Busy night: Rhys Webb
Ospreys made an impressive start to the new RaboDirect Pro12 campaign with a 27-3 victory over European champions Leinster.
Scrum-half Rhys Webb made one try and scored another as the Ospreys produced a stunning first-half display on their way to a fine win.
Webb started and finished a fine move inside the Ospreys' own half after just two minutes and Dan Biggar successfully converted to get the Welsh region off to a flying start.
Biggar successfully landed a penalty and a drop goal in the first half and also converted two further first half tries against the European champions.
Left wing Hanno Dirksen slid over in the left corner at the end of the first quarter for the second try before flanker Justin Tipuric put the seal on an impressive first half effort when he pounced on a kick ahead from the influential Webb to ease Ospreys into a 27-3 interval lead.
Below-par Leinster, missing 13 internationals on World Cup duty, improved after the break but they were unable to build on Mat Berquist's solitary penalty goal despite Tipuric finding himself in the sin-bin.
Centre Ashley Beck, another to impress on the night, held up Kevin McLaughlin ten minutes into the second half to keep the Welsh region's try-line intact.
A flurry of substitutions took any momentum out of the game and neither side were able to make any impression on the scoreboard for the remainder of the game as the second half ended pointless, much to the frustration to the disappointing crowd of 5,424.
The scorers:
For Ospreys:
Tries: Dirkson, Tipuric, Webb
Cons: Biggar 3
Pen: Biggar
Drop: Biggar
For Leinster:
Pen: Berquist
Ospreys: 15 Richard Fussell, 14 Kristian Phillips, 13 Andrew Bishop, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Hanno Dirksen, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Jonathan Thomas, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Tom Smith, 5 Ian Evans, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Cai Griffiths, 2 Mefin Davies, 1 Duncan Jones.
Replacements: 16 Matthew Dwyer, 17 Ken Dowding, 18 Joe Rees, 19 James King, 20 Morgan Allen, 21 Tom Isaacs, 22 Matthew Morgan, 23 Sonny Parker.
Leinster: 15 Isa Nacewa, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Eoin O'Malley, 12 Luke Fitzgerald, 11 David Kearney, 10 Mat Berquist, 9 John Cooney, 8 Rhys Ruddock (c), 7 Dominic Ryan, 6 Kevin McLaughlin, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Damian Browne, 3 Jamie Hagan, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Aaron Dundon, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Jack O'Connell, 19 Mark Flanagan, 20 Leo Auva'a, 21 Cillian Willis, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Brendan Macken.
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon
Comments
crunchfit says...
If you're going to copy and paste a slating of a player, at least make sure it is somewhat correct. It just seems like you are trying to make him look bad. Fitzgerald played well - the same can't be said for most of the team. It may be too soon to say, but perhaps he is returning to form.
Posted 18:39 03rd September 2011
stumpy says...
In fairness to funksoulbrother, I don't think he was gloryifying football as a sport over rugby, he was just trying to say that the idea of the big domestic leagues at the same time of the world cup is stupid (stating it was the reason for the low attendance). But as stated earlier, this is because of the large difference of the season period in the NH and SH. Also about the attendance, that has little to do with the low attendance. For one, its at a completley different time period so rugb fans can go to both, and the Rabodirect/Magners league has had problems with attendance for a while now, the whole thing needs to be sorted out regardless of when it is during the world cup or not.
Posted 14:47 03rd September 2011
adamk says...
@ funksoulbrother Hahah, why are you on a Rugby website if you're obviously not a rugby fan, nor know anything about player/club development?
There's plenty reasons why the crowd was at that number, but we won't go into that today... The important thing is a lot of players who would normally be used on the bench are getting valuable starts and getting match fit.
Posted 12:35 03rd September 2011
adamk says...
@blametheref To be honest I don't think yesterday's match is enough to make those kinda calls on players. Berquist is a class player - I've watched him closely in Super Rugby, and he had an outstanding game vs Rebels and was fairly decent vs Saints. Give him a few more games before condemning the man ;) The first league game is nothing to judge players on - remember our first few games last year?
I'm far from a Fitzy fan this year, but I think he was one of the more outstanding players on the pitch. He constantly took the ball over the gain line, used some good footwork and played a good bit of footie. I'd give him another few games at 12 whilst the lads are away at WC, you never know, it could be a decent spot for him to get his groove back (I honestly cringed when I saw him on the team announcement at 12, but now after seeing him play I'd be interested in seeing him again).
I agree with you on Hagan and Carr tho. Carr's gonna thrive this year with Leinster I feel, and with Horgan getting into his silver years it's just as well. Pity he isn't a foot taller, I'll miss those crossfield kicks.. ;)
Posted 12:33 03rd September 2011
yelloj321 says...
@blametheref
Please jump off the Fitz hat bandwagon. He was good yesterday. One of the few players who can be happy with their performance. He burrowed and jinked through tackles all day. He will be played at 12 again next week, because Sheridan is injured. As for Carr, he was incredibly mediocre. If he plays like that again, he'll be giving his jersey to the much more threatening Dave Kearney. Carr was so weak in defense and far too laxidasical in attack. And if you're already telling Berquist to go back to NZ, you need to cop on.
Posted 12:09 03rd September 2011
blametheref says...
Real bad display by Leinster. Proved one thing, Fitzgerald's definitely not a 12 and in no way was hard done by not going to the WC. He seems to get worse by the game and was at sea. Berquist should go back to NZ, he was terrible and doesn't like tackling. Ian Madigan was way better when he came on and should be tried at 13 because of his distribution, jinxy line breaking and all round game, he caused problems for Ospreys evey time he touched the ball but most around him were asleep. Down the line he could be the answer for Ireland if he was eased into the position...some might slate me for this but I'm deadly serious!
Jamie Hagan played most of the game with a closed black eye and no doubt about it he should be in New Zealand with Ireland, he was against Duncan Jones, a good International scrummager, and Hagan had few problems, he gets around the field too. Fionn Carr showed that he is unlucky not to be in the Irish set up and was dangerous with the few scraps he got, even had what would have been a good try only to be called back for a slightly forward pass. He is a true winger, who poses threat, and if Fitzgerald was in the reckoning for going to NZ Carr is a player Kidney has completely overlooked as he's way better than Fitz and I'd go to say he's better than Trimble and Earls in his current bad form.
But all round Leinster need a kick up the ass as they were playing an Ospreys team that also had numerous players on International duty.
Well done Ospreys!
Posted 11:03 03rd September 2011
NHsaints says...
@funksoulbrother yeh but unlike football the entire of every team isn't made of a majority of foreign or world cup players...you take away all the international players from a premiership football side and you end up with like 2 or 3 players whereas top rugby sides can lose all their international players and still field a strong side...
Posted 10:30 03rd September 2011
melkdave says...
Im afraid its because of the differance in the seasons between the SH and NH in the SH the major championships are played in their spring and summer ie super 15 / 3N currie cup ITM ect.While in the NH they are played in the aurtum to spring.Its one of the reasons super 15 ect looks better on tv as its easier to offload pass and play at pace when its warm and dry rather than when its cold and wet .This year the RWC is in the SH so its schedualed to be played after the SH championships ect just be thankfull its being played just as summer has finished here it usually starts in october when its in the SH
Posted 10:00 03rd September 2011
lawynd says...
@funksoulbrother - football is notorious as a sport for not giving younger, promising youngsters a chance and this is one of those reasons, not to mention the terribly congested fixture list in football where players (especially in England) can play upwards of fifty games a season. That has the effect of international players never being given a rest, leading to poor performances and more injuries by the end of the season, and making the fixtures even trickier to juggle when international fixtures wipe out an entire weekend.
Also, football is hardly that yardstick against which rugby, or any other sport, should measure itself.
Posted 09:42 03rd September 2011