The Scarlets bagged the bonus point they needed to overtake Ulster at the top of the table and grab the initiative at the end of another thrilling round of Celtic League matches
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It means that with only two weekends to go there are only two points splitting the top three teams – with the Scarlets and Celtic Cup winners Ulster on course for a potential title shoot-out on the last weekend.
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While Ulster picked up an away win at the Borders on Friday night, they failed to earn a bonus point. That gave the Scarlets the chance to return to the top of the table, but they had to work very hard to overcome a thoroughly committed Glasgow side.
The Scottish team headed to Wrexham knowing they needed something out of the game to give themselves a chance of the Borders to the second Heineken Cup spot for the Scots. In the end, they picked up two tries in each half to gain in invaluable bonus point.
Wales scrum half Dwayne Peel ran in two crucial second half scores to earn the man of the match accolade. Pack members Chris Wyatt and David Hodges got the other tries.
Stephen Jones weighed in with 13-points while Gareth Bowen completed the scoring with a penalty after replacing the Wales fly-half.
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The Dragons were too good for an injury ravaged Connacht, leaving the Galway Sportsground with a 32-14 victory.
The Dragons ran in three tries in the opening 18 minutes from Nathan Brew, Percy Montgomery and Hal Luscombe with Connacht responding with a fine try from Matt Mostyn.
Connacht defended stoutly throughout the second quarter reduced the deficit to 19-14 after 53 minutes when Mostyn got in for his second try against his former colleagues.
However, Montgomery responded with two penalties before Craig Warlow secured a vital bonus point for the visotors in the dying moments.
The performance of the weekend was from the Cardiff Blues, who blew Munster apart with a staggering 60-14 win over outgoing Celtic champions and Heineken Cup semi-finalists Munster.
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The Blues backs ran it from everywhere against a Munster defence who looked like they’d rather be in the City Arms pub than at the Arms Park.
Blues winger Craig Morgan had his hat-trick before the halftime whistle, and the home side twisted the knife with four more tries in the second spell as they cruised past the 50-point mark.
The Blues opened the scoring when skipper Martyn Williams joined the backline to put Morgan over in the corner.
Centre Iestyn Harris added a penalty goal, and Canadian backrower Dan Baugh capped his 99th game for Cardiff by finishing off a great break from centre Jamie Robinson.
Blues fans had to wait only 80 seconds of the second half before winger Tom Shanklin bagged his side’s sixth try in the corner. Harris slotted his fourth conversion and the Blues cruised past the 40-point mark – the first time
this season the Munster side have conceded so many points.
Blues second-rower Heino Senekal crashed over the try-line from the ensuing lineout to compound the visitors’ misery. then Williams took the Blues past the half-century mark with a pushover try after 68 minutes.
Shanklin secured his second to take the score to 60, a remarkable showing from Dai Young’s side, who are still battling with the Ospreys for the final Heineken Cup spot.
The Ospreys were involved in a 16-16 tie with Leinster Lions, and are now just four points ahead of the Blues in the table (52 to 48)
The Warriors stay in fourth spot in the division after they beat Edinburgh 30-19 at Meadowbank.
