For a while the dream of leaving Parc y Scarlets with the win they needed to join the Irish elite in the semi-finals was alive as they ended the first-half on level terms, 20-20, and then took the lead with a trademark Dan Parks drop goal just after the break.
But then came the Scarlets back lash and two tries from Scottish international wing Sean Lamont not only put the home side back in front, but also earned them a bonus point. At that stage it was the Scarlets who were harbouring hopes of making it into the semi-finals.
But no sooner had they got eight points clear of the Blues, denying them a losing bonus point, and then run in their fourth try than the Ospreys kicked into life in Italy with a 76th minute penalty from James Hook.
That gave the reigning Magners League champions a semi-final life-line and eventually earned them the dubious privilege of travelling to Limerick next Saturday to meet mighty Munster at Thomond Park for a fifth meeting of the two clubs this season.
“No complaints – the betterside won,” was Blues coach Dai Young’s philosophical summing up of the night’s dramatic events. Having limped into the game with a host of injuries he saw talismanic No 8 Xavier Rush carried off on a stretcher with a neck injury picked up in a head-on tackle with Rhys Thomas.
The Scarlets also suffered on the injury front with three Welsh internationals, Stephen Jones (concussion), Rob McCusker (ankle) and Morgan Stoddart (back spasm) all leaving the fray early.
The non-stop action saw 40 points flow in the first half and then a further 21 after the break. The Blues stayed in touch in the opening 40 minutes (3-3, 13-13 and 20-20) before taking the lead with that Parks drop goal a minute into the second half.
But that was the last points the Blues managed to muster and the combined efforts of Lamont’s try scoring and Rhys Priestland’s boot steered the Scarlets to a morale boosting end of season win.
Scarlets coach Nigel Davies revealed after the game that he had predicted at the start of the season that 63 points would get his side into the play-offs. They feel one point short of that and missed out on the Play-Off party to leave the Ospreys as the only Welsh team to challenge the Irish dominance at the top of the league.
