IT was a painful birth for regional rugby off the field, and it was just as difficult on it at Stradey Park on Saturday night.

The child was eventually delivered, but of the kicking and screaming variety, there is no sign of any settling down, and it will take many years to reach maturity, if that day ever dawns.

That has to be the verdict of an unspectacular opening when there was at least some excuse for the Dragons, because they have had to come together from all parts and try to settle as a new team straightaway.

One of them, flanker Jason Forster, took to it like a duck to water. Problem, what problem? seemed to be his attitude as he shrugged everything off with a barnstorming display.

He was into everything, gnawing away at the Llanelli half-backs, never letting them settle and producing a few charging runs of his own.

Not for the first time, he made a mockery of the decision to leave him on the sidelines when it comes to international recognition.

He got the Dragons' only try after initially bursting 40 yards when collecting at the tail of a line-out and finding replacement Luke Charteris and Shawn van Rensberg in support, only for the Llanelli defence to hold.

But Forster would not be denied, and Ian Gough, out to prove a point of his World Cup agony, won another line-out and Forster was driven over for the try.

But another more illustrious back-row forward took the overall honours, Scarlets number eight Scott Quinnell scoring both his side's tries to show Wales what they are missing.

After a fairly nondescript first half, when the Scarlets led 12-6, Quinnell barged over after van Rensberg dropped the ball at the tail of a line-out.

Then, as the Dragons tried to chase the game late on they got caught again as Chris Wyatt, another disaffected Wales lock, won a line-out and Quinnell powered over.

A Barry Davies dropped goal even further into injury time gave the final scoreline a much more unreal look.

The Dragons competed mightily all the way through, and at no stage did the Scarlets' pack get on top.

The Dragons were a real match in the set pieces, Peter Sidoli and Gough giving it everything alongside Forster, even if the throwing in was a bit astray.

But for some reason control of possession was not what it should have been - far too often the ball just popping out for Llanelli to pounce when the Dragons had already appeared to secure it.

There was little penetration behind and errors abounded, both outside-halves making them.

Craig Warlow had a clear overlap on one occasion, but with the line beckoning and a try seeming certain during the Dragons' one purple patch he threw the ball straight to Matthew Watkins, the sole remaining defender.

Then Warlow's replacement, Lee Jarvis, put the ball straight to Davies for the Scarlets' full-back to drop his last ditch goal.

In fact, in many ways it was a carbon copy of watching Newport in the last few seasons, a powerful pack making inroads but the backs failing to take advantage and throwing chances away, and they weren't helped this time by an over-fussy referee, Simon McDowell, of Belfast.

Scarlets' outside-half Gareth Bowen took advantage and slotted six penalties and both conversions, failing to find the target only once.

Brett Davey kicked two first-half penalties for the Dragons, who will need to be a lot more polished if they are to achieve an essential victory at Rodney Parade in the first home game on Friday night against Swansea-Neath Ospreys.

The one major incident of the match saw Scarlets wing Salesi Finau, who has laid a few out in his time, go down heavily with what appeared to be a serious neck injury and get carried off on a stretcher, but he was later cleared.

Llanelli Scarlets: B Davies, R Rees, T Selley, L Davies (captain), S Finau (M Watkins 38), G Bowen, D Burn (M Phillips 52), D Maddocks (N Williams 80), A Gravelle (R Williams 70), J Davies, A Jones (B Griffiths 30-38), V Cooper (B Griffiths 52), C Wyatt, S Quinnell, I Boobyer. Scorers -- tries (2): S Quinnell; conversions: G Bowen (2); penalties: Bowen (6); dropped goal: B Davies.

Newport Gwent Dragons: B Davey (L Jarvis 74), N Brew, S Winn (H Luscombe 62), A Marinos (captain), B Breeze, C Warlow, R Jones, A Black (D Pattison 62), P Young, C Anthony, I Gough, P Sidoli (L Charteris 62), S van Rensberg, R Oakley (J Ringer 67), J Forster. Scorers -- try: J Forster; penalties (2): B Davey.