Scarlets find solace in Europe with five-try win

Dane Blacker missed out on a first Wales cap last month - but was on the scoresheet for Scarlets

A new competition brought a fresh start for Scarlets with an easy win over Bayonne in the European Challenge Cup.

Ryan Conbeer, Dane Blacker and Sam Lousi scored in the first half to halt the high-flying French side at Parc y Scarlets

Blade Thomson and Steff Evans followed and Sam Costello kicked 14 points for a morale-booting win.

The result capped a successful opening weekend for the Welsh regions in the Challenge Cup after Dragons drew at the Lions and Cardiff thrashed Pau to halt a 20-game losing run.

However if one team needs the feelgood factor of a cup run, it is Scarlets.

European rugby holds a special place in the hearts of this club - and vice versa - but this season the Challenge Cup could prove even more cathartic than ever.

Head coach Peel admitted they were grateful for a "clean slate" after one win from nine in the United Rugby Championship - and they played like a team freed of their baggage.

Two quickfire tries snatched a 12-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes.

Jonathan Davies' miss-pass released Conbeer and the wing combined smartly with Blacker to beat the last defender.

Scrum-half Blacker, left uncapped on the bench by Wales in the autumn, then finished himself three minutes later after Aaron Shingler's turnover and Josh Macleod's burst.

Costello missed the conversion but two penalties opened an 18-0 lead that sparked Bayonne into action.

Back in Europe following promotion to the Top 14, they have already beaten the likes of Clermont-Auvergne, Toulouse and La Rochelle this season.

The deficit forced their hand to kick a series of penalties to the corner that ended with number eight Thomson being shown a yellow card and Bayonne hooker Thomas Acquier scoring.

Delight for the Scarlets as Sam Lousie (number five) touches down

Both sides showed enterprise but Scarlets struck a crucial blow just before half-time.

After Blacker's counter-attack took Scarlets the length of the field, lock Konstantine Mikautadze was shown a yellow card as Bayonne's defence panicked and Sam Lousi scored from a resulting drive.

The French side dug their heels in early in the second half but the Scarlets scrum, anchored by WillGriff John, eventually broke that resistance.

Thomson touched down for the bonus point from a disintegrating scrum that saw one-time Scarlet Pieter Scholtz sent to the sin bin.

Steff Evans then finished a wonderful break that featured a delightful reverse pass by prop Kemsley Mathias just moments later.

Bayonne's miserable night was compounded by two disallowed tries as Scarlets breezed through the closing stages of a rare night of joy at Parc y Scarlets.

Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl; Tom Rogers, Ioan Nicholas, Jonathan Davies (capt), Ryan Conbeer; Sam Costelow, Dane Blacker; Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, WillGriff John, Sione Kalamafoni, Sam Lousi, Aaron Shingler, Josh Macleod, Blade Thomson.

Replacements: Ken Owens, Steff Thomas, Harri O'Connor, Tom Price, Tomás Lezana, Kieran Hardy, Rhys Patchell, Steff Evans.

Bayonne: Martin Bogado; Bastien Pourailly, Peyo Muscarditz (capt), Guillame Martocq, Teiva Jacquelain; Thomas Dolhagaray, Michael Ruru; Pieter Scholtz, Thomas Acquier, Chris Talakai, Manuel Leindekar, Konstantine Mikautadze, OJ Noah, Geoffrey Cridge, Afa Amosa.

Replacements: Facundo Bosch, Swan Cormenier, Pascal Cotet, Baptiste Heguy, Uzair Cassiem, Guillame Rouet, Jason Robertson, Tom Spring.

Referee: Jack Makepeace (England)

Assistant referees: Mike Hudson & Charlie Gayther (England)

TMO: Steve Leyshon (England)