Ospreys victory a welcome relief to region

Feb 18 2008 by Phil Blanche, Western Mail

Ospreys 37-7 Connacht

HAVING set the bar at a new height this season, the Ospreys are now paying the price of their great expectation.

While home victory over Connacht was achieved by a threadbare side missing no fewer than a dozen senior internationals, this morning’s post-mortem should concentrate more on the side’s frustrating inconsistency than a vital, fifth Magners League success of the campaign.

Of course, a bonus-point victory over the Celtic strugglers came as welcome relief for a side who are still languishing in the lower reaches of the Magners.

However, the endless mistakes and unforced errors which littered this often tedious contest, are unacceptable and will certainly concentrate the mind before the upcoming Heineken Cup and EDF Energy Cup knockout games against Saracens.

It’s a decent state in which the Ospreys find themselves. After all, it’s far more comfortable and positive to criticise from a position of strength rather than one of weakness.

For the record, the region’s five-point victory improves their standing within the Magners League and increases their chance of automatically qualifying for next season’s Heineken Cup by virtue of being one of the top three Welsh sides in the competition.

Others would have been shouting from the rooftops – waxing lyrical about a victory that was achieved in the most difficult of circumstances.

However, the persistent head shaking and desperate looks from the coaches as time and again balls were spilt in contact, confirms that perfection is being sought.

“There was a bit of both,” said Ospreys assistant coach Sean Holley as he summed up the evening. “We played well and scored some great tries, yet at times we were very frustrating.

“As a region, we are striving to improve and I suppose it’s not too bad when you find yourself talking about errors after a 30-point victory.

“We are not being negative in any way. We want the players to go out there and play rugby.

“We want them to score good tries and to try certain things in a match situation. If they don’t succeed, we have to work harder and make sure we don’t repeat those errors.

“That team had only a few sessions together in preparation for this game and, while we would all like to thank Warren Gatland and Frank Hadden for releasing Mike Phillips and Nikki Walker respectively, they only had one training run with the squad this week.

“Maybe at times it showed, but in the end we not only won, but we won with a bonus point too. Any side would settle for that result, at any stage of the season.”

Having said that, the Ospreys do need to show far great care and consistency in what they do.

Better teams than Connacht will be only too pleased to punish the reigning champions for making as many mistakes as this.

Connacht came with every hope of being one of those sides and showed glimpses of their ability to play a high-tempo game based on quick hands and an expansive approach.

Unfortunately, they are simply not good enough to be in there and competing over an 80-minute period – not even against a side shorn of its international talent.

From the moment Shaun Connor kicked a second-minute penalty, the Ospreys were never headed.

Admittedly, they were frustrated by their own inability to turn pressure into points, but they had enough about them to rise above the mediocrity of the first 30 minutes of each half to bag a bonus-point victory.

Connor added a second penalty after seven minutes to double the Ospreys’ lead and, from that moment on, and despite the errors which littered the first half, the victory which coach Lyn Jones had been so keen to achieve was a given.

Connacht, who put one over on the Scarlets last month, were abrasive at the breakdown and occasionally slick with ball in hand.

But, like the Ospreys, the accuracy which has been lacking for much of their season prevented them from adding even greater pressure to their careless hosts.

Outside-half Andy Dunne missed two penalties from 40 metres and when Jonny O’Connor drove to within two metres after 16 minutes, the openside was penalised for holding on in the tackle.

It was that kind of game for the visitors, who in their defence, received some pretty harsh treatment from referee Andy Macpherson.

Their early setbacks should have been the signal for the Ospreys to press on. Sadly, their inability to play with any real control and Connacht’s honest endeavour meant the home faithful were in for another frustrating period.

Once again the Ospreys’ achilles heel – a tendency to over-complicate when simplicity would have brought greater reward – was highlighted.

Gradually, those mistakes took their toll with the hosts becoming increasingly frustrated with their own lack of quality.

They conceded unnecessary penalties in key areas of the field and were visibly frustrated with their own inability to finish when prop Paul James was bundled into the corner flag by a last-ditch tackle from No 8 John Muldoon.

It took a moment of genius from a Scot to break the Irish. Walker, who had finished on the losing side against Wales in Cardiff seven days earlier, stepped out of two tackles on the Connacht 10-metre line and duly outpaced Gavin Duffy for a try that Connor improved.

In stoppage time, man of the match Marty Holah added a second try after an initial surge from Filo Tiatia.

And, after Connor had increased the lead with a third penalty three minutes into the second half, Connacht were reduced to 14 men when Colm Rigney was yellow-carded for persistent infringement at the ruck.

Much of the second half followed a similar pattern to long periods of the first with the Ospreys unable to seize the moment for a second time, replacement scrum-half Connor O’Laughlin sent to the bin for deliberately killing the ball at a ruck.

However, just as the reward had come in the final minutes of the first half, so it came in the last 10 minutes of the second.

Scrum-half Mike Phillips, who had an outstanding second half, rushed through the middle of a line-out to cross unopposed and, after replacement Gareth Owen had converted, the Wales Under-20 outside-half added the bonus-point try 90 seconds from time.

There was just enough injury time for Connacht to snatch a consolation courtesy of O’Connor, but, by then, the Ospreys were celebrating and preparing for a positive post-mortem.