Uzair Cassiem put in a solid performance as the Scarlets boosted their PRO14 hopes with a 16-14 win over the Cardiff Blues in round 10 of the competition.
Scarlets temporarily climbed to the top of Conference B after beating their Welsh rivals in a tense encounter in Cardiff on Friday. Cassiem, who has become a fan favourite in Llanelli, put in another solid performance for his side, making 65 metres from 13 carries and seven tackles.
Tighthead prop Werner Kruger also started for Scarlets and played 73 minutes before being replaced. Seven points now separate the two sides on the log.
Elswhere, Ulster knocked Irish rivals Munster from first place in Conference B with a thrilling 38-10 bonus-point victory. Hooker Rob Herring started for Ulster, who remained in second place in Conference A, nine points away from leaders Leinster, but five points ahead of Scarlets.
Arno Botha and Chris Cloete both featured in Munster’s loose trio, with Cloete being shown a yellow card in the 74th minute. South African-born tighthead Kenyan Knox, who has come through Munster’s academy, started. Munster are third in Conference B, one point behind the Scarlets and four behind Edinburgh.
Meanwhile, the Glasgow Warriors bounced back from their derby loss to Edinburgh by overcoming a battling Benetton side 38-19 in Italy. Kyle Steyn, who started on the right wing for the Warriors, had an excellent attacking game as he made 100m from 14 carries and assisted two of the team’s tries. Warriors brought props Oli Kebble and Petrus du Plessis off the bench in the second half. Braam Steyn scored one of Benetton’s three tries, but it was not enough to rescue the Italian side, who had Irne Herbst at lock and Dewaldt Duvenage at scrumhalf.
One of his assists pic.twitter.com/9YXlaJ5wDy
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) January 6, 2020
The Dragons scored two tries in the final 10 minutes to grab a dramatic 25-18 win against the Ospreys. Brok Harris was at loosehead prop for the Dragons, who after a struggling start to the season have climbed off the bottom of the Conference A table above their opponents. Scrumhalf Shaun Venter and wing Hanno Dirksen were second-half substitutes for the Ospreys, who have dropped to the bottom of the conference with just nine points gained from ten games.
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Johan Meyer was among the try-scorers as Zebre harshly welcomed the Cheetahs back to PRO14 action with a massive 41-13 win in Parma. Meyer, who was at openside flank for the Italian side, made 11 tackles and gained 28m from 10 carries. The result closed close the gap between Zebre and their opponents to just seven points.
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Edinburgh continued their form from their derby victory over Glasgow by punishing a 14-man Kings team with a nine-try, 61-13 victory. Hooker Mike Willemse and wing Duhan van der Merwe both scored a try for the hosts, with Willemse getting on the scoresheet against his former side. Flyhalf Jaco van der Walt was near flawless off the tee, missing just two conversions for a 14-point haul. Props WP Nel and Pierre Schoeman, who was used off the bench after his superb efforts last weekend, were also in action for Edinburgh.
Photo: Athena Pictures/Getty Images
