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The Scarlets’ winning run at the Arms Park went on as Gareth Davies’ double was enough for a 21-17 win over Cardiff.
The Blue and Blacks could have gone top with victory on Friday night, but fell short in the end despite scores from Mason Grady and Josh Adams.
High-flying Cardiff hadn’t lost at the Arms Park since January, but were welcoming an opponent to the ground who they hadn’t beaten here since 2019.
Something had to give – either Cardiff’s impressive home form or the Scarlets’ stronghold in CF10.
The Blue and Blacks looked the livelier of the two teams early on.
James Botham had a couple of scores chalked off in the opening quarter – the first for a knock-on at the base of a maul, with the latter ruled out as referee Ben Breakspear blew up a little too early for another penalty against the Scarlets just as the back-row was diving over.
Those early indiscretions would come back to bite the Scarlets, but it would be the west Walians who opened the scoring.
Having survived Cardiff’s early pressure, they took the lead after 23 minutes – Wales centre Eddie James went through a gap to dot down.
Their indiscipline would come back to haunt them however, with two quickfire yellow cards reducing them to 13.
First, captain Josh Macleod was sent to the sin-bin for an off-the-ball tackle on Callum Sheedy, before Gareth Davies joined him for a deliberate knock-on.
Cardiff made the most of it, working the space for Wales international Grady to score out wide.
However, the home side were unable to make the Scarlets pay further – with their only other points during the yellow cards period being a penalty by Sheedy on the stroke of half-time.
The second-half saw scrum-half Davies turn up for a fixture he loves more than most.
Having scored two tries at the Arms Park in the previous two seasons – he did so once more to turn the game in the Scarlets’ favour.
The first came after a snipe down the blindside to give the Scarlets the lead.
Cardiff hit back almost immediately, with wing Adams latching onto a grubber to score. But an 70-metre intercept handed Davies his second score minutes later.
The Scarlets then lost another man to the bin – Johnny Williams the latest to be yellow carded – but held on in a nervy finish.
Cardiff: Cam Winnett: Josh Adams, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas, Mason Grady; Callum Sheedy, Aled Davies; Danny Southworth, Liam Belcher (capt), Javan Sebastian, Josh McNally, George Nott, James Botham, Dan Thomas, Alun Lawrence.
Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Rhys Barratt, Sam Wainwright, Rory Thornton, Alex Mann, Taulupe Faletau, Johan Mulder, Jacob Beetham.
Scarlets: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Eddie James, Johnny Williams, Ellis Mee; Joe Hawkins, Gareth Davies; Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Sam Lousi, Jake Ball, Max Douglas, Josh Macleod (capt), Fletcher Anderson.
Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Alec Heburn, Harri O’Connor, Tristan Davies, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Elis Price, Joe Roberts.
See how the action unfolded below:
