\n<\/p>\n
Scarlets (14) 17<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Try: <\/strong>S Evans<\/span> Pens: <\/strong>Costelow 4<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Glasgow (7) 35<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Tries:<\/strong> McDowell 2, Horne, Matthews, Darge <\/span>Cons: <\/strong>Horne 5<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Glasgow secured a first European final with a thrilling Challenge Cup semi-final win over Scarlets in Llanelli.<\/span><\/p>\n George Horne scored 15 points with two tries from Stafford McDowall and further scores for Johnny Matthews and Rory Darge.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Scarlets responded with a Steff Evans try and four Sam Costelow penalties, but were hampered by a series of injuries during a brutal battle.<\/span><\/p>\n Glasgow will face the winners of Toulon or Benetton on 19 May in Dublin.<\/span><\/p>\n Franco Smith’s side will bid to become the first Scottish side to win a European title since Edinburgh lost to Gloucester in the Challenge Cup final in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n Glasgow are also still battling on two fronts with a United Rugby Championship (URC) home match against Munster next weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n Defeat for the Scarlets represented a fifth European semi-final loss with the four previous defeats coming in the Heineken Champions Cup. <\/span><\/p>\n Dwayne Peel’s side battled manfully, with captain Josh Macleod again outstanding, but struggled to cope with losing key men Johnny Williams and Vaea Fifita to injury. <\/span><\/p>\n Scarlets can also point to a controversial decision by French referee Mathieu Raynal not to award a 68th minute penalty try and yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. <\/span><\/p>\n A decision in their favour would have brought the hosts back into the game, but Glasgow fully deserved the victory with five tries to one.<\/span><\/p>\n The Scarlets’ loss also ended the season for the Welsh regions with no sides having qualified for the URC play-offs.<\/span><\/p>\n It has been a disastrous season for Welsh rugby so to have Scarlets in a European semi-final in front of 13,000 fans in Llanelli was a welcome respite. <\/span><\/p>\n Retiring Wales flanker Aaron Shingler was denied a home farewell after failing to recover from a back injury, but was presented to the Scarlets crowd before the game.<\/span><\/p>\n Scotland lock Richie Gray was due to make his 100th Glasgow appearance, but was a late withdrawal with JP du Preez coming into the starting side.<\/span><\/p>\n Glasgow, who came into the match having only lost one in their last 17 games, ignored the disruption and home sentiment with their strong start.<\/span><\/p>\n A typical sweeping attacking move started by incisive breaks from Tuipulotu, captain Kyle Steyn and player-of-the-match Jack Dempsey.<\/span><\/p>\n That laid the platform for powerful centre McDowall, who was filling the midfield void left by Huw Jones, to score with scrum-half Horne converting.<\/span><\/p>\n Scarlets suffered two early injury blows with Scotland prop Javan Sebastian and Wales centre Williams forced off injured with Sam Wainwright and Ioan Nicholas coming on.<\/span><\/p>\n It proved a chaotic opening quarter with both sides looking to play from deep, producing continual turnovers and numerous handling errors.<\/span><\/p>\n This resulted in a series of scrums with Glasgow prop Zander Fagerson having the upper hand over his 2021 British and Irish Lions team-mate Wyn Jones.<\/span><\/p>\n While Glasgow were edging the scrums, Scarlets were initially dominating the breakdown battle with flankers Macleod and Dan Davis successful in turning over possession to halt the visitors’ momentum.<\/span><\/p>\n Costelow reduced the deficit to one point with two penalties before some lacklustre defence from McDowall put his side in trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n A wayward line-out gifted Scarlets a try chance with Lousi’s flick pass allowing full-back Johnny McNicholl, who had been preferred to Leigh Halfpenny, to release Evans who cantered over unopposed to give the home side the lead.<\/span><\/p>\n Lock Morgan Jones became a third Scarlets casualty of the first half after he came off second best in a collision with Zander Fagerson. <\/span><\/p>\n This prompted a forwards reshuffle with number eight Carwyn Tuipulotu coming on and Fifita moving up to lock after he had started in the back row in place of the injured Sione Kalamafoni.<\/span><\/p>\n This disruption failed to halt the Scarlets’ revival as Costelow slotted over a penalty just before half-time to give the hosts a 14-7 half-time lead.<\/span><\/p>\n Glasgow responded at the start of the second half as locks Du Preez and Scott Cummings combined to release Horne, who converted his own try to level the scores.<\/span><\/p>\n In the build-up to the try, the television match official (TMO) spotted a high tackle from Wainwright on Darge which resulted in a yellow card for the Scarlets prop.<\/span><\/p>\n Costelow restored the advantage with his fourth penalty before Scarlets’ injury curse continued as Fifita was forced off.<\/span><\/p>\n That prompted the introduction of flanker Iestyn Rees with Lousi the only specialist Scarlets second-row remaining. <\/span><\/p>\n Glasgow took advantage as replacement hooker Matthews, who scored five tries against Dragons earlier in the competition, was driven over with Horne again converting.<\/span><\/p>\n With the Scarlets line-out malfunctioning, Glasgow’s power game told again with flanker Darge powering over for Glasgow’s fourth try.<\/span><\/p>\n French referee Raynal angered the Scarlets crowd by failing to give a penalty, yellow card and penalty try to the home side after full-back Ollie Smith had appeared to deliberately knock the ball on. Instead the officials simply gave a Scarlets scrum.<\/span><\/p>\n McDowell completed the scoring with his second try after a well-worked set-piece move as Glasgow now await the victors of Sunday’s semi-final between Toulon and Benetton.<\/span><\/p>\n Scarlets:<\/strong> McNicholl; Steff Evans, Roberts, J Williams, Conbeer; Costelow, G Davies; W Jones, Owens, Sebastian, M Jones, Lousi, Macleod (capt), D Davis, V Fifita.<\/span><\/p>\n Replacements:<\/em> Shaun Evans, Mathias, Wainwright, C Tuipulotu, Rees, Hardy, D Jones, Nicholas.<\/span><\/p>\n Glasgow:<\/strong> Smith: Cancelliere, S Tuipulotu, McDowall,Steyn (capt); Jordan, G Horne; Bhatti, Turner, Z Fagerson, Cummings, JP du Preez, Darge, Vailanu, Dempsey.<\/span><\/p>\n Replacements:<\/em> Matthews, McBeth, Berghan, Wilson, Bean, M Fagerson, Price, Weir.<\/span><\/p>\n |