Photo via BBC Sport

Costelow injury worry as Scarlets thrash Newcastle

The Scarlets dominated Newcastle Red Bulls 47-14 in their opening European Challenge Cup match, securing a seven-try bonus-point victory. Wales international Sam Costelow opened the scoring before limping off with a hamstring issue, raising concerns for Wales coach Steve Tandy ahead of the Autumn Nations Championship squad selection.

Scarlets’ forwards Fletcher Anderson and Gareth Davies made strong debut starts, while Macs Page scored twice in his 50th appearance for the club. Newcastle, meanwhile, struggled to contain Scarlets’ attacking flair, despite late tries from Oliver Spencer and Ollie Leatherbarrow.

The defeat marked Newcastle’s fourth consecutive loss, with former Scarlets and Wales fly-half Stephen Jones now serving as an assistant coach for the Red Bulls. The match saw debuts for Newcastle’s Brandon Jackson and Francisco Moreno, while Jake Dalziel made his first start at fly-half.

Scarlets’ indiscipline at times provided Newcastle with attacking opportunities, but the visitors ultimately failed to capitalize on their chances.

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