Sport

Ospreys backs run riot in seven-try blitz

Celtic League/ Connacht 16 Neath Swansea Ospreys 44 : Connacht's hopes of completing a full house of wins over visiting Welsh…

Linley MacKenzie
Sat May 13 2006 - 01:00

Celtic League/ Connacht 16 Neath Swansea Ospreys 44: Connacht's hopes of completing a full house of wins over visiting Welsh sides came unstuck against an Ospreys side in full flight last night.

The Ospreys struck for a seven-try blitz at the Galway Sportsground, three in the opening half, to ensure they took full points from this fixture. The Ospreys went in at the break only a point ahead (17-16) despite racking up three tries within 26 minutes. But it was in the second period that most of the damage was done.

The home outfit enjoyed an early period of domination, but a missed penalty and a knock-on by Gavin Williams over the line deprived them of a lead.

It served to disrupt their impetus while the Ospreys continued to find gaps through their threequarters, usually from turnover ball on the counterattack. After Henson extended the lead to 20-16 with a penalty, the backs started to run riot. Replacement hooker Williams crossed after 62 minutes with Spice supplying the pass from a right wing counter-attack, and when Vaughton touched down from Williams' kick-through, the Ospreys had done enough.

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Two more tries from Vaughton and Parker added to the home side's despair.

SCORING SEQUENCE: 5 mins: Connor try 0-5; 8: McHugh penalty 3-5; 13: McHugh penalty 6-5; 23: Bennett try, Henson conversion 6-12; 16: Vaughton try 6-17; 40: McHugh penalty 9-17; 40+2: Hearty try, McHugh conversion 16-17; 58: Henson penalty 16-20; 62: B Williams try 16-25; 68: Vaughton try 16-30; 72: Vaughton try, Hook conversion 16-37; 79: Parker try, Hook conversion 16-44.

Yellow cards: Ospreys - Aluan Wyn Jones (34); R Pugh (53).

CONNACHT: D Slemen, M Mostyn, H Hearty, G Williams, D Yapp, M McHugh, C Keane, R Hogan, J Fogarty, S Knoop, D McGowan, A Farley, J Muldoon, M Lacey, C Rigney. Replacements: M Swift for Farley (24 mins); C McPhillips for Slemen (59 mins); P Warwick for McHugh (62); J Merrigan for Fogarty (65).

OSPREYS: G Henson, J Vaughton, S Parker, A Bishop, S Williams, S Connor, J Spice, D Jones, H Bennett, A Jones, A Jones, I Evans, R Pugh, J Thomas, A Lloyd. Replacements: B Williams for Bennett (35 mins); L Beach for J Thomas, J Hook for Connor (both 62 mins); J Paul for D Jones, S Terblanche for Spice (both 73 mins): L Bateman for Evans (78 mins).

Referee: P Alan (Scotland).