Another Six Nations weekend meant that the Guinness Pro 12 action was spread out over four days to allow for television coverage and attendance.

Sandwiched in between Scotland's all-important trip to Rome were Glasgow Warriors' match away to Newport-Gwent Dragons and Edinburgh's crucial home clash with the Scarlets.

With fifteen minutes to go in Sunday's clash, this looked for all the world as though it was to be a bridge too far for a heroic yet depleted Edinburgh side as their opponents, the high-flying Scarlets, led 16-23 thanks to first half tries from Hadleigh Parkes, James Davies and Steffan Evans.

Doubters Proved Wrong

Alan Solomons' side however have proved this season that they are made of tougher stuff and, despite being on a three-match losing streak in the Pro 12, were acutely aware of the damage another defeat would do to their playoff aspirations.

Edinburgh's only try of the first half had come through stand off Phil Burleigh which, combined with Blair Kinghorn's boot, had just about kept them within reach of the Welsh region.

But the home side tightened up in the second half and kept their opponents scoreless throughout the second 40 whilst fighting their way back to take the lead with 11 minutes to go, thanks to second row Ben Toolis who crashed over to seal the win.

Solomons Delighted

Head coach Solomons highlighted the impact of his substitutions when reflecting on the vital win.

He said: "That win was absolutely critical for us if we want to compete for a top six spot.

"All the players that came on made a difference and it speaks volumes that we can put out a competitive side under these [Six Nations] circumstances."

Playoff Push

The win moves Edinburgh up to fifth place, just four points behind Ulster in the fourth and final playoff spot, and with another home match to come against league-leaders Connacht this Friday evening, the capital side can move into contention for a semi-final berth with another victory at their Murrayfield home.

Gregor Townsend was handed a timely boost in his preparations for Thursday night's clash in Newport, with Scotland boss Vern Cotter choosing to omit the likes of Josh Strauss and Duncan Weir from his squad, allowing them to slot straight into a Glasgow team already featuring the likes of returning duo Mike Blair and Alex Dunbar for what was another must-win match for the reigning champions.

Tough Start

The match was played at a high tempo on what was at best a questionable playing surface, which led to all kinds of handling errors from both sides. It was the home team who took advantage of their opponent's infringements during the early stages with Dragons number 10 Angus O'Brien slotting four penalties in the first half to give the struggling region a half time lead at Rodney Parade.

Repeated Infringements

The Warriors were perhaps harshly reduced to 14 men after Irish referee Gary Conway had adjudged that second row Greg Peterson had blocked O'Brien's path to the try line after he'd kicked through, as replays clearly showed the big American, alongside flanker Rob Harley, legally hold their position during the Dragons' attack.

Two penalties from the returning Weir were all the visitors had to show for their opening 40 minutes despite numerous chances to cross the line which were spurned by an ill-judged offload or a last-ditch knock-on close to the Welsh side's line.

Second Half Fightback

Glasgow knew this game was there for the taking however, and upped the tempo in the second half when centre Alex Dunbar, hoping to catch Vern Cotter's eye, crossed for a try early in the second half and this was followed up with five minutes left on the clock by an opportunistic score from man of the match Weir after some industrious work by number 8 Strauss, who was later called up to Cotter's Scotland squad less than 24 hours after the victory.

Title Defence Still Alive

The win sees the Warriors keep their dream of defending their Pro 12 crown alive, for another week at least, and head coach Gregor Townsend couldn't hide his delight when reflecting on the crucial victory.

"We did enough to win but we put ourselves in a tricky position going into halftime", he told the Warriors' website.

"At halftime we spoke about fronting up as we weren't listening to the referee on a couple of occasions and we didn't look after the ball."

Reflecting on just how important a win this could be, Townsend continued: "The players are delighted and this now gives us a boost up the table with eight games to go."

Final Stretch

Glasgow still have two games in hand over their nearest rivals but face a severe test of their squad depth in the coming weeks as many of their frontline stars will be required or rested for Scotland's final two Six Nations games.

They simply cannot look beyond next Sunday's clash against a rejuvenated Cardiff Blues at Scotstoun stadium.

Elsewhere in the Guinness Pro 12, Connacht consolidated their place at the top of the table with an impressive 30-22 at home to Ospreys whilst Cardiff Blues registered an unlikely but thoroughly deserved victory over Ulster at the Arms Park on Sunday.

Munster held on for a crucial 13-16 win away to Treviso and Leinster also grabbed a win in Italy, a 10-27 win over Zebre to keep themselves in second place in the table, one point adrift from their interprovincial rivals Connacht.