OSPREYS BACK TO WINNING WAYS

The Ospreys got the defence of their Celtic League title back on track with a scrappy 15-9 win over Welsh rivals Newport Gwent Dragons. Last season’s Celtic kings were rocked by a nightmare weekend as a heavy defeat at Munster followed the news that Gavin Henson is out for the next two months after a groin operation.

So it was left to the Ospreys pack, boosted by the return of Wales trio Jonathan Thomas and hair-bear props Adam and Duncan Jones, to do the damage against their Welsh rivals.

It was no surprise that the Dragons found themselves trailing 15-6 by the break having spent 15 minutes of the period down to 14 men. Jamie Ringer saw yellow for deliberately slowing the ball at a ruck with the Ospreys threatening to build on their early lead following Aled Brew’s seventh-minute try.

The Dragons survived that ten minute spell and even improved the scoreboard with a second Craig Warlow penalty only for Kevin Morgan to follow Ringer to the sin bin. Morgan did well to scramble back as the Ospreys hacked forward but was penalised by referee Nigel Whitehouse for coming through the wrong side at the breakdown.

The Ospreys looked to press their advantage behind and Stefan Terblanche looked almost certain to score before Hal Luscombe’s powerful intervention. So they reverted back to their strength up front with success as the Dragons, under pressure at the scrum, conceded a penalty try two minutes before the break.

The Dragons steadied the ship in the second half, scoring the only points of the period through a third Warlow penalty, but could not make the most of Duncan Jones’s yellow cards as the Ospreys hung on.

Ospreys:
Tries – A Brew Penalty
Con – M Jones
Pen – M Jones

Dragons:
Pens – C Warlow (3)

Attendance: 7,749