Celtic League/ Llanelli 33 Leinster 21: Llanelli moved back to the top of the Magners League after holding off a spirited second-half fightback from Leinster at Stradey Park on Saturday night.
The Welsh side had led 27-0 after a sparkling opening salvo, but Leinster, without most of their Ireland stars, fought back strongly after the break. The downside for the Scarlets, however, was what looked a serious arm injury suffered by star scrum-half Dwayne Peel early in the second half.
Ulster had overtaken Llanelli at the top of the table by hammering the Ospreys in Ravenhill on Friday. But Llanelli launched into Leinster with the confidence of a side desperate to get back on top in a hurry.
The Scarlets played some spectacular stuff, crossing for two tries inside the opening four minutes, and had notched up their four-try bonus point with just over a quarter of the match gone.
Leinster had only had one touch of the ball, a dropped kick-off by flanker Stephen Keogh, before Dafydd James touched down for the Scarlets' first try.
Tongan second row Inoke Afeaki soon got in on the act following some superb handling by forwards and backs.
James's second score was all down to a slick three-quarter line, with Kiwi centre Regan King making the initial break, feeding full-back Ceiron Thomas, who off-loaded just short of the line.
A Jones conversion and then penalty from straight in front made it 20-0 to the home side with barely 15 minutes on the clock.
And soon afterwards King cantered through some non-existent Leinster defending for the Scarlets' fourth.
Leinster were now staring down the barrel of a record hammering, but Ireland wing Denis Hickie managed to pick off a stray Peel long pass and race 60 metres unopposed for his side's lone try of a hugely entertaining first period to make it 27-7 at the interval.
Leinster needed to get on the scoreboard again and they managed it through Hickie's second try after smart work around the fringe. Peel suffered his injury in the process and with Wales coach Gareth Jenkins a concerned onlooker, it did not look good for the Lions star.
It required desperate Scarlets defence to keep Hickie at bay before Jones settled the home side with an easy penalty.
But Leinster kept coming back and a quick tap by lively replacement scrumhalf Chris Whitaker led to wing Luke Fitzgerald's eye-catching dash to the line and pop pass to lock Trevor Hogan for the 64th-minute try.
LLANELLI SCARLETS: C Thomas; M Jones, Watkins, King, James; S Jones, Peel; I Thomas, Rees, Dunlea; Afeaki, MacLeod; Easterby, G Thomas, Popham. Replacements: Manu for Dunlea, A Jones for Afeaki (both 40 mins); Stuart-Smith for Peel (46 mins); Bater for G Thomas (78 mins); Owen for Rees (83 mins). Not used: G Evans, B Davies.
LEINSTER: Kearney; Fitzgerald, Lewis, Berne, Hickie; Contepomi, Easterby; McCormack, Vermaas, Green; Hogan, Finegan; Keogh, Gleeson, Heaslip. Replacements: Brown for Kearney (11 mins); Whitaker for Easterby (23 mins); Jackman for Vermaas (40 mins); Byrnes for Hogan, Ronan for Keogh (both 75 mins); Warner for Fitzgerald (83 mins). Not used: Corrigan.
Referee: D Changleng (SRU).
