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The Scarlets showed great spirit but fell 33-21 to Leinster in a fiercely contested United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
Leinster, led by stars like James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, and Hugo Keenan, started strong with two early tries within nine minutes, putting pressure on the Scarlets from the outset.
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Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel praised his players for their determination, saying they had “emptied the tank” despite trailing by just one point at halftime after tries from Tom Rogers and Blair Murray stunned the home crowd.
Tom Rogers scored a superbly constructed try following strong carries from Alec Hepburn and Ryan Elias, with Sam Costelow converting from the touchline to keep Scarlets in the match.
On the stroke of halftime, Blair Murray capitalized on a loose pass by Leinster’s Sam Prendergast to score, narrowing the gap to a single point and surprising the Aviva faithful.
Leinster responded early in the second half with a try by Jamie Osborne, set up by a clever chip from Prendergast, confirmed by the TMO.
Scarlets were reduced to 14 men when Alec Hepburn received a yellow card for a ruck infringement, allowing Leinster to extend their lead through a try by full-back Hugo Keenan, although Prendergast missed the conversion.
Despite the setback, Scarlets fought back with a try from Johnny Williams, assisted by back-door passes from Sam Lousi and Marnus van der Merwe; replacement Ioan Lloyd added the conversion.
Leinster sealed the victory with penalties from Sam Prendergast, the last coming as the clock wound down, maintaining the 33-21 scoreline until the final whistle.
Leinster captain Jack Conan acknowledged the tough challenge posed by Scarlets, praising their passion and noting his team’s own discipline issues during the match.
Scarlets captain Josh Macleod expressed pride in his team’s effort, highlighting their belief despite being underdogs and the media’s expectations of a Leinster rout.
Leinster will now face Glasgow in the semi-final as they chase their first trophy since 2021, while Scarlets look ahead with optimism to their return to the Investec Champions Cup next season.
The match drew a modest crowd of 12,879, reflecting a low-key atmosphere for a high-stakes game on a bank holiday weekend.
British and Irish Lions flanker Josh van der Flier left the game early with a hamstring injury, raising concerns for Leinster ahead of their semi-final.
Overall, the Scarlets’ spirited performance in Dublin earned respect despite their exit, with coach Peel confident about the future of his West Wales side.
