Super Scarlets Topple Leinster

26/04/2025 16:15

Parc y Scarlets

Ref: Mike Adamson

Scarlets

United Rugby Championship

35

22

Round 16

Leinster Rugby

Davies (8'), Rogers (21'), Plumtree (29'), Roberts (41')

Tries

Osborne (23'), Mangan (34'), Culhane (47')

Costelow (8', 30', 42')

Conversions

Byrne (24', 47')

Costelow (12'), Lloyd (54', 79')

Penalties

Byrne (17')

Scarlets fans are known for their one-eyed-ness. Conduct a survey around Llanelli and you’ll likely find the Wales starting XV should indeed be fifteen Scarlets… and rightly so! But even armed with this unerring level of self belief, the people of West Wales came into a fixture against Leinster - the worlds best club side in 2025 - with a modest “I think we can give them a game…”

Optimism (the most dangerous emotion in Welsh rugby) grew further on Friday with the announcements of the team sheets. Leinster, as expected, had rotated heavily with more than one eye on their Champions Cup quarter final in a week’s time. Scarlets meanwhile had named a pretty much full strength first XV which included a return to action for fly-half Sam Costelow. It was perhaps a surprise to see him rushed back to start straight away, but those down west know how much value he brings in a Scarlets jersey.

Scarlets Backs

• Gareth Davies (scrum half)

• Sam Costelow (fly half)

• Ellis Mee (left wing)

• Johnny Williams (inside centre)

• Joe Roberts (outside centre)

• Tom Rogers (right wing)

• Blair Murray (full back)

He did have a few dodgy moments (as you would expect from a player only just back from a fractured collar bone) with a disappointing missed kick and a charge down that gifted Leinster their opening try. However, his vision, variety and vital organisational skills had the Scarlets backline purring.

Centres Johnny Williams (himself only just returning from injury) and Joe Roberts were sublime, the latter scoring a try, beating 5 defenders and making 3 offloads. The back 3 have been a revelation this year; Tom Rogers is able to influence a game more than any winger has the right to do and Blair Murray is the Welsh rugby find of the season. His assist for Roberts’ try was a textbook lesson in how to unlock Leinster’s blitz: Hold the depth, let the ball do the work, drift beyond the outside defender. Lovely stuff.

With his fly-half Costelow back to run the show, Wales legend Gareth Davies reeled back the years with a brilliant performance which saw him break the record for both Scarlets tries in the league and tries by a scrum half in the league (although to be fair, he already held the latter). Ioan Lloyd even chipped in with two well struck penalties late on, something he has turned into his USP.

Up front, the recruitments of Alec Hepburn, Marnus van der Merwe and Henry Thomas continue to pay off in spades whilst the Scarlets’ secret weapon of lineout steals - masterminded by the iconic Vaea Fifita - reduced Leinster to a mere 71% success rate to 100% for the home team.

Josh Macleod has repaid the faith Dwayne Peel showed by making him captain and the player of the match rightly went to Taine Plumtree. He’s had a season of highs and lows but he brings an X factor few other back rows in Wales possess.

The overall stats of the game make sumptuous reading for home fans, the Scarlets comfortably on top in all the ones they care about. Yes, it was a rotate Leinster team, but how often have we heard that? You can’t bash the URC by saying ‘Leinster 3rds win every game’ then when someone beats Leinster say ‘Oh, it was only their thirds…’

In truth, scoreline flattered Leinster. What a weekend, not just for the Scarlets, but for Welsh rugby and the URC as a whole as Cardiff beat Munster to prove that in this league, you cannot take a single game for granted. This race for eight is pure box office, and anyone who works with a Scarlets fan will be thinking of calling in sick on Monday!