RABO DIRECT PRO 12 // SCARLETS V LEINSTER (Friday's game in the spotlight)

With fans excited for the new season to begin they made their way in to Parc Y Scarlets in anticipation for the battle that was about to commence between West Walians, the Scarlets and Irishmen, Leinster. Last season began the same way with both teams meeting to kick off their new 2012/13 season and it was the Scarlets who got off to the better start that time beating Leinster 45-20. Were the red outfit going to experience the same success again this season? Well, the first half certainly looked like it. 

On paper the Scarlets had a strong team out on the field which was led by captain and try scorer, Rob Mccusker, but Leinster's team wasn't too shabby either with the likes of Luke Fitzgerald and Shane Jennings making up the first XV. The stage was set for a very competitive match - last season's winners versus the semi-finalists.  With brothers Aaron and Steven Shingler working well at the break down and in open play the Scarlets soon found themselves with an early lead. A great break by A.Shingler and a smooth-as-you-like pass from brother Steve to his captain, Mccusker, saw the back rower just about crossing the line without spilling the ball, to put the home team ahead with a  13-0 lead over the visitors. Was this the a new kind of Scarlets? A winning, confident team perhaps? Before the happy home supporters could have time to rejoice in their team's lead Leinster hit back with a try from prop Martin Moore just four minutes after the Scarlets'. Having only lost one out of their last five season opening matches the Scarlets were under a lot of pressure just before the half time whistle blew with the score now 13-10. 

The first half also was the first time that players, coaches and supporters alike could see what affect the new scrummaging laws had on the game in the Pro 12. With the scrum, minute by minute, killing the game last season the IRB were in dire need of making some changes but is changing the calls from 'Crouch, Touch, Set' to 'Crouch, Bind, Set' enough. The aim of these economically costly changes were not only to improve safety but also to reduce the time (wasted) spent resetting the scrum time and time again. It is early days to come to any conclusion on the effectiveness of these changes and teams and referees are still getting used to the new rules but John Lacey (Friday's referee) seemed to find solace in blowing the whistle. It was blown so many times that I think I might be hearing that whistle in my sleep for the next few weeks. In total, 7 penalties and 4 yellow cards. But, it was the Scarlets with Ken Owens, Phil John and Samson Lee at the front who controlled the scrum and they looked much more powerful as a pack than they have done for many a season, even without the old head of, now Cardiff Blues captain, Matthew Rees. 

The first yellow card saw Leinster's Dave Kearney head off the field after clothes-lining Scarlets centre Scott Williams as if he was attempting to bring Tudor-style beheading back in to fashion. Despite his best efforts the Irish full-back spent a very deserved 10 minutes in the sin bin with only six minutes gone on the clock. Soon, fellow team mate, Darren Hudson, took his tern to warm up the Leinster sin bin chair 8 minutes in to the second half after the wing very awkwardly collided with mid-air ball receiver Liam Williams. With only two minutes left on the clock both teams saw their squad go down to 14 players after a bit of unnecessary off-the-ball 'hugging' (read - fighting) resulted in Leinsterman Jack McGarth and Scarlets' full-back Gareth Owen retiring early to the changing rooms. 

Owen might have been relieved to leave the field by the 78th minute because by now all the success the Scarlets had had in the first half had disappeared in to oblivion. No more did the crowd stand up and cheer, instead the crowd stood up for totally different reasons - to leave the stadium. The red painted supporters left in their droves and with ten minutes left on the clock only the hopeful fans were left (of which were not many). The second half got off to a great start for Leinster - with only one minute gone, flanker Jordi Murphy crossed over the line to put the visiting side in front for the first time in the match. And in front they would stay until the 80th minute with tries coming from Darren Hudson who had previously had time to rest his legs during his ten minutes off the pitch in the sin bin, New Zealander Jimmy Gopperth added to his impressive score tally by scoring a 73rd minute try before converting Kearney's 79th minute try to seal the deal and a bonus points for the victors. 

The Scarlets loss was not the best start to the season they could have had and I know that many supporters of the historic club were already starting to regret their decision of having bought season tickets as this is not the first time the Scarlets have failed to deliver. Failing to deliver seems to make up the majority of the club's modern day narrative but it was not all doom and gloom for Easterby's side as his team did produce some good phases of play. Although admittedly they were very, very few and far between and finding them are not that dissimilar to finding a needle in a haystack but there were some positives. One of the biggest was Steve Shingler. Even though fly half Rhys Priestland was back on the pitch it was the new London-Irish signing that consistently kicked the penalties between the posts. Consistency with the boot is something that the Scarlets have been lacking over the past few seasons but they found some consistency in the boot of Owain Williams towards the end of last season but the young promising player left Llanelli for the home of last season's Aviva Premiership champions - the Leicester Tigers. The Scarlets' scrum wasn't too shabby either. 

Leinster looked confident and at ease - like champions do. It looks as though it will take a lot to stop this incredibly decorated Irish side as they continue their campaign towards glory once more in the Rabo Direct Pro 12.