Rugby
Ospreys take down Munster
2010-12-19 10:23
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Paris - Welsh side Ospreys beat two-time champions Munster for the first time in the European Cup on Saturday by 19 points to 15, turning their Pool 3 into a three horse race for the top spot which is the only one guaranteeing a certain place in the last eight.
French side Toulon lead the pool after they ran away with a 38-17 thrashing of struggling English side London Irish, who had done manfully to come back from 17-0 down to 17-17 after being reduced to 14 men, but still slumped to their seventh successive defeat in all competitions.
The Ospreys - only beaten once at home in the past five years - and Munster fought out another titanic tussle in Wales with the hosts prevailing thanks largely to some superb defence.
The Irish side had taken the lead in the 23rd minute as prop Buckley burrowed over aided by flanker David Wallace with O'Gara converting, but the Ospreys hit back immediately.
A fine backline move ended with Welsh international scrum-half Mike Phillips using his huge frame to force his way over in, amazingly, what was his first try in 33 European Cup appearances.
Dan Biggar converted and with two penalties to Ronan O'Gara's one the hosts took a 13-10 lead in at the break.
Biggar added another after the break against the run of play after Munster had laid siege to the Ospreys line without being able to get over it - but the Irish side stormed back to score a second try.
Former All Black Dough Howlett created it by chipping over the Ospreys backline, and the bounce favoured Keith Earls with the Irish and Lions centre touching down - O'Gara just fell short with his conversion.
The Ospreys, though, held firm in defence, but may rue the fact that they failed to add more points just before the final whistle which allowed their opponents to gain what could be a crucial bonus point.
Ospreys captain Alun-Wyn Jones said that the backs-to-the-wall defence in the opening period of the second-half had been a turning point.
"It was a mirror image of the first-half. We weathered the storm and were onto a good thing after that," he said.
His Munster counterpart Denis Leamy concurred.
"We had our chances but I think a lack of composure did for us," he said.
"Perhaps we got too impatient when we got into the danger positions. We took a step back today in terms of the scrum which is an area we made huge steps in this season."
Jones, though, accepted that the Ospreys still had a huge task to reach the last eight, which they have qualified for the past three years.
"We're not over the top yet and we have a bit to do," he said.
Toulon looked to be cruising at 17-0 and with the English visitors reduced to 14 men early in the second-half when Sailosi Tagicakibau was sent off.
However, the red card sparked London Irish into life and they scored two tries in quick order as Chris Malone went over which he converted to add to a penalty and then Alex Corbisiero added a second try just after coming on, which converted by Malone drew them level at 17-17.
Toulon, though, regrouped and were never again in danger once Argentinian veteran Felipe Contepomi had waltzed over - part of his total of 18 points from the match - and romped away to win easily and get a bonus point to boot.
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal was ecstatic at how his side was coping with their fiorst foray into European rugby's premier competition and took time to sneer at what he considered Munster's snotty opinion of his players earlier in the season.
Munster still have to travel to Toulon.
"There is a soul to this team, and we are capable of putting together good results in big matches," said Boudjellal, whose money from comic books has financed the side.
"The Munster players annoyed us when we played them in Ireland saying that we were a team of mercenaries, only playing for the money."