Scarlets 40-17 Ospreys: Scarlets set up Leinster semi-final
Last Updated: 07/05/17 3:00pm
A record victory over rivals Ospreys confirmed Scarlets as Wales' top team in this season's Guinness PRO12 in a one-sided derby at Parc y Scarlets.
Victory ensured Scarlets finished third in the league and will play Leinster in the PRO12 play-off semi-finals, while an out-of-sorts Ospreys finished fourth and will travel to Munster.
The home side secured a bonus point, scoring five tries through Will Boyde, Steffan Evans, Aaron Shingler, Johnny McNicholl and Jonathan Davies. Rhys Patchell supplied three conversions and three penalty goals.
Ospreys could only manage two tries through Keelan Giles and Dan Baker with Dan Biggar, who limped off in the second, kicking a penalty and a conversion. Dan Evans added another conversion.
Wales star Liam Williams played his final game at Parc y Scarlets before he moves to Saracens but Ospreys skipper Alun Wyn Jones was still missing after six weeks out with a shoulder problem.
The dominant Scarlets took a 23-10 lead into the interval despite having two tries ruled out.
Biggar kicked a penalty goal from the 22 after Scarlets had conceded a penalty for blocking after only 17 seconds.
On five minutes, Ken Owens was put over in the left corner but the TV match official deemed the Scarlets captain went into touch. Patchell gained some consolation with a penalty goal on six minutes.
However, Ospreys went into a 10-3 lead when Giles came off his wing to take an inside ball and go over for a try which Biggar converted.
But after that Scarlets dominated most of the half as they got the upper hand up front.
Patchell converted penalties on 17 and 23 minutes before Ospreys suffered a major setback on 28 minutes when Rhys Webb was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Owens.
With the extra man, Scarlets full-back Johnny McNicholl went over for what looked like a good try but referee Nigel Owens ruled it out for a knock-on in the build-up.
But that mattered little as Scarlets scored two tries in the space of three minutes at the end of the half. Boyde went over in the left corner after fine build-up work, before Gareth Davies broke from a scrum in his own half and Jonathan Davies put Steff Evans in. Patchell converted both scores.
Patchell missed two penalties after the break but Scarlets dominated all phases as they scored three second-half tries. The first came from Aaron Shingler, who finished off a fluent handling move involving Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams.
Two more tries came in the space of three minutes through McNicholl and Jonathan Davies. Just before the end, Baker grabbed a consolation try for the visitors converted by Evans.
