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Llanelli Scarlets produced a masterful forward display to defeat the Southern Kings 41-34 in their PRO14 clash at the Mabibaz Stadium at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth on Friday. Scarlets move joint top of Group B on 24 points, though they have played a game more than fellow leaders Leinster, while the Kings now have just a single victory from seven matches. The visitors scored their tries through hookers Dafydd Hughes and Taylor Davies, flank Will Boyde, wing Ioan Nicholas, prop Werner Kruger and scrumhalf Kieran Hardy. The Kings, who led by five points at halftime, crossed for four tries via fullback Masixole Banda, wings Yaw Penxe and Bjorn Basson, and centre Harlon Klaasen. The home side made the perfect start when Banda jinxed his way past a number of defenders to score the opening try inside the first two minutes. The teams traded penalties before the Kings got their second score, the side running almost the length of the field before Penxe latched onto the end of Banda's kick behind the Scarlets defence to open up a 17-3 lead. The visitors eventually clawed their way into the game and were rewarded as Hughes finished from a rolling maul, the impressive forward power of the Welsh side causing problems for the Kings all game. Kings flyhalf Martin de Toit thought he had scored for the home side but saw his effort ruled out for a forward pass in the build-up and the momentum then swung in the Scarlets favour as they grabbed a try just before the break after another strong maul to leave the score 20-15 in favour of the hosts. Scarlets grabbed the lead just after the break when Nicholas crossed, but the Kings moved ahead again when Klaasen scored 10 minutes into the second period. The home side looked to have seized the initiative when that lead was extended to 12 points after veteran wing Basson finished a fine move, but from then on in the visitors were on top. South African-born Kruger powered over from close-range as the visitors muscle up front showed again, before replacement scrumhalf Hardy was adjudged to have dotted down with the help of the Television Match Official. After Kings prop Luphumlo Mguca was sent to the sin-bin for collapsing the maul, the Scarlets looked to have sealed the win when Davies crossed from yet another maul. But the Kings were only seven points adrift and they moved into the Scarlets 22 for the final few minutes, before the match ended in some controversy when the Kings were held up five metres from the visitors' line, seemingly illegally so with a number of player offside, but Irish referee John Lacey saw no infringement.
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