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European Champions Cup Pool 4
Scarlets (24) 38
Tries: Macleod 2, Hughes, Plumtree, Hawkins Cons: Hawkins 2 Pen: Hawkins
Pau (26) 47
Tries: Butlin 2, Mondinat, Tuipulotu, Seneca, Attissogbe, Tokolahi Cons: Desperes 6
Pau survived Scarlets’ second half comeback to come out on top of a thrilling Champions Cup contest in Llanelli.
The Top 14 side stormed into the lead with four tries inside the first half an hour, with Dwayne Peel’s side staring down the barrel of another sobering loss.
Explosive wing Toshi Butlin twice went over before Clement Mondinat’s effort, with Carywn Tuipulotu bagging the bonus-point against his former side.
Josh Macloed twice crossed to drag Scarlets back into the contest, with Archie Hughes’ effort bringing them back to within two points.
Taine Plumtree and Joe Hawkins crossed after the break to give Scarlets’ fans hope, only for Pau to show their pedigree with three unanswered tries from Remi Seneca, Theo Attissogbe and Siate Tokolahi.
Scarlets must beat Northampton Saints away next Sunday to keep slim hopes of finishing in the pool’s top four alive, while Pau play Bulls on Friday.
Scarlets are currently fifth which would be enough to drop into the knockout phases of the Challenge Cup competition.
More to follow.
How they lined up
Scarlets: Murray; Rogers, Roberts, James, Mee; Hawkins, Hughes; Mathias, Elias, Thomas, Lousi, Ball, Plumtree, Macleod (capt), Anderson.
Replacements: Van der Merwe, Hepburn, O’Connor, Price, Davis, Blacker, Leggatt-Jones, Nicholas.
Pau: Attissogbe; Arfeuil, Decron, Valentino, Butlin; Desperes, Daubagna (capt); Etchebehere, Delhommel,Arrieta, Jolmes, Capelli, Zegueur, Hewat, Tuipulotu.
Replacements: Rey, Seneca, Tokolahi, Liufau, Iosefo, Pelesasa, Robson, Mondinat.
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Sco)
Assistants: Ian Kenny (Sco), Finlay Brown (Sco)
TMO: Dave Sutherland (Sco)
Sin bin: Hewat (34), Decron (50)
