Lethargic Ospreys scrape past Dragons’ limited challenge

Apr 26 2008 by Andy Howell, Western Mail

Ospreys 16-3 Dragons

THIS could have been a 40-pointer if the wasteful Ospreys hadn’t failed to turn numerous chances into points at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium last night.

It was a wretched encounter against a Dragons team that has lost the inability to win and a crowd of 9,166 must have gone home feeling short-changed.

The Ospreys had mounted a major marketing campaign to persuade children to attend the Magners League derby but failed to deliver where it counts, on the field.

Sure, they could have had a hatful of tries against extremely limited opponents but couldn’t hang on to the ball for long enough to prosper.

Nevertheless, the victory put the defending Celtic champions 10 points ahead of the Dragons in the table.

It will take a rugby miracle now for the Gwent region, fast becoming the Connacht of Welsh rugby, to deny the big-spending Ospreys an automatic place in next season’s Heineken Cup.

They play each other at Rodney Parade with Ospreys’ other remaining fixtures being Edinburgh at home and away to Connacht.

The Dragons also have a double-header with champions elect Leinster so have got major problems. They are only a point ahead of Ulster and five in front of bottom of the table Irish minnows Connacht.

So they will be looking anxiously over their shoulders in the knowledge, if they are overhauled by both, they will miss out on a June play-off with the third-placed finishers in the Italian Championship for a wild-card spot in next season’s Heineken Cup.

Dragons coach Paul Turner was furious with referee Tim Hayes missing a glaring forward pass as the Ospreys finally scored a try, through replacement winger Aled Brew in the 71st minute.

He went on the pitch at the end to vent his feelings, but was prevented at getting at Hayes by a cordon of stewards. It was an unsatisfactory ending to a yawn of an encounter.

Dragons’ Blues-bound Ceri Sweeney pulled out before kick-off with damaged ribs so Wales Under-20 full-back Jason Tovey was handed a debut.

The 18-year-old Bedwas player was thrust in at outside-half by Turner and started brightly with a neat left-footed chip over Ospreys’ blitz defence.

At the other end of the spectrum, team-mate Adam Black was making history by becoming the first player to make 100 appearances in the Celtic tournament.

Tovey calmly put the Dragons into a 3-0 lead with a 22m penalty in the seventh minute after the Ospreys were caught offside following a foray from visiting hooker Ben Daly.

The Ospreys countered with some super interplay between Shane Williams, Lee Byrne and Sonny Parker and only a desperate tackle from former Wales full-back Kevin Morgan on centre Parker prevented a try.

The home side were giving their opponents problems with their speed on to the ball and it wasn’t a surprise when Grand Slam playmaker James Hook levelled matters with a penalty.

Another intelligent kick from Tovey nearly put American international Paul Emerick in, while a good old-fashioned forward rumble made significant ground.

It led to a drop-goal attempt from the youngster, 19 in two days time, but his attempt rebounded off an upright.

The Ospreys could have been awarded a penalty try when Morgan knocked down a potential scoring pass from Byrne.

Welsh referee Hayes gave a penalty, which Hook missed, but it could have been worse with Morgan fortunate to escape a sin-binning.

Killing of the ball by the Dragons seconds later had Ospreys’ Kiwi scrum-half Justin Marshall waving a hand in the air at Hayes in an attempt to encourage him to brandish the yellow-card.

Hayes resisted and Hook fired his penalty wide. It was his seventh miss in his last nine attempts and a stark contrast to the Six Nations, when his right foot hardly missed a beat.

A sparkling break by Dragons No 8 Joe Bearman opened up the first line of the Ospreys defence but a forward pass ruined a great opportunity.

The Ospreys then lost star winger Williams with a ‘dead’ leg. His right thigh was heavily strapped and he limped off after going down.

Given how events were unfolding it was only a matter of time before a Dragon headed for the cooler, flanker Richard Parks getting the dubious honour following an off-the-ball tackle on impressive hooker Richard Hibbard.

Hook squeezed a penalty over just before half-time although there were claims from Dragons players that it was wide.

The hosts were denied what would have been a gem of a try early in the second half by corner flag.

Hook took a pass at full tilt on the blindside and fed Parker. He was hauled down, but managed to find winger Jonny Vaughton, who flicked the ball on to Andrew Bishop.

But the centre grounded the ball just short of the try line and caught the flag with a foot to have the try disallowed.

More powerful running from Byrne nearly created a score for Vaughton seconds later.

The Wales star did cross minutes later, but Hayes quite rightly had blown up after spotting Dragons centre Rhodri Gomer Davies lying flat out following a tackle on Ospreys powerhouse Filo Tiatia in the 52nd minute.

There was a near 12-minute hold-up while he was treated, being gently placed on a stretcher after being fitted with a neck brace and carried from the field to a round of applause.

Phil Dollman replaced Davies while former Wales captain Michael Owen, the Saracens-bound forgotten man of Welsh rugby, took over from Bearman in the back-row. After being checked over by doctors in the stadium’s medical room, Davies was thankfully given the all-clear and was able to get back on his feet.

When play resumed, a clever long pass from Bishop gave Vaughton some space but his chip over the cover went out on the full.

The Ospreys were guilty of failing to turn possession into points and nearly paid a hefty price for their shortcomings when a cross-kick from Tovey nearly fell kindly for Emerick.

Marshall slotted a drop-goal in the 55th minute to make it 9-6 to the Ospreys, while the Dragons had lanky lock Luke Charteris sin-binned for obstruction on Hook two minutes later.

But it didn’t stop the Gwent region, who had plainly headed west intent to spoil, from continuing to offend. They did manage to produce one good passage of play, Tovey running strongly following a turnover.

The ball was worked right but veteran Wales international Colin Charvis had the blinkers on and cut back inside, ignoring a glaring overlap outside him.

Ospreys made sure of victory with that controversial try, Hook floating a pass about two metres forward to Brew.