Three penalties: Matthew Morgan
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Ospreys recorded an impressive 19-13 victory over Munster in the PRO12 on Saturday, winning despite missing 19 players at Liberty Stadium.
With Leinster thumping Cardiff Blues to go top of the table, Ospreys needed a victory to stay in touch with the leaders, and they duly delivered with a great second half display against Munster.
The home side were missing nineteen players in all through injury and international duty, but they still had enough in reserve to see off defending champions Munster.
The visitors perhaps started the better here, as they went at the Ospreys from the start. They had much of the play for the first quarter of the contest, but both sides failed to score in the opening twenty minutes.
Matthew Morgan finally got the first score of the game, when he kicked a penalty for Ospreys, but their lead was short lived.
Munster came straight back at the Welsh side from the restart, and were rewarded just three minutes later when winger Doug Howlett dived over. Ian Keatley added the extras.
Munster pushed on from there, and when Keatley slotted over a penalty, the Irish side looked like they could push on.
However, there was to be no more scores in the first half, Munster leading 10-6 at the break.
What followed at the start of the second period was a complete turn around. Ospreys went over through Richard Fussell after just four minutes, and after match official Peter Allen awarded the try via the video referee, the game was back on.
Indeed, Ospreys stepped it up after that, and went over just five minutes later, a quick tapped penalty from Rhys Webb resulting in a brilliant individual try. Matthew Morgan missed a second conversion in succession, but Ospreys were clearly in the ascendancy.
Both sides scored a penalty apiece with fifteen to play, before a scrum marathon lasting almost ten minutes right on the Ospreys' line saw the home side survive the Munster onslaught, and see out the final minutes to take the victory.
The scorers:
For Ospreys:
Tries: Fussell, Webb
Pen: Morgan 3
For Munster:
Try: Howlett
Con: Keatley
Pen: Keatley, O'Gara
Ospreys: 15 Barry Davies, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Andrew Bishop, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Richard Fussell, 10 Matthew Morgan, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Joe Bearman, 7 James King, 6 Tom Smith (c), 5 Jonathan Thomas, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Aaron Jarvis, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Duncan Jones.
Replacements: 16 Mefin Davies, 17 Cai Griffiths, 18 Joe Rees, 19 George Stowers, 20 Sam Lewis, 21 Tom Isaacs, 22 Sonny Parker, 23 Hanno Dirksen.
Munster: 15 Denis Hurley, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Will Chambers, 12 Danny Barnes, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Tomas O'Leary, 8 Peter O'Mahony (c) 7 Niall Ronan, 6 Denis Leamy, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 BJ Botha, 2 Damien Varley, 1 Marcus Horan.
Replacements: 16 Denis Fogarty, 17 Wian du Preez, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Paul O'Connell, 20 James Coughlan, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Ronan O'Gara, 23 Johne Murphy.
Referee: Peter Allan (SRU)
Comments
damo says...
Munster were robbed you clown, they conceded 2tries due to a clown of a ref and were 7minutes scrummaging 5 yards out and after 10 penalties the ref reversed the pen. Last week against edinbrough after 4 pens the ref handed out 2yellow cards and gave munster a pen try - does anyone oversee the mockery the refs are making of the game?
Posted 22:50 06th December 2011
pantreac says...
Is this the worst Munster performance of the season? What has happened to the Munster fire in the pack? How Ryan was even considered for Ireland I will never know, he spends the whole game scowling at the opposition but never appears to compete in the lineout or tackle one of the opposition!
Posted 10:51 05th December 2011
damo says...
Ref was a disgrace again, he robbed ireland vs wales and robbed munster vs ospreys. blew early for ospreys try and second try was tapped 5 yards away from the penalty
Posted 23:53 04th December 2011
jontheref says...
obviously I am right in all I say, as no arguments!
:-)
Ospreys are not playing well, the backs are pedestrian at best.
Apart from Leinster early season, O's backs have been poor seconds.
Munster and Scarlets are by far the slickest backs at the Liberty.
Posted 20:24 04th December 2011
howrtings says...
Very poor showing from Munster - I would have thought they would have had more than enough to get the victory. Keatly should have been left @ 10 for the full match, we need to give him time and exposure to closing out tight games.
Good performance from the Ospreys, I really like the way they are going about their business this year, trying to shake off the "Galacticos" tag and get back to Rugby.
Big shout out to Tommy Bowe - the man is pure class!!
Posted 16:48 04th December 2011
jontheref says...
I'll try again!
What I said was.
Good win for O's. Pity peter allan was so poor, especially at the scrum. Nobinding, binding on the arm, TH boring in to mention infringements he didn't PK Munster for. no binding, binding on the arm, tight head boring in, at one time the TH arm was waving like a surrender flag, above the scrum, and Allan still ignored it.
Munster #3 was protecting himself, (backside facing the touchline) when the scrums were going down, a sure sign he was the instigator.
They teach this at basic ref school, Allan must have been away that day!
Posted 15:14 04th December 2011
tombomb says...
the reff was disgraceful at the scrum Ospreys must have conceded about 5 pens to Munsters one at the scrums near the end of the game should of sent an Ospreys prop off or penalty try awarded the laws need to change absolute shameful well done to the osprey's tho a good few of there players were missing but that does not mean they had a young and inexperienced team out not at all they play like wales did in the rwc there centre's rush up so that the other team when going wide usually find's themself's going backwards and making mistakes its very effective but the team eventually realize that the only way to play against it is to pick and drive for the rest of the game boring as hell to watch no wonder there stadium dos be half empty.
Posted 08:42 04th December 2011
jontheref says...
Good win for O's. Pity peter allan was so poor, especially at the scrum. Nobinding, binding on the arm, TH boring in to mention infringements he didn't PK Munster for.
Went to the TMO for a try, when the TMO could not rule if there had been a forward pass, or knock back, (which was the case), so why bother?
Shows his knowledge!
nO BINDING, BINDING ON THE ARM, TIGHT HEAD BORING IN
Posted 21:31 03rd December 2011