Scarlets avoid embarrassment

The Scarlets recovered from a dreadful start to beat RaboDirect Pro12 bottom side Zebre by 27-20 at Parc y Scarlets.

The Welsh side were 13-9 down at half-time but recovered to end the day with a 10-point lead over Edinburgh in seventh place in the table.

Rhys Priestland kicked 17 points and there were Scarlets tries for hooker Ken Owens and wing Jordan Williams.

Priestland put Scarlets 6-0 up in nine minutes but the Italian side made the home side pay for coughing up possession.

Gonzalo Garcia landed a penalty, Samuela Vunisa crossed in the 28th minute and six minutes later, wing Guilo Toniolatti crossed following Vunisa's kick.

Priestland scored a penalty to make the score 13-9 before the Scarlets had Sione Timani sin-binned for elbowing Toniolatti, who played no further part in the game.

Zebre then twice had tries ruled out by the television match official before half-time.

After the interval, Scarlets came out firing and despite being a man down, produced a quality try to get back in front.

Jordan Williams started and finished the move while Priestland converted to put the Scarlets 16-13 up.

They were 21-13 up after good work from the forwards set up Owens to go over, although Priestland missed the conversion.

After 58 minutes he was on target with a penalty and Zebre then had another try disallowed, this time for a forward pass.

They bounced back to score their third try when Garcia touched down under the posts and Luciano Orquera's conversion left the Scarlets 24-20 ahead with 14 minutes to play.

Priestland had the last say with his fifth penalty on 69 minutes.