Sport

Ospreys make a fine job of it

Ospreys 20 Glasgow 5

Sat May 15 2010 - 01:00

Ospreys 20 Glasgow 5

TRIES BY Shane Williams and James Hook booked the Ospreys a place in the Magners League Grand Final in a hard-fought last four clash against Glasgow at the Liberty Stadium last night.

But a crowd of only 7,079 watched the Ospreys reach the showpiece on May 29th where they will play either Munster or Leinster.

Glasgow have never won on Ospreys turf and they were not helped that Dan Parks missed eight points’ worth of kicks, failing with two penalties and missing the conversion for Fergus Thomson’s second-half try.

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The Ospreys went into the game weighed down by a €118,000 fine and a four-point deduction for next season for breaching Magners rules for not fulfilling their March 19th fixture in Ulster. But they put that behind them as they took a narrow 7-0 lead into half-time.

Glasgow knocked on in contact on the halfway line, Shane Williams picked up, evaded a tackle and ran in unopposed for only his third regional try of the season.

The second half began in dramatic fashion with Glasgow scoring a try in only the second minute. Hooker Bernard Thomson went over in the left corner after scrumhalf Mark McMillan had picked up a loose palm down at a lineout.

But in the space of three minutes the Ospreys were back in control of the contest leading 17-5. A Biggar penalty was followed by a fine try from James Hook, who made a fine break down the left and then chipped over the cover defence to regather and go over.

After that the Ospreys took full control of the game and put some gloss on the scoreline with an injury-time penalty for Biggar.

OSPREYS:Byrne, Bowe, Bishop, Hook, Williams, Biggar, M. Phillips, James, Bennett, A. Jones, A. Jones, J. Thomas, Collins, Holah, R. Jones. Replacements: Walker for Bishop (58 mins), Owen for Hook (80mins), Nutbrown for M. Phillips (78 mins), Shervington for Bennett (78 mins), Bevington for A. Jones (71 mins), Gough for Collins (62 mins), Tiatia for R. Jones (58 mins).

GLASGOW:Stortoni, Dewey, M. Evans, Morrison, van der Merwe, Parks, McMillan, Kalman, Thomson, Low, Barker, Kellock, Brown, Barclay, Beattie. Replacements: Shaw for Stortoni (41 mins), O'Hare for van der Merwe (58 mins), Weir for McMillan (80 mins), Tkachuk for Kalman (35 mins), MacArthur for Thomson (71 mins), Eddie for Barker (67 mins), Turner for Kellock (58 mins).

Referee:G Clancy (IRFU).

  • FORMER Wales and Leinster coach Mike Ruddock has declined the offer to take up the reins at Blackrock College RFC next season, writes Gavin Cummiskey. Ruddock was poised to sign a two-year contract but turned down the position due to family complications. "After much consideration I have decided not to pursue the coaching position with Blackrock next season", said Ruddock. "I would like to thank Blackock for the opportunity and professionalism they have shown during this time but unfortunately the stumbling block is my daughter's GCSE exams in England as we cannot find the equivalent for her age group in Ireland so it would be unfair on her to make the move at this time."