The Scarlets thrilled the fans at Llandovery’s Church Bank ground with nine tries against Richmond to move five points clear at the top of Pool 4 ahead of their back-to-back clashes with Leinster A in December. The Exiles, meanwhile, gave the Rotherham Titans six of the best at Old Deer Park.
The champions are now six points clear in Pool 2, although the game between Doncaster Knights and Munster A was called off last weekend. The other three Welsh Premiership Select XVs are all seeking their first victories after a hat-trick of defeats in Round 2.
SCARLETS PSXV 58, RICHMOND 7
The Scarlets PSXV made it two from two in the British & Irish Cup as they romped to a nine-try win at Church Bank. Billy McBryde and Tomos Williams both scored twice as Scarlets claimed a bonus-point win to take charge of Pool 4 with maximum points.
Centre McBryde opened the scoring with a second-minute penalty. The home side then ran in three tries in the space of seven minutes through scrum-half Aled Davies, back-rower Tadgh Beirne and McBryde – who failed to convert all three.
The bonus point was secured just after the half-hour mark through a try from Aaron Warren, who had come on for full-back Dion Jones and outside half Jack Maynard added the extras. Prop Adam Boland crossed on the verge of half-time for Richmond’s only try of the game, converted by full-back Tom Platt.
Boland’s try was just a blip for the Scarlets, and five further tries were added in the second-half – despite a period where Ioan Nicholas was in the sin-bin for infringing at a ruck, after sustained Richmond pressure. Williams scored an unconverted try after collecting his own chip, before scrum-half Declan Smith and his wing namesake Richard also got over the try-line, both converted by Maynard.
McBryde ran in an interception and Maynard’s conversion took the home side past the half-century mark. Williams scored his second try in the final minute, with Maynard again adding two points.
LONDON WELSH 40, ROTHERHAM TITANS 24
London Welsh maintained their 100% start to their defence of the British & Irish Cup title as they racked up six tries at Old Deer Park to take a stranglehold on Pool 2.
A poor first half performance saw the Exiles trailing 15-7 at the break and not looking as fluent as they had in beating Munster A in Cork in Round 1. But the second half had an explosive start when Titans wing Ben Foley was sent-off for a tip tackle on James Lewis.
London Welsh took full advantage of their extra man and ran in five second half tries, two from the aggrieved Lewis, to run out comfortable winners in the end. Koree Britton, with a first half touchdown, Adam Kwasnicki, Ryan Glynn and Seb Jewell got the other tries and Joe Carlisle kicked five conversions.
DRAGONS PSXV 27, EALING 28
Having beaten the Dragons in a pre-season friendly at Ystrad Mynach in August, Ealing Trailfinders returned to beat the Premiership Select XV at Pandy Park, Cross Keys.
Outside half Arwel Robson and centre Barney Nightingale starred as part of a young Dragons back-line, but the visitors’ strong forward effort had too much for the home side. Robson ghosted through to put Nightingale over for game’s opening score with a try at the posts.
Robson added the conversion and then traded penalties with Aaron Penberthy before Nightingale kicked through and scored his second after Ealing full-back James Cordy-Redden had dropped a high ball. Robson again converted.
The visitors were on top for the rest of the first-half and were rewarded by tries from hooker Rhys Lawrence and wing Curtis Wilson. Penberthy kicked one conversion to cut the gap to two points at the break, 17-15.
Robson added the extras again after he had jinked through to send Nightingale in for his hat-trick, having combined brilliantly with scrum-half Owen Davies. Replacement back-rower Mark Bright then scored for Ealing, and Penberthy’s conversion brought the deficit back to two.
Two penalties from Penberthy and one from Robson meant that Ealing led 28-27 going into the final minutes. Robson missed with a drop-goal attempt before pulling a penalty wide in the last play allowing Ealing to escape with the win.
CORNISH PIRATES 41, OSPREYS PSXV 5
The Pirates got off to a flying start when No 8 Tom Duncan crossed for the first of six tries in a game in which the Welsh regional team could only muster a second half try from Tom Williams.
It was a second straight defeat for the Ospreys following their opening round loss to London Irish at The Gnoll. Outside half Laurence May converted that opening try and added the extras to further tries from prop Marlon and wing Alex O’Meara.
May also knocked over a penalty to give the home side a 24-0 lead before a break by former Pirate Rheon James paved the way for wing Tom Williams to cross to make it 24-5 at the break. That was as good as it got for the visitors, however, although the third quarter remained scoreless.
But then replacement Alex Cheeseman crashed over from a line-out drive for the Pirates fourth try before Ospreys scrum-half Chris Williams picked up a yellow card for a professional foul to leave his side playing with 14 men for the final 10 minutes. Duncan and O’Meara went on to pick up their second tries to give the home side a convincing win.
JERSEY REDS 49 CARDIFF BLUES PSXV 12
Jersey managed to break a five match losing streak at home as they ran in seven tries in a comprehensive victory that leaves the Blues rooted to the bottom of Pool 1 with only a single point from their first two outings.
The home side brought assistant coach Alex Rae out of retirement to play in the back row, while Blues coach Richard Hodges included a number of teenagers in his side. One of them, wing Owen Lane, grabbed one of his side’s two tries.
The other came from Wales Under 20 full back Rhun Williams to leave the visitors trailing 21-12 at the break. There were no more scores for the Blues after the break as they were put under the cosh by the Jersey pack.
Four more tries flowed from the home side and outside half Brendan Cope converted all seven scores. The Blues now face back-to-back games with Ulster A in December.
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