Poor discipline cost us says Jones after Ospreys fall flat in West Wales URC derby 

After firing out the blocks Ospreys had opened up a 17-point lead in 15 minutes with the home side error-strewn as tries from number eight Morgan Morris and full-back Iestyn Hopkins punished the Scarlets. 

The game would swing minutes before the break as the visitors would implode and be undone by ill-discipline of their own making. 

Having failed to show a yellow card to man-of-the-match Vaea Fifita for an aerial tackle on Iestyn Hopkins in the air, Scarlets, led by captain Josh Macleod from the front disrupted the Ospreys’ breakdown.  

A well-worked try for Wales wing Blair Murray following a long looping Ioan Lloyd pass putting Dwayne Peel’s side on the scoreboard. 

Ospreys hooker George McGuigan on his full debut would then be penalised and sent to the sin bin after several offenses, before minutes later a bemused Kieran Hardy trudged off as South African referee Griffin Brandon Colby clamped down on a series of infringements awarding the home side a penalty try. 

With the Ospreys reeling Fifita would level the scores up at the break after a well-worked move with gaps appearing in the Ospreys. 

With all to play for in the second half, the Scarlets took the game by the scruff of the neck, and scores from Wales trio Joe Roberts, Eddie James, and Taine Plumtree would seal the bonus-point win. 

Ospreys fly-half Dan Edwards would score a fine solo effort late on but his side would leave Llanelli with nothing on a disappointing afternoon for the Swansea-based region. 

“We got off to an awesome start and were looking pretty good,” said Jones in his post-match press conference. 

“I was pleased with the first 25 minutes especially coming away from home, but discipline came into the game after that. 

“The yellow cards changed the format of the game and Scarlets exploited the extra players really well and their execution was good. 

“It’s very difficult to chase the game when you’re down 14 [points]. We made some errors in the back, and I thought they managed the last 15 minutes well with their kicking game. 

“It penned us back and probably would have been a bit risky and gung-ho to run from there. We tried to work our way up the field but just couldn’t do it.” 

The two foes now are locked level on points in 11^th and 12^th place in a jam-packed cluster of teams in the middle of the URC table. 

With four games remaining all is still very much to play for, believes Jones, with four points separating eight teams from Ulster in sixth to Connacht in 13^th. 

“There are loads of opportunities [to get in the top eight]. There are four games left and every team is beating each other. 

“We have to switch our minds to another competition for now to next week and focus on that. Then we will get opportunities against Cardiff, the Dragons, and the South African tour to try and get ourselves back in there. 

“We qualified last year in the 65th minute of the last game so clearly; we lost an opportunity to put some more points on the board – but the league is going down to the last weekend. 

“It is what it is today. We now have to learn our lessons, dust ourselves off, and go again.” 

[Lead image: Ospreys Rugby]