Scarlets return to winning ways

The Scarlets ended a run of six straight defeats in all competitions with a narrow 11-3 Magners League victory at Parc y Scarlets.

Wing George North provided the Scarlets and Wales with a timely boost after making a try scoring return from injury.

Playing his first game for three months after shoulder surgery, the 18-year-old wasted no time in making an impression in front of his home crowd.

The Scarlets were quickly out of the blocks and were rewarded for their enterprise with a fourth minute penalty from fly-half Dan Newton.

Number eight Ben Morgan, who enjoyed a fine match, then went on a surging run through the middle to set up scrum-half Gareth Davies who slid over the line only for an Edinburgh defender to get a hand under the ball and deny him the game's first try.

The whistle of referee Dudley Phillips then proceeded to punctuate the contest until superb inter-play between backs and forwards resulted in play being spread wide to the right where North powered through two men to touch down.

David Blair's penalty from in front of the posts reduced the arrears by three points on the half hour mark, but the Scarlets continued to enjoy the bulk of possession and territorial advantage and deserved more than their slender five point lead at the interval.

Edinburgh missed two penalty opportunities shortly after the break that would have nudged them in front, and were made to pay when Newton knocked over his second kick of the night.

Two scores behind, Edinburgh never threatened a comeback and it was left to the Scarlets to celebrate a win that lifted them three places in the table to second.

The scorers:

For Scarlets:
Try: North
Pens: Newton 2

For Edinburgh:
Pen: Blair

Scarlets: 15 Daniel Evans, 14 George North, 13 Regan King, 12 Scott Williams, 11 Joe Ajuwa, 10 Dan Newton, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Johnathan Edwards, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Damian Welch, 4 Lou Reed, 3 Rhys Thomas, 2 Rhys Lawrence, 1 Iestyn Thomas (c).
Replacements: 16 Craig Hawkins, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Simon Gardiner, 19 Vernon Cooper, 20 Richie Pugh, 21 Martin Roberts, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Lee Rees.

Edinburgh: 15 Jim Thompson, 14 Lee Jones, 13 Ben Cairns, 12 James King, 11 Tim Visser, 10 David Blair, 9 Greig Laidlaw (c), 8 Netani Talei, 7 Alan MacDonald, 6 Fraser McKenzie, 5 Steven Turnbull, 4 Scott MacLeod, 3 David Young, 2 Andrew Kelly, 1 Lewis Niven
Replacements: 16 Alun Walker, 17 Kyle Traynor, 18 Jack Gilding, 19 Esteban Lozada, 20 Roddy Grant, 21 Ross Samson, 22 Simon Webster, 23 Tom Brown.