OSPREYS: Eight-try Ospreys cruise to pre-season victory over Coventry

Summer signings Tom Rogers and Liam Wright both scored as the Ospreys ran in eight tries against Coventry at the Nick Newbold Stadium.

Mark Jones fielded two squads across the night, a mixture of new signings, age-grade graduates and experience, giving minutes to 30 players against English Championship opposition.

Coventry took their two first-half tries well, but were held out for the rest of the game.

The visitors’ first XV was led by a strong back row, evident immediately in co-captain James Ratti’s marshalling of the defensive line, and the Ospreys asserted themselves early, a cover tackle from Iestyn Hopkins among the highlights of the opening quarter.

Coventry struggled to contain the running threat, with good service from scrum-half Luke Davies putting several players into space.

Wing Harri Houston was lively throughout and opened the scoring, before Rogers added a second minutes later on debut, finishing a swift break from prop Cam Jones.

Number eight Ross Moriarty made it three before the break, barging over from the maul.

Coventry’s replies both came on the counter, one an interception try from length, the other a sharp move through the backs to get out wide.

Fly-half Lawson Creighton looked assured at 10, marshalling the game well and landing all three conversions as the Ospreys led by nine at the interval.

Forwards take over

A much-changed side returned for the second half, and the pattern of the game changed with it.

Where the first half had belonged to the wide channels, the second was won at the set piece, four of the five tries coming from the pack.

Wright scored his first in Ospreys colours, with hookers Lewis Lloyd and Efan Daniel and co-captain Morgan Morris also crossing as the driving maul proved too much for the Coventry defence.

The last came from Keelan Giles, who grew into the half against a tiring defensive line, a mazy run on the left taking the Waunarlwydd product over to seal a 40-point win.

It was a pleasing run-out for a squad that has changed considerably over the summer, with Owen Watkin, named co-captain this week alongside Sam Parry, among those involved.

The Ospreys continue their pre-season at Ulster next weekend, before opening the United Rugby Championship away to the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban on 26 September.

Ospreys first XV

Cam Jones, Efan Daniel, Kian Hire, Lewis Jones, Huw Sutton, James Ratti (co-captain), Ross Moriarty, Morgan Morse, Luke Davies (co-captain), Lawson Creighton, Harri Houston, Jack Hoskins, Kieran Williams, Tom Rogers, Iestyn Hopkins.

Ospreys second XV

Steffan Thomas, Lewis Lloyd, Tom Botha, Cody-Rae David, James Ratti, Liam Wright, Gwilym Evans, Morgan Morris (co-captain), Nick Fisk-Jones, Harri Wilde, Luke Morgan, Ethan Bolche, Owen Watkin (co-captain), Keelan Giles, Lewis Edwards.