Winger Tom Rogers scored the match-winning attempt as Scarlets rallied to punish the Vodacom Bulls for a doubtful purple card in Llanelli on Friday evening.
The Wales flyer stepped three Bulls defenders within the 22 to place the hosts right into a decisive one-point lead with 9 minutes remaining, capitalising on the benefit created by Italian referee Federico Vedovelli, who 4 minutes earlier had given hooker Johan Grobbelaar a straight purple card for making incidental head contact with Scarlets rake Marnus van der Merwe.
Canan Moodie, Zak Burger and Kurt-Lee Arendse mixed to place the vacationers right into a 19-10 lead on the break, regardless of Vedovelli’s reluctance to reward a dominant Bulls scrum with penalties.
For Scarlets, flanker Josh McLeod crossed within the first quarter earlier than the tables turned within the second half when wingers Blair Murray and Rogers scored half-hour aside handy the Bulls their second reverse at Parc y Scarlets in as many makes an attempt.
The 23-22 defeat in spherical 5 marks the Bulls’ first lack of the 2024-25 United Rugby Championship, whereas Scarlets enhance to 2-1-2. In spherical 6, the Bulls journey to Treviso to battle Benetton, and Scarlets dig in at residence for a go to from Zebre.