Ospreys sound right note in cup triumph

Apr 13 2008 by Andy Howell, Wales On Sunday

BREAD Of Heaven sounded around Twickenham for the second time in three months as Ospreys became the first Welsh winners of the EDF Energy Cup.

They smashed defending champions Leicester Tigers in an action replay of Wales’ Ospreys-dominated Six Nations success at English rugby’s headquarters.

Captain Ryan Jones was inspirational while back-row colleagues Marty Holah and Filo Tiatia, as well as magnificent workhorse Alun Wyn Jones, dominated the collision zone.

Tiatia’s wife had overnight given birth to twin daughters back in Swansea and he was driven to London yesterday morning.

Leicester were panned by members of the English media afterwards for their incompetence, but the fact of the matter was they were out-muscled and out-thought by Lyn Jones’ men.

The ease of their victory against the Guinness Premiership champions made their shock Heineken Cup exit at Saracens a week ago even more frustrating.

There’s no doubt the Ospreys possess the awesome firepower to have gone all the way in Europe this season.

Now the task for them is to build on this success – their first in a knockout tournament – and become the first Welsh team to lift the showpiece Heineken Cup.

Let’s not beat about the bush here: the Ospreys are the only Welsh region to have any hope of winning it.

The big issue for the power-brokers at the high-spending region is whether coach Jones remains the right man to lead them to their ambition of European glory.

Whether this comprehensive triumph is enough for him to survive a full-scale review of rugby activities, being conducted by their new elite performance director Andrew Hore, is for the board to decide.

That the position of Jones is under scrutiny is down to the talent at his disposal and the determining factor should be whether he is extracting the maximum out of his stars.

The prosecution claim he is not, that Wales completed a clean sweep in the Six Nations. Ergo, Ospreys, who are in essence the national team bolstered by New Zealand internationals Justin Marshall, Tiatia and Holah, should automatically win the Heineken.

Defence counsel argue rugby doesn’t work like that, pointing to events yesterday for confirmation with Saracens being crushed by Gloucester, who were hammered by the Ospreys at the Heineken pool stage in Swansea.

They claim 13 Ospreys being part of the Grand Slam highlight the quality of work being undertaken at the Liberty Stadium.

Further evidence produced is two Magners League titles, a first appearance in the quarter-finals of the Heineken and the biggest support base in Wales, all achieved since being formed five years ago.

The defence case is made even stronger by only one other trophy – the inaugural Celtic League title – being won by a rival region in the shape of the Scarlets, since Welsh rugby was revamped in the summer of 2003.

They sum up their argument by insisting it is not the coaching role of Jones which should be under scrutiny, but those of David Young at the Blues and Phil Davies at the Scarlets.

Unlike the Dragons, the Blues and Scarlets have ambition and big-name players. Young has been at the helm of the Blues for six years and, although they have improved over the last two seasons, haven’t won any silverware, while the Scarlets have gone from Heineken semi-finalists last term to nobodies this campaign.

If the Ospreys were going to give Jones the boot, it should have been at the end of last season.

Giving him his marching orders now would be a massive gamble because there is a risk that the arrival of a fresh voice would bring uncertainty and potential upheaval, endangering the good work that has been completed.

Look no further than yesterday’s opponents for a perfect example of that. Marcelo Loffreda took over as their coach following Argentina’s stunning third-place at this season’s World Cup – but it hasn’t worked out and he is facing the sack.

So change isn’t always the answer. Now that they have broken a psychological barrier by winning a knock-out tournament I’d be inclined to give Jones a chance of delivering Heineken glory.

Besides, he couldn’t be blamed for the 19-10 defeat at Saracens. That was down to players making unforced errors and taking wrong options.

I don’t see how Jones, as some people attempted to do, could be blamed for Sonny Parker dropping the ball with three tries seemingly a formality.

Whereas Ospreys were riddled by error eight days ago, they were assured against Leicester.

The pressure they exerted drew mistakes out of the toothless Tigers and, after restricting the English giants to a six-point advantage in the opening quarter, Ospreys took control in front of a crowd of 65,756.

It rained, the wind blew and the sun shone at different stages of the match, but only one team were dominant.

A pile-driving tackle by James Hook, who bounced back from an indifferent performance at Saracens with a masterly display, on former England captain and forward Martin Corry as Leicester pushed for a try was a telling moment.

Minutes later, Hook stepped on the accelerator and made an arcing run outside Andy Goode to leave his opposite number floundering.

The Wales playmaker was instrumental as Ospreys took the lead with a peach of a try in the 23rd minute.

He worked a clever scissors with Andrew Bishop in midfield just inside Leicester’s 22 and the injured Gavin Henson’s centre deputy broke Goode’s attempted tackle.

The pocket dynamo still had plenty of work to do but shrugged off hooker George Chuter and withstood the challenge of New Zealand international Aaron Mauger to slide over.

Hook converted and they were 7-6 in front with Holah, impressive hooker Richard Hibbard and accomplished full-back Lee Byrne causing the Tigers further woes.

It was Byrne’s brilliant counter-attack from a turnover that created the decisive score for lock Jones in the 48th minute.

Hook converted and added three penalties to wrap it up. Ospreys were cup kings. How good does that sound?