Wales scrum-half rivals Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams were both forced off with injuries as rugby returned with Saturday's derby clash between the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues.
The duel between the two No. 9s had been billed as one of the key battles in the Guinness PRO14 showdown.
But both men had to leave the fray in quick succession either side of half-time.
The Scarlets’ Davies took a knock to his backside just before the break, while Williams departed soon after the resumption with his left arm in a makeshift sling fashioned from his jersey.
It was the injury to the 20-cap Williams which looked the most concerning and would have been a worry to the watching Wayne Pivac and his fellow Wales coaches, with a hectic autumn schedule lying ahead.
But Blues boss John Mulvihill was in upbeat mode about his player afterwards.
“We are hopeful that Tomos will be okay,” said the Aussie coach.
“I think it looked worse than it is. The joint didn’t come out.”
It was more of a dead leg problem for Davies, as Scarlets coach Glenn Delaney confirmed.
“Gareth is a power player and, for those who understand the posterior chain of the body, that’s where the power comes from,” said the Kiwi.
“So he took a little knock there and, for those who have experienced that, effectively your leg shuts down. It’s quite hard to move.
“So it’s a bruise in a fairly sensitive area.”
For Delaney, it was his winning start on his first outing as head coach, with the Scarlets claiming a 32-12 bonus point victory, with winger Steff Evans crossing twice in a Man of the Match display.
