Scarlets beat Cardiff as first-half red card hurts home side in tight derby

The Scarlets won away from home for the first time since January as they defeated 14-man Cardiff in a dramatic Welsh derby at the Arms Park.

The first-half red card for Ellis Jenkins proved crucial as the Arms Park side let an early lead slip against a Scarlets team guided superbly by Ioan Lloyd at fly-half.

Two tries from Wales scrum-half Gareth Davies, as well as scores from Alex Craig, Steff Evans and Johnny McNicholl were enough for the Scarlets in the Welsh capital. Get the latest World Cup news by signing up to our newsletter here

It was a victory that went some way to relieving the pressure on Dwayne Peel after a week where frustration had built among the fanbase - with their last win away from Parc y Scarlets having also been at the Arms Park.

As for Cardiff, they couldn't back up last week's win over the Stormers - despite early scores from Tomos Williams and Cam Winnett - with Jenkins' dismissal a major turning point in their fortunes.

Both teams had headed into this one with contrasting fortunes. While Cardiff had beaten South African opposition at the Arms Park last weekend, the Scarlets had been abject in a west Wales derby defeat to the Ospreys in Swansea that sent them to the bottom of the United Rugby Championship.

Early on, it appeared as this one might have been following the formbook.

It took just five minutes for the home side to forge ahead. After a mighty driving maul brought them to within touching distance of the try-line, Wales scrum-half Williams found a gap to sneak over for the opening try.

Sherratt's side doubled their lead after 11 minutes, with another attacking lineout getting them close. From there, full-back Winnett found space out wide to cross.

Despite the pressure on them this week,