Scarlets angry at 'unheard of' penalty count in derby loss
· Yahoo Sports
Scarlets boss Nigel Davies was left frustrated by an "unheard of" difference of penalties between the sides in their derby defeat by Ospreys.
The Llanelli club suffered a 27-20 loss in the United Rugby Championship fixture in Bridgend after Jac Morgan's 75th-minute try.
Visit sportbet.reviews for more information.
Ospreys led 17-5 at the break but Scarlets – who had centre Joe Roberts and prop Kemsley Mathias sin-binned in the first half – came storming back to lead 20-17 going into the closing stages before late anguish.
Interim director of rugby Davies was angry at referee Ben Connor and his officials penalising his side 21 times and giving just four against Ospreys.
"We have to control what we can control. First half the penalty count was probably fair enough because we were under a bit of pressure in the scrum but we turned that around in the second half," he said.
"We were probably slightly on top in the scrum but were not getting the calls.
"In a derby game where every breakdown is contested fiercely, to have that sort of penalty count is unheard of."
The former Wales centre pointed to an incident after 66 minutes when scrum-half Dane Blacker was brought down five metres out by wing Evardi Boshoff and Ospreys got over the ball to win a clearing penalty.
"It was hugely frustrating and I can't ask for any more from the players, we played a lot of rugby and squandered a couple of chances," said Davies.
"There was a key moment where we attacked and got right under the posts, for me that was a clear penalty and a yellow card because the guy didn't get up off his feet.
"We were not getting those decisions and it was such a key moment.
"The penalty count was astounding – 21 to 4. We target 10 or less and I am not frustrated at my players because they played really well and went at it.
"They gave everything that they had and unfortunately didn't get their just rewards."
Scarlets finish their season in Llanelli against Dragons when they will try to avoid being Wales' lowest-ranked side for only the second time.
"We are showing the type of rugby and the game that we want to play," insisted Davies, who took the reins in January.
"We are getting to be a little bit more difficult to beat and we can take a lot of that into the next game and into next season."
Jac Morgan returned from injury for Ospreys in March [Huw Evans Picture Agency]Ospreys, meanwhile, finish at third-placed Leinster after a derby win in Bridgend before next season's return to Swansea at the revamped St Helen's.
Morgan will sign off for the club in Dublin after his 75th-minute try earned the derby spoils.
"That was only the second time that we have done the double over the Scarlets in 12 years," said head coach Mark Jones.
"It doesn't matter who gets the winner because it was a team effort out there but if ever there was a guy that you'd like to come up from under that pile then it was Jac.
"When we got a couple of yards out I felt he would take some stopping, especially with a couple of friends on his back."