Young Owen is one for Ospreys’ future

Jan 7 2008 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo

WHEN the feeling finally returned to his fingers on Saturday evening in Dublin, coach Lyn Jones was the first to applaud his young guns for what was a performance of real note at the RDS.

Of course, another Magners League defeat has finally put paid to the region’s chance of retaining the Celtic crown, but as far as the bigger picture is concerned, the collective performance of a side which bore no resemblance whatsoever to the team he put out on New Year’s Eve against the Blues, was significant to say the least.

With a bevvy of injuries and, perhaps more importantly, this weekend’s Heineken Cup game against Gloucester in mind, Jones made 13 changes from the side that brushed aside the Blues five days previous. One of those, Gareth Owen, was arguably the stand out performer on a night dominated by a biting wind which blew continually from start to finish.

Out of position in the centre, Owen stood out like a beacon in the face of some pretty impressive traffic. On one shoulder he was faced with Felipe Contepomi and on the other Brian O’Driscoll. Never once did he take a backward step.

By the time full time had arrived, the lions share of a 13,885-strong crowd were thumbing their programme to find out more about this season’s Wales Under-20 outside-half.

They need only to have attended the post match press conference to learn a little more of who and why.

Jones said: “We picked Gareth up last season after he played for the Wales Under --19s in the World Cup in Belfast. We have pushed him into our academy system and worked hard with him, but we must remember that last week he was playing at outside-half for Maesteg against Bedwas in the Premiership.

“Seven days on and the same youngster is playing in the centre against Brian O’Driscoll. It’s a huge step up for the lad, but to his credit he came out with flying colours. In terms of our so-called first choice players, we can’t expect them to play three big games in just over a week and then prepare for a game of next weekend’s magnitude against Gloucester.”

Having withstood an early onslaught from their hosts, the Ospreys did fall 14 points behind when first Shane Jennings and then Jamie Heaslip crossed for tries.

Shaun Connor cut the deficit with a penalty eight minutes from half-time and then, two minutes later, the same player brought the Ospreys back into the game with a wonderful break and clinical finish.

He failed with the conversion and then found himself unable to stop flanker Stephen Keogh from cutting back inside on the stroke of half-time to score his side’s third try of the night.

And there was nothing anyone could do when O’Driscoll and Dempsey combined on the left to send in Fitzgerald for a try and the bonus point, although the visitors did have the final say when Ben Lewis was driven over for a try Connor converted.

Leinster: G Dempsey; G Brown, B O’Driscoll (c), F Contepomi (G D’Arcy, 52), L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, C Keane (G Easterby, 66); C Healy, B Blaney (B Jackman, 78), S Wright (S Knoop, 47), C Jowitt (T Hogan, 66), M O’Kelly, S Keogh, S Jennings, J Heaslip.

Tries: Jennings, Heaslip, Keogh, Fitzgerald.

Conversions: Contepomi (3).

Ospreys: J Vaughton; N Walker (A Thomas, 59), G Owen, J Spratt, A Brew; S Connor, M Phillips (M Roberts, 66); P James, R Hibbard (E Shervington, 66), C Griffiths (A Millward, 64), L Bateman, A Lloyd (A Wyn Jones, 64), H T-Pole (S Tandy, 66), B Lewis, T Smith (F Tiatia, 64).

Tries: Connor, Lewis.

Conversion: Connor.

Penalty: Connor.

Referee: P Allan (Scotland).