London Irish 24 Ospreys 12:SHEER JOY for the Irish, a total nightmare for the Welsh. The Ospreys may have been unlucky to collide headlong with a hungry Exiles side desperately seeking to end a run of 10 successive defeats, but there was no excuse for such a lacklustre visiting display yesterday. Their qualification prospects disappeared down the plughole with it, virtually ensuring a complete lack of Welsh participation in the last eight for the first time in five years.
That the final in May is being staged in Cardiff will only deepen the sense of gloom among the regions, while the non-appearance of Adam Jones for the second half was a further cause for concern. The shaggy-haired Jones is a pivotal figure in Warren Gatland’s plans for the Six Nations opener against England at the Millennium Stadium on February 4th and his elbow injury is disturbingly timed.
“He’s strained his left elbow ligaments,” said Ospreys coach Sean Holley.
“There will be further investigations in the next 24 hours as to the extent of it.”
More painful still for the Ospreys camp was that they had blown a wonderful chance to set up a winner-take-all contest with Toulon at the Liberty Stadium this weekend. Alun Wyn Jones, the captain, was close to tears at the post-match press conference.
“Our decision-making at key times let us down, which is becoming a bullshit trend for us,” he said.
Holley, fully aware questions will now be asked of the coaching panel headed by Scott Johnson, preferred to highlight the tough nature of Pool Three, from which Munster have also been ejected.
“I believe we’ve got a really strong coaching team,” said Holley. “It’ll be the board’s decision but I believe the future’s bright.”
In truth, though, dropped balls and doughty defending were only half the story. Delon Armitage enjoyed a fine game at fullback and the Exiles defence was consistently sound, but the hosts did not need to resort to any great heroics to collect their first win in any competition since October.
Ospreys have not only lost all three of their away pool games this season but have not won a Heineken game in England for four years.
Even when Irish were reduced to 14 men for the closing stages they were only briefly in danger of conceding a try, and they ultimately stretched their lead with a towering penalty by Ryan Lamb.
Ospreys may have boasted 14 internationals in their starting XV, but a number of them seem to have muscled up in the gym to the detriment of their all-round effectiveness. Clarity of thought appears a rare commodity. Good players such as James Hook, Tommy Bowe and the Jones boys were all marooned in the general morass.
Chris Hala’Ufia and the inexperienced front-five forwards Alex Corbisiero and Matt Garvey led the spirited charge, and Irish’s first try was a good example of their superior desire. Delon Armitage made the first incision with a burst through Marty Holah’s attempted tackle before the fullback delivered a killer pass to send Sailosi Tagicakibau hurtling over in the left corner.
“I’m sure when I look at the tape I’m going to be crying into my cup of tea,” said Holley.
He will not be alone.
LONDON IRISH: D Armitage; Ojo, Seveali’i, Mapusua, Tagicakibau; Bowden, Allinson; Corbisiero, Buckland, Rautenbach, Kennedy, Garvey, Stowers, S Armitage, Hala’ufia. Replacements: Ion for Rautenbach (53 mins), Murphy for Corbisiero, Gibson for Stowers (both 70 mins), Blaney for S Armitage (72 mins), Lamb for Bowden (74 mins), Thompstone for Tagicakibau (79 mins).
Not used: Casey, Lalanne.
Sinbin: Buckland (71 mins).
OSPREYS: B Davies; N Walker, Bowe, Hook, Fussell; Biggar, M Phillips; James, Hibbard, A Jones, R Jones, A Jones, Collins, Holah, Thomas. Replacements: Mitchell for A Jones (40 mins), Tipuric for Holah (50 mins), Byrne for B Davies (53 mins), Parker for Biggar, D Jones for James, Bennett for Hibbard (all 59 mins), Nutbrown for M Phillips (76 mins).
Not used: Gough.
Referee: George Clancey (RFU).
