Stormers stun Scarlets with bonus-point win
Scarlets (7) 17
Tries: Mee, Nicholas Cons: Lloyd 2 Pens: Lloyd
Stormers (15) 29
Tries: Loader, Fourie, Zas, Venter Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3 Pens: Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Scarlets' hopes of a United Rugby Championship play-off place have been hampered by a bonus-point defeat by Stormers in Llanelli.
The two sides had started the game on the same amount of points as the battle for the top-eight places intensified.
Tries from Ben Loader and Deon Fourie gave Stormers a 12-0 lead before Scarlets responded with scores from Ellis Mee and Ioan Nicholas.
Stormers wing Leolin Zas claimed a third try and a final late score from replacement hooker Andre-Hugo Venter ensured the visitors finished with maximum bonus points and left the Scarlets with nothing.
There are five rounds left of regular league matches and with the gap between fourth and 15th place in the league so tight, this could prove a pivotal defeat for Dwayne Peel's side.
It was a first defeat at home in seven matches for Scarlets, who next face Ospreys in a local derby on Saturday, 29 March.
Captain Josh Macleod returned from a hamstring injury that ruled the flanker out of his side's past two defeats against Ulster and Munster.
Wales squad internationals Mee, Joe Roberts, Eddie James, Taine Plumtree and Henry Thomas started, but Blair Murray and Tom Rogers missed out through injury.
Stormers named eight Springboks in the starting side with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu returning at fly-half and impressing in the victory.
It was Scarlets' South African hooker Marnus van der Merwe who provided the Stormers the opening opportunity with a loose kick that the visitors eventually punished when wing Loader dived over.
Another handling mistake from Scarlets allowed Stormers to counter-attack for an excellent second try finished by 38-year-old South Africa flanker Fourie as the Stormers exposed some weak home defence.
Fourie was forced off the field after being involved in a heavy collision and Scarlets took advantage of the change with a well-worked try finished by Mee that started with a brilliant Sam Lousi line-out take.
Scarlets hooker van der Merwe atoned for his earlier error with a couple of crucial defensive interventions.
Home prop Alec Hepburn was shown a third yellow card of the season for a no-arms tackle on Feinberg-Mngomezulu who slotted over a penalty to give Stormers an eight-point half-time lead.
Scarlets belied their one-man disadvantage early in the second half when full-back Nicholas stretched over after another strong Van der Merwe carry and deft Plumtree offload.
Lloyd converted before missing a crucial attacking kicking penalty to touch with the ball going agonisingly dead.
Stormers proved more decisive will a simple well worked-try from Zas that exposed the home defence.
Lloyd brought back Scarlets to within a score with a penalty before the late intervention from Venter broke the home side's hearts.
Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas; Macs Page, Joe Roberts, Eddie James, Ellis Mee; Ioan Lloyd, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Marnus van der Merwe, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree.
Sin-bin: Hepburn 40.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Kemsley Mathias, Gabe Hawley, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Charlie Titcombe, Tomi Lewis.
Stormers: Warrick Gelant; Ben Loader, Wandisile Simelane, Dan du Plessis, Leolin Zas; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Herschel Jantjies; Ali Vermaak, Joseph Dweba, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat (capt), Ruben van Heerden, Deon Fourie, Marcel Theunissen, Evan Roos.
Replacements: André-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Sazi Sandi, Gary Porter, Willie Engelbrecht, Dewaldt Duvenage, Jurie Matthee, Damian Willemse.
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Mike English (WRU), Tom Spurrier (WRU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU).
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