United Rugby Championship
Scarlets (7) 19
Tries: Roberts (2), Taylor Con: Hawkins (2)
Ospreys (14) 26
Tries: Watkin, Lake, Hardy, Hopkins Con: Edwards (3)
Ospreys came out on top in the west Wales derby as two first-half tries from centre Owen Watkin and hooker Dewi Lake had given them a 14-point head start despite the Scarlets having the better of the opening quarter.
Wing Joe Roberts went over in the corner for the home side to reduce the deficit at the break. But former Scarlet scrum-half Kieran Hardy’s counter break and score midway through the second 40 sealed the match as the visitors showed the better execution of the two sides.
Ospreys Keelan Giles would be sent to the sin bin for a late challenge in the last quarter as Dwayne Peel’s side rallied with Roberts scoring his second in a similar fashion. But the Ospreys defensive rearguard would hold strong before replacement Iestyn Hopkins would seal the points with a crucial fourth score.
Still, Scarlets would fight to the end in a spirited affair to earn a losing bonus with Jarrad Taylor diving over with the last phase of play, but it would be the Ospreys who would earn only their second win in eight URC encounters to rise to 12th in the table.
The Ospreys had made six changes from their 26-10 URC defeat in Bridgend against Munster last time out, with in-form number eight Ross Moriarty returning to their starting XV. Centre Kieran Williams and fullback Jack Walsh also lined up after being rested against the Irish province.
Scarlets, rocked by the blow of losing both captain Josh Macleod to a HIA and Wales duo Sam Costelow and Blair Murray to injury, would make four changes of their own, with Taine Plumtree amongst the returnees after his own spell on the sidelines.
It would be the Scarlets who would have the better of the opening period and thought they would have opened the scoring in the opening minutes.
Veteran Jake Ball bundling his way over from the driving maul, but penalised for a double movement.
Ospreys centre Keiran Williams was then shown a yellow card for conceding two successive penalties in the same movement, a shoulder charge, and a deliberate knock-on but Scarlets would not be able to take advantage of the extra man.
In-form scrum-half Gareth Davies agonisingly close for the home side as Peel’s side’s inaccuracies would cost them dear as the 14-man Ospreys made them pay.
The visitors’ first foray into the Scarlets’ 22 rewarded with Watkin diving over under the posts with Edwards converting.
Ospreys were restored to 15 men and doubled their advantage to 14 points shortly after with leaving the hosts shell-shocked. Hooker Lake driven over from the driving maul.
Scarlets then showed heart to get back into the contest with several phases, eventually seeing the ball move wide to Roberts to emphatically dive over into the corner. Hawkins’ touchline conversion reducing the half-time deficit to one score.
After a back-and-forth opening period of the second-half, Ospreys then produced the game’s decisive moment. A breakaway score created by replacements Morgan Morris and Hopkins, before Walsh released former Scarlets scrum-half Hardy to score.
Ill-discipline would keep the contest open with the visitors once again reduced down to 14 men with wing Keelan Giles shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
Scarlets made the extra man tell with Roberts diving over in the corner for a carbon copy finish of his first following a long Hawkins pass.
But tempers would get heated, and with home flanker Max Douglas’ yellow card for kneeling on an opponent proved a turning point in the game. Ospreys taking full advantage with Hopkins sprinted clear in for their fourth and bonus-point try.
Replacement flanker Taylor would go over late to earn Peel’s side something from the contest, but it would be too little too late as the men in black would edge an emotive, closely-fought, and physical contest.
Scarlets XV:
15 Ellis Mee, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Eddie James, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Joe Roberts; 10 Joe Hawkins, 9 Gareth Davies; 1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Ryan Elias (captain), 3 Archer Holz, 4 Sam Lousi, 5 Jake Ball, 6 Max Douglas, 7 Taine Plumtree, 8 Fletcher Anderson.
Replacements:
16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Josh Morse, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Tristan Davies, 20 Jarrod Taylor, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Elis Price, 23 Macs Page.
Ospreys starting XV:
15.Jack Walsh, 14. Ryan Conbeer, 13. Owen Watkin, 12. Keiran Willians, 11. Keelan Giles, 10. Dan Edwards, 9. Kieran Hardy,1. Steffan Thomas, 2. Dewi Lake (captain), 3. Rhys Henry, 4. Huw Sutton, 5. Ryan Smith, 6. James Ratti, 7. Harri Deaves, 8. Ross Moriarty,
Replacements:
16. Sam Parry, 17. Garyn Phillips, 18. Tom Botha, 19. Rhys Davies, 20. Morgan Morris, 21. Luke Davies, 22. Phil Cokanasiga, 23. Iestyn Hopkins.
[Lead image: Ospreys Rugby]
