Scarlets fall to home Challenge Cup loss
Scarlets fall to home Challenge Cup loss
RESULT
Scarlets V Black Lion
15 DEC 2023 KO 20:00 | Parc y Scarlets
7
  
23
European Rugby Challenge Cup
Att.: 5830
Head to Head
Scarlets Black Lion
WINS
1
1
LOSSES
1
1
DRAWS
0
0


Georgian side Black Lion celebrated a historic win on Welsh soil, beating Scarlets 23-7 in an error-strewn EPCR Challenge Cup tie.

Powered by a dominant scrum, the Georgians bossed the second half to run out deserved winners.

Scarlets not only conceded penalties at the set piece, they struggled at the breakdown and made too many errors with ball in hand.

The loss meant the Scarlets remain bottom of Pool 3 without a win and face an uphill battle to make the knockout stages with matches against Clermont and Edinburgh to come in the new year.

The West Walians were up and running inside four minutes.

A blistering run from his own half by fly-half  Ioan Lloyd set up an attack inside the Black Lion 22 and from a close-range tap penalty, Vaea Fifita, with the help over a juggle and twist, was over. Lloyd added the extras to give the home side a dream start.

However, they were unable to build on their quickfire opening.

An off-the-ball challenge from flanker Sandro Mamamtavrishvili saw the Georgians reduced to 14 men, but despite Fifita causing the visitors line-out all sorts of problems, Scarlets were unable to press home the advantage.

International fly-half Luka Matkava missed a penalty chance to reduce the arrears, but made no mistake on 26 minutes to make it 7-3.

Despite having plenty of possession and territory, Scarlets were struggling to break down a stubborn Black Lion defence with handling errors not helping their cause.

Instead, it was the visitors who took the lead seven minutes before the break through a try from full-back Mirian Modebadze, converted by player of the match Matkava, to nudge ahead at the interval.

The scrum was proving a big weapon for the Georgians and four minutes after the restart the set-piece won them another penalty and another three points from the boot of Matkava.

As the game wore on and conditions deteriorated, the Georgians took a grip of proceedings.

Hooker Beka Mamrikashvili touched down from a driving line-out, converted by Matkava, then replacement Harri O'Connor was yellow carded following a scrum offence to make the task even tougher. As the Scarlets grew increasingly more desperate, the fly-half added another three points to take the game out of sight.

Scarlets - try: V. Fifita. Con: I. Lloyd

Black Lion: tries: M. Modebadze, B.  Mamrikashvili. cons: L. Matkava (2). Pens: Matkava (3).

RESULT
Scarlets V Black Lion
15 DEC 2023 KO 20:00 | Parc y Scarlets
7
  
23
European Rugby Challenge Cup
Att.: 5830

SCORECARD
ScarletsBlack Lion
Vaea Fifita
 TRY Beka Mamrikishvili
Miriani Modebadze
Ioan Lloyd
 CON Luka Matkava(2)
- PEN Luka Matkava(3)
- DG -
Harri O'Connor
 YC Luka Ivanishvili
- YC -


Head to Head
Scarlets Black Lion
WINS
1
1
LOSSES
1
1
DRAWS
0
0


SCORECARD
ScarletsBlack Lion
Vaea Fifita
 TRY Beka Mamrikishvili
Miriani Modebadze
Ioan Lloyd
 CON Luka Matkava(2)
- PEN Luka Matkava(3)
- DG -
Harri O'Connor
 YC Luka Ivanishvili
- YC -




Georgian side Black Lion celebrated a historic win on Welsh soil, beating Scarlets 23-7 in an error-strewn EPCR Challenge Cup tie.

Powered by a dominant scrum, the Georgians bossed the second half to run out deserved winners.

Scarlets not only conceded penalties at the set piece, they struggled at the breakdown and made too many errors with ball in hand.

The loss meant the Scarlets remain bottom of Pool 3 without a win and face an uphill battle to make the knockout stages with matches against Clermont and Edinburgh to come in the new year.

The West Walians were up and running inside four minutes.

A blistering run from his own half by fly-half  Ioan Lloyd set up an attack inside the Black Lion 22 and from a close-range tap penalty, Vaea Fifita, with the help over a juggle and twist, was over. Lloyd added the extras to give the home side a dream start.

However, they were unable to build on their quickfire opening.

An off-the-ball challenge from flanker Sandro Mamamtavrishvili saw the Georgians reduced to 14 men, but despite Fifita causing the visitors line-out all sorts of problems, Scarlets were unable to press home the advantage.

International fly-half Luka Matkava missed a penalty chance to reduce the arrears, but made no mistake on 26 minutes to make it 7-3.

Despite having plenty of possession and territory, Scarlets were struggling to break down a stubborn Black Lion defence with handling errors not helping their cause.

Instead, it was the visitors who took the lead seven minutes before the break through a try from full-back Mirian Modebadze, converted by player of the match Matkava, to nudge ahead at the interval.

The scrum was proving a big weapon for the Georgians and four minutes after the restart the set-piece won them another penalty and another three points from the boot of Matkava.

As the game wore on and conditions deteriorated, the Georgians took a grip of proceedings.

Hooker Beka Mamrikashvili touched down from a driving line-out, converted by Matkava, then replacement Harri O'Connor was yellow carded following a scrum offence to make the task even tougher. As the Scarlets grew increasingly more desperate, the fly-half added another three points to take the game out of sight.

Scarlets - try: V. Fifita. Con: I. Lloyd

Black Lion: tries: M. Modebadze, B.  Mamrikashvili. cons: L. Matkava (2). Pens: Matkava (3).

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