European Champions Cup: Scarlets claim first win with victory over Leicester Tigers

Scarlets claimed a first win of their European Champions Cup Pool Three campaign with a gutsy triumph over Leicester Tigers in an error-strewn Anglo-Welsh clash at Parc y Scarlets.

Tries in each half by wing Harry Robinson and man of the match Aled Davies were enough for the West Walians to claim a deserved 15-3 victory against a side who had beaten them in six of their seven previous European meetings.

Their effort was all the more impressive considering the Welsh region suffered a glut of early injuries - including captain Scott Williams, who limped off midway through the first half.

The Tigers were a shadow of the side who saw off Ulster in round one, with mistakes handing the Scarlets both their tries.

It was all Tigers in the early stages and centre Anthony Allen, in his first game back from a knee injury, should have scored, but spilled the ball with the line at his mercy.

The visitors' pressure was rewarded when Williams slotted a 14th-minute penalty after the home side had been penalised for holding on.

But, having dominated the early exchanges, Leicester then proceeded to gift the Scarlets the game's opening try. And it was all down to a horrible error from wing Miles Benjamin.

Fielding a long kick and seemingly under little pressure, Benjamin spilled the ball attempting to run out from his own line; Rhys Priestland gathered and fed right wing Robinson, who had the simple task of scoring.

Priestland missed with the conversion from wide out then pushed a 45-metre penalty attempt wide.

No mistake

After the international fly-half was off-target with his third shot, the kicking duties were handed over to replacement Steve Shingler - on for the injured Williams - and he made no mistake to make it 8-3 after 33 minutes.

Shingler was handed another shot at the posts after Tigers had infringed at a line-out, but his kick was off target, to the frustration of the home fans.

On the stroke of half-time, after Scarlets had infringed at the breakdown, it was Tigers fly-half Williams who caught the bug, missing a long-range attempt with five points separating the sides at the interval.

Wing Kristian Phillips went close for the Scarlets early in the second half, then Fijian flyer Vereniki Goneva almost snaffled an interception for Tigers.

It needed some desperate defence from the visitors to keep the Scarlets out after a scything break from Priestland on 57 minutes.

But it was not long before the Scarlets were celebrating a second try and again it came from a Leicester error.

Scrum-half Ben Youngs went on an arcing blindside run, but lost the ball attempting his off-loaded. It landed in the arms of opposite number Aled Davies, who gratefully raced 40 metres unopposed to the whitewash.

Shingler converted to make it 15-3 and, despite some late pressure, the Scarlets were able to see out the win, while denying the Tigers even the consolation of a losing bonus point.