United Rugby ChampionshipScarlets (10) 21Tries: Woolley, James, Anderson Pens: Hawkins 2Bulls (14) 23Tries: Jooste, Pollard Cons: Pollard 2 Pens: Pollard 3South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard kicked a 79th-minute winning penalty to guide Bulls to a United Rugby Championship (URC) win against Scarlets in Llanelli.In a tight match where the lead changed hands on eight occasions, Bulls gained the narrow win that lifted them to seventh in the table and boosted their play-off hopes.Springboks star Pollard finished with 18 points, while wing Cheswill Jooste also crossed for a try.Scarlets scored tries through wing Callum Wooley, centre Eddie James and captain Fletcher Anderson.Joe Hawkins kicked two penalties but the fly-half also missed three conversions.It was the second home heartbreak for Scarlets in successive weeks after they had conceded 21 late points to lose against Cardiff.Scarlets are 15th in the URC table, with only Zebre below them. Wales flanker Macleod signs new Scarlets dealScarlets made Springbok dream come true - Van der MerwePlumtree's discipline hurting Scarlets, says DaviesWoolley makes try-scoring startAfter defeating Dragons 47-7, Bulls arrived at Parc y Scarlets boosted by South Africa prop Wilco Lowu in a pack full of Springboks internationals.Jooste took advantage of some shocking Scarlets defence by strolling over from a line-out move for a third minute try.Scarlets gave academy wing Woolley his URC debut in place of Ellis Mee, who sustained an ankle injury in the loss to Cardiff last weekend when they conceded 21 points in the final 10 minutes.Woolley, 20, was called up by Great Britain for the World Sevens Series in January and has been working with Wales and British and Irish Lions great Liam Williams.Woolley responded by scoring with his first touch as he proved the recipient of a long Hawkins pass.
Hawkins produced a superb 50:22 kick which set up the platform for the Scarlets' second try.A clever line-out move enabled James, who had switched from outside to inside centre, to run a surging inside angle and charge over.Scarlets had further chances after a searing break from lock Max Douglas. while James spilled a deft Hawkins chip kick, which led to a Bulls' breakaway try.The counter-attacking move was started by David Kriel, who lost his shirt in the process, before being taken on by centre Harold Vorster and scrum-half Embrose Papier. Three more sets of hands were involved before Pollard strode over for a converted try as Bulls led 14-10 at half-time.Bulls indiscipline but Pollard keeps his coolBulls centre Stedman Gans was shown an early second-half yellow card for a cynical off-the-ball tackle.Taine Plumtree remained in the Scarlets starting team despite a warning from director of rugby Nigel Davies that his indiscipline was hurting Scarlets after being shown his seventh yellow card of the season last weekend.It was Plumtree who was the victim on this occasion as he was brought down by Bulls replacement line prop Francois Klopper, who was also sin-binned and saw the visitors reduced to 13 players.Italian referee Gianluca Gnecchi did not award a penalty try but Scarlets soon scored when number eight Anderson powered over, although Hawkins missed a third successive conversion.Scarlets failed to exploit their two-player advantage further and were guilty of kicking away possession during that time.An injury to Woolley forced a backline reshuffle with Ioan Jones coming on at full-back and Murray switching to wing.Pollard and Hawkins exchanged two penalties each before a clever kick from replacement Wille Le Roux appeared to have allowed Kriel to cross in the right hand corner.The television match official (TMO) ruled out the score because of a forward pass earlier in the move.But after Scarlets were penalised at a scrum and then crucially for collapsing a maul, Pollard stepped up to seal the victory.How they lined upScarlets: Murray; Woolley, J Roberts, James, Page; Hawkins, Blacker; Mathias, Elias, Henry Thomas, Lousi, Douglas, Plumtree, Taylor, Anderson (capt).Replacements:Harry Thomas, J Morse, H O'Connor, Price, T Davies, Hughes, Leggatt-Jones, I Jones.Bulls: Kriel; Jooste, Gans, Vorster, Arendse; Pollard, Papier; Steenekamp, Grobbelaar, W Louw, Vermaak, Nortje, Coetzee (capt), E Louw, Hanekom.Replacements:Van Staden, Wessels, Kloppers, Wiese, Gumede, De Wet, Le Roux, Rudolph.Sin-bin: Gans 45, Klopper 48Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse & Lloyd Edwards (Wales)TMO: Stefano Roscini (Italy)