Scarlets beaten 29-0 by Clermont Auvergne in Heineken Cup
A EUROPEAN campaign to forget ended as it had started for the Scarlets, with a resounding defeat at the hands of Clermont Auvergne.
A woeful first half by the West Walians allowed the French side to build up a comfortable 24-0 lead at the break.
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Scarlets coach Simon Easterby
And while the Scarlets offered up far more resistance after the interval, there was never any danger of them threatening to upset one of the tournament favourites.
It took Clermont - who won the corresponding fixture 49-16 in October - just seven minutes to get going with strong work from wing Julien Malzieu and hooker Benjamin Kayser setting up rampaging Fijian wing Napaloni Nalaga to race home.
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Scrum-half Morgan Parra added a penalty, before home skipper Rob McCusker gifted the outstanding Parra an intercept from the base of the scrum.
All Black centre Benson Stanley hit a sharp angle for Clermont's third just before half-time and the Scarlets were staring at a defeat to eclipse their 41-0 hammering by the same opponents at Stradey Park five years ago.
With more ball in their hands, the Scarlets started to offer a threat in the second half, but the arrival of former Scarlets favourite Regan King prompted Clermont's bonus-point try with the classy Kiwi centre delivering a deft-offload to send skipper Aurelien Rougerie sprinting to the corner after 66 minutes.
The Scarlets did have a chance for a late consolation when centre Adam Warren broke away from his own 22, but he was hauled down by Nalaga before flanker Josh Turnbull knocked on going for the whitewash.
The defeat sealed only a second ever pool whitewash for the Scarlets, while Clermont's bonus-point triumph sets up a home quarter-final against French rivals Montpellier.
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