The Scarlets missed the chance to leapfrog the Blues and take top spot in the Magners League with a 27-17 defeat in Edinburgh. A fantastic hat-trick by New Zealand centre Regan King was in vain on the night as the Scarlets recorded their third loss in a row to leave the Scottish capital empty-handed, and former England Coach Andy Robinson recorded his first win as Edinburgh coach at Murrayfield.
The Scarlets were aiming to capitalise on league leaders the Blues’ defeat to Glasgow on Friday night. But Davies’s understrength side failed to deliver as the Scarlets badly missed six key players through international duty and injury.
Morgan Stoddart, who scored on his international debut, Mark Jones, Dwayne Peel and Alix Popham were unavailable as well as the injured Stephen Jones (thigh) and Matthew Rees (hand) as the Scarlets fielded a youthful back-line containing no fewer than five players aged 21 and under.
But the Magners League title contenders quickly fell behind on four minutes when Edinburgh fly half David Blair slotted home a penalty. The Scarlets dominated the majority of the early possession and took the lead on 16 minutes when 19-year-old centre Jon Davies’s offload found the brilliant King who finished with consummate ease.
Edinburgh regained the lead on 28 minutes thanks to Blair’s second penalty before Irish wing Andrew Maxwell caught Rhys Priestland’s restart and beat two challenges to scramble over the line. Blair missed the conversion but extended the home side’s lead with a penalty before the Scarlets hauled themselves back into the match on the stroke of half time when King expertly touched down following a fine passing move involving Davies and Garan Evans.
King notched his hat-trick on 49 minutes to put the Scarlets 17-14 ahead when he dived on Priestland’s subtle chip but Edinburgh quickly rallied thanks to two quick penalties from replacement fly half Phil Godman.
Scarlets prop Iestyn Thomas was yellow-carded on 64 minutes for killing the ball and it cost them dear as Nick De Luca powered over with just ten minutes remaining to deny any hope of a losing-bonus point.
