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Saracens take a major step towards the quarter-finals

Ospreys 13 Saracens 16: SARACENS took a major step towards the last eight of the Heineken Cup after a vital win at the Liberty…

Sat Dec 17 2011 - 00:00

Ospreys 13 Saracens 16:SARACENS took a major step towards the last eight of the Heineken Cup after a vital win at the Liberty Stadium.

Back-row Ernst Joubert scored a crucial first-half try. Owen Farrell added the conversion and also kicked three penalties.

Ian Gough’s try gave the Ospreys hope, but a losing bonus point proved small consolation on the night.

Farrell and Dan Biggar exchanged a brace of penalty kicks in an absorbing first quarter.

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Saracens received a huge boost when Biggar took too much time over a clearance, allowing opposite fly-half Hodgson to block the kick. The ball fell kindly into the arms of the waiting Ernst Joubert who went over for the try.

Farrell converted the conversion and added a third penalty before the break for a 16-6 lead.

Biggar missed a relatively straightforward penalty and prop Paul James being sin-binned after a series of collapsed scrums.

Biggar began the second half with a second penalty miss.

Referee Jerome Garces then sin-binned Saracens hooker Schalk Brits. Saracens survived the 10 minutes short-handed but just after the English side were back to full strength, Kelly Brown was yellow carded for tripping Biggar.

This time the Ospreys made their numerical advantage count, with Biggar fired a long pass out to Ian Gough who powered over for the try. Biggar added an excellent touchline conversion to bring the Welsh side to within three points.

But the Ospreys were unable to find another score and suffered their first home loss in 17 games.

OSPREYS: Fussell, Bowe, Bishop, Beck, Williams, Biggar, Webb, James, Hibbard, A. Jones, Gough, Evans, R. Jones, Tipuric, J. Thomas. Replacements: Dirkson for Fussell (56), Morgan for Biggar (76), Fotuali’i for Webb (54), D. Jones for James (57), Bearman for Evans (71), Stowers for Tipuric (76). Not used: Bennett, Jarvis. Sin Bin: James (38).

SARACENS: Goode, Strettle, Farrell, B. Barritt, Wyles, Hodgson, Spencer, Gill, Brits, Stevens, Borthwick, Botha, Brown, Burger, Joubert. Replacements: Short for Wyles (51), Powell for Hodgson (72), Stringer for Spencer (61), Nieto for Stevens (61), Kruis for Borthwick (71), Saull for Burger (71), Smit for Joubert (55). Not used: Carstens. Sin Bin: Brits (50), Brown (63).

Attendance: 6,897

Referee: Jerome Garces (France).