Pro12 round-up:The Ospreys completed a Rabo Pro12 double over rivals Scarlets with a comprehensive 32-3 victory at the Liberty Stadium in a clash which saw the visitors have two players sent off late on. After the Ospreys won at Parc y Scarlets in September they were again the dominant side with a penalty try and two further tries for lock James King and skipper Kahn Fotuali'i.
Outhalf Dan Biggar added 14 points with the boot and Fotuali’i also kicked a drop-goal as Ospreys stormed to victory in front of a crowd of 19,443 in Swansea. The Scarlets were not helped that they had replacements Rob McCusker and Gareth Owen sent off in the final minutes and also had another three players sin-binned - George Earle, Tavis Knoyle and Aled Thomas.
The Ospreys, who were boosted by the return of Wales prop Adam Jones for his first start in two months, were dominant throughout as they sought to build on their 17-6 Heineken Cup win over Toulouse last time out. The home team struck the first blow when Biggar kicked a third-minute penalty from a scrum offence.
Good pressure from the Ospreys, who hammered at the Scarlets’ 22, ended with a snap drop-goal from scrum-half Fotuali’i to double their lead.
There was some respite for the Scarlets when outhalf Thomas opened the visitors’ account with a 27th-minute penalty. However, the Scarlets, showing four changes from their win over Cardiff Blues last week, found themselves on the back foot two minutes later when lock George Earle was yellow-carded for an illegal tackle on Fotuali’i, who had taken a quick tapped penalty.
A forgettable first half for the Scarlets was made worse for them when Biggar put over his third penalty in injury time to give the Ospreys a 16-point interval lead.
The Ospreys carried on in the second half where they left off, scoring an unconverted try for King on 48 minutes after Richard Fussell had broken down the left flank. And a 21-point lead was increased to 24 with a fourth Biggar penalty.
Matters did not get any better for the Scarlets as replacement scrumhalf Knoyle was sin-binned for taking Eli Walker without the ball as Fotuali’I squeezed in at the left corner. The Scarlets had a third man, fly-half Thomas, sent to the bin before a dramatic final three minutes saw McCusker and Owen both shown red for foul play.
Earlier in the day. Cardiff moved two places up the with a hard-fought 12-10 victory in this east Wales derby at the Arms Park mud bath. The Blues moved above Edinburgh and Treviso into seventh place thanks to claiming just their third win in their last 14 matches in all competitions.
They were under the cosh for much of the match, but pulled through thanks to four penalties from teenage outhalf Rhys Patchell. The Dragons claimed the only try of the contest through centre Andy Tuilagi but were left to rue other missed chances during a game played in appalling conditions.
Despite playing into the wind and driving rain, it was the visitors who were to have the better of the first half in terms of possession and territory, with their set-pieces on top. But they were unable to convert that pressure into points, with outside-half Dan Evans sending an early penalty attempt to the right of the posts and also failing with a later effort.
In contrast, the Blues were to take their chances when they came along. From virtually their first entry into opposition territory on 15 minutes, they took the lead through Patchell, who struck a fine angled 45 metre penalty after Dragons winger Mike Poole pushed Dafydd Hewitt into touch off the ball.
The 19-year-old Patchell was to strike twice more as the conditions worsened still further, with the rain turning torrential midway through the first-half. On 21 minutes, he doubled the lead after Wales skipper Sam Warburton won a penalty with some excellent breakdown work, as Dragons lock Andrew Coombs was done for holding on under pressure from the flanker.
Then, just before the half hour mark, Patchell landed his third successful shot at the sticks after the Dragons went offside after an attempted clearing kick was caught up in the fiercely gusting wind. His opposite number Evans had an immediate opportunity to hit back when the Dragons were awarded a penalty right in front of the posts courtesy of their dominant scrum.
But in attempting to drive his kick through the wind, Evans sent it wide to leave his team trailing 9-0 at the break, despite having had the upper hand in most respects. The question was would a nine-point lead be enough, with the Dragons having the elements in their favour in the second half?
It was not long before that advantage was significantly reduced as Tuilagi scored the opening try of the game for the visitors on 48 minutes. After sustained pressure on the Blues line, Tuilagi took a short pass from Poole and smashed through winger Harry Robinson, taking two players to the line with him.
Scrumhalf Wayne Evans added the conversion with Dan Evans injured and it was the latter’s replacement at outhalf, Lewis Robling, who put the Dragons ahead for the first time on the hour mark. Their lead was short-lived however as Patchell promptly landed his fourth penalty, making light of the wind in his face.
And, despite piling on the pressure, the Dragons were unable to conjure up the winning score, with Robling just wide with a late drop goal attempt.
