Scarlets 16 - 14 Glasgow Warriors: Worries for Scotland as Low and Jackson limp off with leg injuries

The good news is that a largely second-string Glasgow side were able to compete so strongly at a ground where most sides struggle and a similarly weakened Scottish team would have been put to the sword a few years ago.

To come so close – and even be a little unlucky not to win it – speaks volumes for the developing strength in depth and attitude of the Glasgow team, which can only bode well for the future.

The decisive period came when they were down to 13 men with back rowers Rob Harley and Ryan Wilson both seeing yellow within a minute, but even in those eight minutes of injury time the defence held the Scarlets out until the last move of the first half.

However, in the short term there are serious concerns over both Jackson and Low, the outside half coming off in the 13th minute after damaging his hamstring while taking a successful penalty.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, tighthead prop Low was sitting next to him on the sidelines – both with their injured legs stretched out in front of them – this time because of a knee injured when counter-rucking.

Low scored Glasgow’s try after they stole a lineout on the Scarlets line, while the only points in the second half came from two out of three penalties for replacement Scott Wight.

Plenty of encouragement for the Glasgow management, particularly in defence which was strong all the way through the game and even took some breaking down when they were reduced to 13.

“It had a bit of everything,” admitted coach Sean Lineen. “There is a huge amount of pride in the way the guys defended and it was not made easy in the first half with those two yellow cards. Against a team like the Scarlets you have to be in their face, because they have a lot of world class runners – and we played a bit of rugby as well. It was disappointing we only got a losing bonus point, so it is a bit of an unhappy dressing room, but this is a hard place to come.

“The sin-binnings did not make it easy for us, but I have to be careful about what I say. At times our discipline wasn’t good, so we need to work on that and look at ourselves first.

“There is strength in depth, but it is more to do with the culture we are developing at the Warriors. While the guys were away at the World Cup, other guys stepped up to the plate, so we have got people really fighting hard for the jersey, which is what a coach wants.”

The two sin-binnings were debatable, but a vociferous crowd of just under 10,000 was bound to have an influence and referee Dudley Phillips of Ireland seemed to pay attention to their feelings on a few occasions.

Harley was sin-binned for a swinging arm, while Wilson was adjudged to have killed the ball under the posts. When Low’s replacement, Ed Kalman, went off because of blood, Glasgow went to uncontested scrums which oddly gave the Scarlets a better platform and allowed scrum half Gareth Davies to score. Rhys Priestland’s perfect first half kicking display brought the rest of the home side’s points.

While the injuries were undoubtedly the down side, there was positive news with hooker Fergus Thomson coming through his return and playing for more than an hour.

“It has been a long time since I played, but I coped pretty well because it was a fast and expansive game so I was not the only one who was tired,” he said. “We were not done any favours being down to 13 players, but the tenacity was outstanding. There are not many teams around who could have defended that, which is something we have to build on through the season.”

Among the Scarlets replacements was Aaron Shingler, older brother of Steve but a definite Wales player having appeared for the Wales Sevens side. The Scarlets are interested observers of the ongoing row over the dual eligibility of Steve Shingler, who also came through their system.

Scotland wing Sean Lamont came off early for the Scarlets, but that was considered a precautionary removal from the fray rather than a longer term concern. He will be heading back to Glasgow next season and will have been impressed by what he saw at the weekend.

Scorers: Scarlets: Try - G Davies. Con – Priestland. Pens – Priestland (3). Glasgow: Try – Low. Pens – Jackson, Wight (2)

Scarlets: D Newton; G North; S. Williams, J. Davies; S Lamont; R Priestland, G. Davies; I. Thomas, M. Rees (Capt), D Manu, L Reed, D Day, R McCusker, J. Edwards, B Morgan. Subs: S Jones for Newton (54), V Iongi for Lamont (45), R Williams for G Davies (45), R Jones for Thomas (58), K Owens for Rees (58), R Thomas for Manu (58), A Shingler for Day (64), J Turnbull for J. Edwards (76).

Glasgow: P Murchie; T Seymour, R Dewey, G Morrison (Capt); D Lemi; R Jackson, H Pyrgos; J Welsh, F Thomson, M Low, R Verbakel, T Ryder, R Harley, C Fusaro, R Wilson. Subs: A Dunbar for Dewey (58), S Wight for Jackson (13), M McConnell for Pyrgos (77), G Reid for Welsh (58), F Gillies for Thomson (58), E Kalman for Low (28), C Forrester for Fusaro (58), J Beattie for R. Wilson (58).