 16 Matthew Rees, 17 Phil John, 18 Samson Lee, 19 Sione Timani, 20 Kieran Murphy, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Jonathan Davies.
Leinster: 15 Isa Nacewa, 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Brendan Macken, 12 Noel Reid, 11 Fionn Carr, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 Isaac Boss, 8 Leo Auva'a, 7 Shane Jennings (c), 6 Dominic Ryan, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Damian Browne, 3 Jamie Hagan, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Aaron Dundon, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Martin Moore, 19 Tom Denton, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 John Cooney, 22 Collie O'Shea, 23 Darren Hudson.
Venue: Parc y Scarlets
Referee: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Tim Hayes (Wales), Martyn Lewis (Wales)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Comments
7ton says...
Armchairgeneral
I wouldn't put to much emphasis on ticket prices as by tradition things like that were always cheaper in the SH. Hence the phrase "Rip Off Britain" although that may well be changing now
Posted 08:30 06th September 2012
jontheref says...
Attendance figures between AP and S15 cannot be compared, one is a domestic competition, and the other a cross border one, with three nations teams cpmpeting.
Also, AP is played home and away, whist S15 has the conferance route, with some cross border away games.
S15 in some ways should be compared with HC attendances, as in some ways this would be closer to each other.
But again, differences, as S15 teams do play everyone else at least once.
HC, a team can win the cup having played 6 teams, or even only 5 if the other finalist comes from it's own pool.
If you compared the AP with the domestic comps of the tri nations countries, you would see a very different comparison.
Aus doesn't have one, and the ITM and Currie games on TV appear to be sparsely filled at games.
Different animals, as long as they are successful whu worry?
:-)
Posted 08:17 06th September 2012
jontheref says...
Leinster will still be at or near the top of the pile at the end of the season.
Posted 07:39 06th September 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
@Damo. Pro12 refs are like the players. Soft for the first few games.
Posted 21:54 05th September 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
I think APV1 is right. What's the average price of an S15 ticket vs the price of an AP ticket? And re tv rights who makes more? Even crowd averages surprised me when you had 80,000+ for I think an AP Sarries game at Twickers, or was that HC? It's not just that there is more money in AP (implying generous investors alone) it seems it makes more money too.
Posted 21:51 05th September 2012
7ton says...
Melkdave
Thank you for that explanation and very reasoned argument.
If what you say is true then indeed the IRFU ought to abandon that policy and look more along the lines of the NZRU
Its a bit ironic that there are a lot of claims from posters that resting players is giving the celtic teams an advantage yet here is a case where it is not
Posted 22:17 04th September 2012
brighty says...
AVP1 - you said: @ brighty - your "... league has produced a stack of HC and Grand Slam winning teams in the last few years" but using different players: - not true. All of the welsh GS team players in the Rabo in 07. All but two last year.
"Due to reasons beyond their control, the Irish province went into the game with 11 international players unavailable" - forced resting of international players. - so? What is the problem with that?
Regarding the S15 you say, "That league seems to have done fine for the SH countries." No it hasn't. The AP and T14 are far more successful in every way - attendance, financial stability and longevity. - see, this is the issue. You view the success of the financial side of the league as most important, a lot of us view success of our national teams as top importance. On that score Rabo and S15 win, which was my point. We don't want your football model, stop telling us how to manage our game, especially from a position of weakness where you cannot defeat our teams.
Posted 18:45 04th September 2012
kinsman says...
APV1, your last sentence was probably the most accurate thing I've read on here in a long time and did make me laugh. Regarding relative success, this will always be moot but there is no doubt that there is far more money in the AP. If that is the measure, I completely concede.
Posted 18:43 04th September 2012
APV1 says...
@ kinsman - you're absolutley right, and so am I. I was looking at the wholistic approach and I still believe that the AP is more successful. The AP is, near as makes no difference, the same now as it was at inception - I would argue that the model still works. However, the S15 has changed many times, since the S10 days - I would argue that the model has needed tweaking. Hence the combination of attendance (can anyone be bothered to add it up over the years?), financial stability and longevity.
And since when were facts a necessity to make an argument on this forum?!
Posted 12:50 04th September 2012
melkdave says...
@7ton
The NZRFU and IRFU policys on players are 2 very different animals.The NZ one caters to an ondividual players needs ,if he needs rest he rests ,if he needs conditioning ,he conditins ,if he needs gametime he gets gametime,no AB squad is ever completly rested or played Its all down to what the AB coaches and medical staff and of course the player feel is right for him at that time.In contrast Irfu policy is to rest the players enmass despite what the coaches ,medical or player feels he needs,some will need rest some will need gametime ,it will vary from player to player,
Posted 12:00 04th September 2012
kinsman says...
APV1 - whilst I generally agree with most of your points, your claim that the AP is ahead of the Super XV in attendance is a little far from the truth. Surely you didn't just make up a 'fact' for your argument...
2012 figures up until the June International break show average NZ attendances of 16,842, Aust of 18,642 and SA of 26,651. With the competition then reaching it's final stages, these numbers will have only increased.
The AP by comparison averaged only 12,925 last season with 4 teams failing to even reach 5 figures.
The overall average Super XV attendance (up until June break only) being 20,799 in excess of all bar one of the AP sides average attendance.
More than half a million more spectators had attended Super XV matches up until the June break than attended the AP in the entire of last season.
Statistics, damn statistics and lies eh... ;-)
In fact if you look at Wikipedia Sport Attendance Figures, you will find that Super Rugby has the highest average attendance of all global competitions.
I think the claim on longevity may also be a touch spurious with both leagues (in their present guise) having come into play in 1996 with the advent of professionalism. Let's not forget that prior to '96 there was the Super 10, the Super 6 and the South Pacific Championship.
Enough from me, I'll hand it back now to continue the NH Pro12 or not Pro12 bunfight....
Posted 21:44 03rd September 2012
7ton says...
APV1 says "All we're asking for is fairness and the opportunity to compete on a level playing field. If we get beaten, so be it. If we win - good for us."
Sorry but it just seems that in a way you are just trying to impose your problems like having too busy a schedule onto others.
If the AP is financially sound as a result that is good but it may well come at a cost. You can't have your cake and eat it and have to take the good with the bad
Posted 19:20 03rd September 2012
APV1 says...
@ brighty - your "... league has produced a stack of HC and Grand Slam winning teams in the last few years" but using different players:
"Due to reasons beyond their control, the Irish province went into the game with 11 international players unavailable" - forced resting of international players.
Regarding the S15 you say, "That league seems to have done fine for the SH countries." No it hasn't. The AP and T14 are far more successful in every way - attendance, financial stability and longevity.
@ ciaran1792 - you say, "I honestly love the Heineken cup but I would rather destroy the whole competition than take orders from the Anglo-French alliance who are trying to grab more money and put themselves in a clear advantage." If the Anglo-French alliance walked away, that would spell the end of club rugby in the other countries. We don't need the HC to survive, you do.
All we're asking for is fairness and the opportunity to compete on a level playing field. If we get beaten, so be it. If we win - good for us.
No, the English and French teams weren;t complaining all those years ago. But then again, the Pro12 wasn't around either.
Posted 13:30 03rd September 2012
craigsman says...
@jimbosim and brighty
The difference here is that Leinster did not field their full team whereas Sale and London Irish did. It's not that the hammering took place, it's the lack of consequence to the hammered team that is the problem.
The Leinster, Scarlets and Osprey's first teams are all good teams, but the point is that if they don't have to field the first team every week there is no point in the Celtic League...
Posted 12:36 03rd September 2012
damo says...
Ref was appalling, anyone notice Liam Williams tackle Boss in the air in the first half and the result scrum to Scarlets, watch it again and tell me it wasn't a definite yellow card for man of the match, then 66th min Davies tackled Leinster player 5 yards from own line and didn't even dream of releasing the player result pen to home side, as a result the decisions may not have made a major difference but refs need to be held accountable as the tackle in the air was right in front of the linesman, bad start,
Posted 21:38 02nd September 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Perhaps London Irish and Sale recruited too many players from that joke of a league who need a soft game or two before playing hard?
Posted 21:10 02nd September 2012
7ton says...
Melkdave
The NZRFU have a policy of resting players as well and it seems to work for them judging by their results. It might be a different type of policy, I wouldn't know but IMO country should come before club/province.
Posted 16:58 02nd September 2012
Carpelone says...
Celtic League is crap. Fine Leinster for having fielded such a crap team.
Posted 15:52 02nd September 2012
jimbosim says...
Quote!!
TigersRoar says...
Joke of a league, just adds ammunition to the arguments from the English and French!
"Don't really understand your comment M8?
Saracens 40-3 London Irish
Exeter 45-6 Sale
doesn't show well for the standard of the English Premiership, does it?
Maybe Exeter and Saracens are having it too easy and will have an advantage in Europe this autumn.
LOL
.
Posted 14:45 02nd September 2012
jimbosim says...
Leinster were exposed to pedigree rugby, underestimate the Scarlets this season at your peril. they have developed this squad over the last 5 years, they have signed well over the summer and brought in a pack to do the business. I cant think of a better three quarter line in Europe. This was not a full string Scarlets team, in fact there are 3/4 class forwards to come in after the Currie cup and 4 nations?
Combine that with a full complement of backs and enjoy?
Posted 13:59 02nd September 2012