Main Club
Sponsor
JOIN THE FLIGHT
Scarlets
32
V
15
Wednesday January 01
KO 5:15 PM
URC
Parc y Scarlets,
Llanelli
Dragons
MATCH REPORT

New Year defeat for Dragons in Llanelli

Dragons suffered New Year’s derby day misery as Scarlets surged to a 32-15 victory in the BKT United Rugby Championship at Parc y Scarlets.

A chastening first half for the Men of Gwent saw the home side open up a commanding 24-3 lead with tries from Blair Murray (2) and Josh Macleod.

Scarlets, undefeated in their last three home games in all competitions, continued to pull clear in the second half as Ellis Mee grabbed the try bonus.

Taine Basham and Huw Anderson grabbed second half responses, but the visitors left empty-handed.

Dragons made a couple of changes for the opening game of 2025 with Shane Lewis-Hughes and Cai Evans returning but Elliot Dee was a late withdrawal ahead of kick-off.

Both teams looked for a platform in the opening exchanges with Evans solid under the high ball while O’Brien looked to get Dragons around the edges with his flat passing.

But coughed up ball in midfield proved costly as Scarlets went wide and slipped through tackles and kept the ball alive to allow Murray a simple run in under the posts that Sam Costelow converted.

Dragons were then over eager at the breakdown to make amends and a penalty for hands on the floor saw Costelow split the uprights for a 10-0 lead.

O’Brien hit a three-pointer to reduce the lead, but lost possession from the restart allowed Scarlets to come again and go wide for Murray to grab his second of the afternoon.

Aaron Wainwright exploded off the back of a scrum and fed a marauding Taine Basham, but the ball was spilled after making yards as Dragons looked to land a response.

Dragons kicked to the corner to set up another attack, but possession was lost again as the home side looked to attack from deep with menace.

A midfield break and neat offload from Sam Lousi fractured the Dragons defence and the home side kept the ball alive to force a penalty for offside and kick to the corner.

The home pack went to work and Macleod powered over from driving maul to increase the lead to 24-3 at the break.

Scarlets wrapped up the bonus point via wing Ellis Mee after the TMO gave score despite suggestions of a knock on in the build-up from Roberts.

Dragons needed to land a punch and after Rio Dyer had tore down the middle it was the forwards who took it on for Basham to score.

More huge pressure from the forwards minutes later, with Basham to the fore once again, saw Scarlets manage to hold it up.

The home side were reduced to 14 men when Plumtree was yellow card and Anderson and Hope combined to send wing over for his second try of the season.

However, three points from Ioan Lloyd eased any late home nerves as Scarlets saw the game out.

Timeline:

09m Murray t Costelow c 7-0

12m Costelow p 10-0

15m O’Brien p 10-3

16m Murray t Costelow c 17-3

31m Macleod t Costelow c 24-3

42m Mee t 29-3

50m Basham t O’Brien c 29-10

67m Anderson t 29-15

70m Lloyd p 32-15

Scarlets: Tom Rogers; Ellis Mee, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Blair Murray; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Marnus van der Merwe, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Max Douglas, Josh Macleod, Taine Plumtree.

Replacements: Shaun Evans, Kemsley Mathias, Archer Holz, Vaea Fifita, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Ioan Lloyd, Eddie James

Dragons RFC: Cai Evans (Reed 61), Rio Dyer, Jared Rosser, Aneurin Owen (Wilson 61), Huw Anderson, Angus O’Brien, Rhodri Williams (Hope 44); Rodrigo Martinez (Kelleher-Griffiths 67), Brodie Coghlan (Benjamin 51), Dmitri Arhip (Coleman 32), Joe Davies (Thomas 51), Ryan Woodman, Lewis-Hughes, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright (Lydiate 25-32, 40)

Replacements: James Benjamin, Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Chris Coleman, Nick Thomas, Dan Lydiate, Che Hope, Will Reed, Harry Wilson

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 105th game)

Attendance: 7,605

Scarlets T C D P
1Alec Hepburn
-- -- -- --
2Marnus Van Der Merwe
-- -- -- --
3Henry Thomas
-- -- -- --
4Alex Craig
-- -- -- --
5Sam Lousi
-- -- -- --
6Max Douglas
-- -- -- --
7Josh Macleod
1 -- -- --
8Taine Plumtree
-- -- -- --
9Gareth Davies
-- -- -- --
10Sam Costelow
-- 3 1 --
11Blair Murray
2 -- -- --
12Johnny Williams
-- -- -- --
13Joe Roberts
-- -- -- --
14Ellis Mee
1 -- -- --
15Tom Rogers
-- -- -- --
Dragons T C D P
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
1 -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- 1 1 --
1 -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
REPLACMENTS
Scarlets T C D P
16Shaun Evans
-- -- -- --
17Kemsley Mathias
-- -- -- --
18Archer Holz
-- -- -- --
19Vaea Fifita
-- -- -- --
20Jarrod Taylor
-- -- -- --
21Archie Hughes
-- -- -- --
22Ioan Lloyd
-- -- 1 --
23Eddie James
-- -- -- --
Dragons T C D P
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
19Nick Thomas
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
-- -- -- --
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
Would you like to be part of our success? FIND OUT MORE
Headline Sponsor
Primary Partners