Cardiff secured their first Welsh derby victory of the season with a hard-fought 21-15 win over Scarlets in Llanelli. The match, attended by 7,073 fans, took place on a Saturday evening at a quarter to eight. Cardiff scored tries through Dan Thomas, Taine Basham, and Evan Lloyd, with conversions from Callum Sheedy and Jarrod Evans. Scarlets managed tries from Joe Roberts and Blair Murray, along with a penalty from Joe Hawkins. The game was marked by a mix of physicality and tactical play, with both teams showing moments of brilliance. Cardiff, who finished sixth in the previous season and were the only Welsh team to reach the play-offs, were without injured Wales wing Josh Adams. However, they welcomed debutants Scott Sio, a former Australian prop, and Le Roux Malan, a Namibian centre, into the squad. Scarlets, who were 14th in the 2025-26 campaign, were missing several key players, including injured number eights Fletcher Anderson and Taine Plumtree, and Wales fly-half Sam Costelow. Wales props Corey Domachowski and Kemsley Mathias were also absent, with vice-captain Ryan Elias leading the team in his 200th appearance. Scarlets started strongly, with a break from scrum-half Dane Blacker and an offload from flanker Sam Lousi that led to a try by Joe Roberts. Cardiff responded with a more structured effort, with flanker Dan Thomas scoring from a maul. Scarlets again showed their threat in possession, with Blair Murray scoring a fine individual try after being put through a gap by centre Eddie James. James, who plays as an outside centre for the national team under head coach Steve Tandy, demonstrated his versatility with powerful carries, suggesting he might be better suited as an inside centre. Cardiff remained composed and took a 14-12 lead into the half-time break, with Taine Basham scoring. In the second half, Murray continued to pose a threat, while fly-half Callum Sheedy nearly created a chance for Cardiff with a clever header after a kick. Sheedy's opposite number, Gareth Anscombe, made his competitive debut before being replaced by Joe Hawkins, who quickly made an impact with a penalty for Scarlets. Cardiff introduced several replacements, including Wales flanker James Botham, and the bench played a crucial role in their second-half success. The weather turned dramatically, with sunny conditions giving way to heavy rain. Scarlets wing Ellis Mee attempted to rally the home crowd with a successful tackle and jackal, but Blair Murray's kick nearly set up an attack that was ruled out of bounds after hitting the touchline. Referee Adam Jones consulted the television match official (TMO) before Cardiff capitalized on the resulting offensive position, with replacement hooker Evan Lloyd scoring. Jarrod Evans converted the try, though he missed a long-range penalty. A late surge from Scarlets was halted by a crucial turnover from Lloyd, sealing Cardiff's victory.