European Champions Cup
Racing 92 – 64
Scarlets – 14
THE SCARLETS slumped to their biggest defeat in Europe as they conceded nine tries in a 64- 14 defeat to Champions Cup Pool 3 leaders Racing 92.The Guinness PRO12 leaders picked up a number of unwanted records as they fell to their fifth successive defeat in Europe this season. It was the most points they had conceded in 128 European games, surpassing the 54 in Bourgoin in 2003/04.
It was also their heaviest European defeat, overtaking the 46-point deficit against Stade Francais Paris in 1998/99, and the nine tries they conceded overtook the eight against Toulouse in 2004/05.
Victory for the Top 14 leaders sealed a home quarterfinal tie for them with former Cardiff Blues centre Casey Laulala scoring a hat trick at Stade Yves-du-Manoir. The former All Black crossed twice in the first-half, while Juan Imhoff, Bernard Le Roux and Louis Dupichot also touched down in a 40-minute spell that saw the Scarlets briefly reduced to 13 men.
The Welsh region reduced the damage on the scoreboard with tries from DTH van der Merwe and Gareth Davies early in the second half. But Imhoff claimed his second after the pack secured a penalty try and Johan Goosen and Laulala completed the rout late on.
Dan Carter opened the scoring with a penalty and also kicked five conversions for a match haul of 13 points before leaving on 52 minutes. Scarlets lock Maselino Paulino and wing Van der Merwe picked up cards in the first-half and Racing 92 lost ex-Wales scrum half for 10 minutes in the second half.
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