Llanelli 21 Wasps 13In a fog-bound west Wales it was hard to make out every detail of Wasps's defeat yesterday but the gloomy repercussions are clear enough. Barring a mathematical miracle, the 2004 champions will not be progressing beyond the pool stages of the European Cup for the second successive year, whereas Llanelli Scarlets, for now, retain a glimmer of hope.
The Scarlets deserved their success, they made far fewer mistakes at crucial times than their opponents, whose lineout also proved less than watertight. Neither did Wasps show the necessary accuracy behind the scrum to capitalise on the ceaseless foraging of Johnny O'Connor.
Their profligacy continued right to the bitter end when O'Connor was sin-binned in injury-time and Scott Bowen kicked a straightforward penalty to deprive the visitors of even a consolatory bonus point.
Having already lost in Edinburgh and drawn at home to the Pool Six favourites Toulouse, Wasps needed four points rather than none. Their director of rugby Ian McGeechan conceded the Scarlets' forwards, driven on by a man-of-the-match performance from their 34-year-old loosehead prop John Davies, had responded better to the occasion.
"If you're going to give them the ball that easily you can't expect to win," sighed McGeechan. "Our two worst away performances this season have been in the Heineken Cup. There's huge disappointment but we'll be full on in our final three games and we intend to hurt a few people if we can."
The Scarlets abandoned any ambitions of expansive rugby and concentrated their efforts on a narrow front to nullify Wasps' midfield blitz defence. It worked a treat, particularly in the second-half when the action became shrouded in thick pea-soup.
Under clear blue skies the first 40 minutes were eminently forgettable; but once the mist rolled in the Scarlets, 6-3 behind at half-time, increasingly showed their true colours having been presented with a psychologically vital try inside five minutes of the restart. Wasps tried a midfield move on their own 22 but Alex King's pass failed to find Josh Lewsey. Daffyd James, now the equal record try-scorer in tournament history, was left with a simple run-in. Bowen's conversion took his side ahead 10-6 and even in the 10-minute first-half spell when Alex Popham was sin-binned, Wasps never showed the composure which has previously been their big-match hallmark.
King was also guilty of botching two kickable penalties and while O'Connor and the fit again Joe Worsley, did their best to turn the tide it was Llanelli who finished the stronger. The punishing drives of Davies, his farmer's strength on persistent display, and a shuddering tackle by Matthew Watkins on Worsley were indicative of the Scarlets' desire and, when it mattered, they also displayed the killer instinct which Wasps lacked.
In the 64th-minute wing Mark Jones's rousing surge down the blindside took him outside Mark van Gisbergen and into the left corner past Paul Sackey's tackle.
Wasps at least managed a fine try in response from back-row replacement Tom Rees.
LLANELLI SCARLETS: Byrne; M Jones, Watkins, James, G Evans; Bowen, Peel; D Williams, Rees, J Davies, Louw, A Jones, Easterby (capt; Afeaki, 65), G Thomas, Popham. Tries: James, M Jones. Cons: Bowen 2. Pens: Bowen 3. Sin-bin: Popham, 13.
WASPS: Lewsey; Sackey, Erinle, Abbott (Van Gisbergen, 65), Voyce; King, M Dawson (Reddan, 80); Payne, Ibanez (Barrett, 73), J Dawson, Shaw, Birkett, Worsley (Rees, 63), O'Connor, Dallaglio (capt). Try: Rees. Con: Van Gisbergen. Pens: King 2. Sin-bin: O'Connor, 80.
Referee: A Rolland (Ireland)
