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The Ospreys Finally Caught Their Fish
By LKR November 6 2007
London Irish’s team without a number of key players held their own well against a strong Ospreys side for 40 minutes but finally the Ospreys swooped and we were taken by them - 51 points to 16. We arrived at the Liberty Stadium having spent a lovely weekend in Swansea, courtesy of Mr. Tesco and his vouchers.

We had met a few Ospreys supporters and pointed out that we were resting a few key players, just in case they thought they could beat a full strength Irish side. (Although of course if Dragons were to be taken in, that would be a different matter).  With about ten minutes to go the stadium was filling up on two sides but up until then had made the Madstad look crowded. 

We were sat in a good crowd of Irish support, some of whom were from Swansea and some who had travelled up to the game. Before the game started there was a minute’s tribute to Ray Gravell who had sadly died that week. One of the Ospreys’ supporters gave our youngest the red ribbon he had been wearing as a mark of respect to take home as a souvenir because it was a big thing for an Ospreys’ supporter to wear the scarlet of Llanelli.  

After waiting for the go-ahead from the TV people Hickey kicked off. Out on the full. We thought that would be indicative of the game to follow but for 40 minutes at least we were to be pleasantly surprised.  After 3 minutes Ospreys got a penalty for us not rolling away and took the points. We had kicked off and conceded 3 points without the ball quite touching our half! Our second kick off was better and we soon were awarded a penalty. We opted to go for the corner and although this didn’t lead directly to a score, after some pressure in the corner, we were awarded another penalty which Hickey successfully converted (3-3). (The stadium commentator originally said Tomas had got the points but he must have known what would come later for him!)

Play continued with our clearance kick being charged down but we rescued it and got a penalty. They had the cheek to nick the ball from our lineout – don’t they know we are the lineout kings? Topsy took an interception from them which they covered. They didn’t however manage a second time when Tomas managed an interception and ran down to put it under the posts (they really were his points this time). Hickey converted and we were 3-10 up – more points than we scored last week already!

Our lead was however to be short lived as they got a try back within a couple of minutes.   In the next passage of play they nicked our lineout again but conceded a penalty – Danie (captain) opted for the posts but Hickey’s kick from about 45 metres out went just wide of the posts. The announcer had to ask for quiet for the kicker again and over the next few opportunities things became quieter.  We soon got another penalty and again opted for the corner – not sure what that says about Danie’s view of himself and the rest of the lineout or his view of Hickey’s kicking skills.  This time it was about 40m out on the other side of the posts – the ball got closer still but not quite between the posts. 

After a little while and a small disagreement between opposing red scrum caps, we got another penalty and opted for the posts. Was it to be third time lucky? Yes it was and we were back in front (10-13). Tomas went off for a blood injury (Ireland came on) – I hope it wasn’t on top of the nasty black eye he had arrived with.  Ospreys threatened briefly and we conceded a penalty and the score was level again at 13-13. Our lineout was pulled down after they cleared from our kick off and Hickey took another penalty kick.  The ball bounced on the upright but still went over. I think though that must have used all our luck up.

Ospreys’ passing was not always spot on but then they scored through the middle breaking through our tackles, but as our rugby expert said, it was Shane Williams - the Welsh Wizard. Score 20-16. There was then a passage of play until half time with scrums, breakaways, lineouts, penalties, Tomas and Ireland swapping for the second time but no change to the score.  At half time it was 20-16, much better than last week.   

As the second half got underway, Tomas was back on the field having been patched up for the second time but no actual replacements yet. We give away a penalty for offside and they opted for the corner. Either they realised our lineout wasn’t working as brilliantly as usual or they realised they needed a bonus point win to make their third game easier. We were ‘ferocious and tenacious in defence’ as Brian had suggested in his pre match interview with Graham we would be, but after 8 minutes they got their break away third try.

The Ospreys’ supporters around us were encouraging their team to go for the bonus point. Perhaps the team should have listened to them, got the bonus point and then stopped! At the kick off they threaten again, get a penalty, go for the corner, we make clearance kick (I am not just repeating myself – the way play went seemed to repeat itself). They make a great break but we just get to them, the scrum is reset a couple of times then they look to have scored but they are called back for a penalty much to the frustration of one set of supporters and relief of the others.

At this point (55 minutes) we make our first substitutions. Skuse for Dermody, Steffon for Murphy and Ireland for Rennie (although the offy match report says it was Ireland for Tomas.)  Dermody appears quite fast for a prop, although to be honest I never quite know how well a prop has done!!  As play continues, Topsy nearly makes a break from a clearance kick but couldn’t quite stay out of touch. They then come back and appear to be about 1cm from our try line which we valiantly defend but they get the ball out to their no 7 who scores right in the corner. Ospreys have their bonus point and the score is 34-16.

We bring on two more replacements, Tom Warren for Tonga and Mackie for Danie. Marty Holah comes on for his first start for Ospreys. They made other changes but watching a game and writing was enough for me and I didn’t catch all their replacements.  At this point, four of our six internationals were off the pitch and they were still bringing internationals on (apparently they had 19 in their 22 to choose from!). 

Ospreys were soon on the attack again and scored from a cross field kick in the corner again. The score at 62 minutes was 36-16. Whatever their coach had had said to them at half time we want some of that.  I was just thinking that the game was flowing, although in the wrong direction, when the referee blew for a penalty to them. They kicked to touch.

We replace McCullen with Jon Fisher, one of our rising stars from the Academy. They score in the corner again to make the score 44-16 after 70 minutes. It was getting to be rather a large score but we were stopping them getting easy conversions and a minute or so later Tomas stopped the welsh Wizard and we got a scrum. Our final replacement was Dodge on for Nils, who was injured. This led to a reshuffle with what appeared to be Dodge on the wing, Tomas at fullback and Curran to centre. 

They get a lineout, penalty (tap and go), another penalty (kicked to the corner) and they get their final points to make it 51-16 with only 3 minutes to go.  We got into their half but they turned the ball over. However their cross field kick did not work, the ball appeared to be frightened of Steffon!  They started to attack again but then Dodge made a great break (he worked very hard in the 10 minutes he was on and in the fitness runs he had to do after the game) and passed to Curran who nearly got to the line.

Our support was getting very excited. We had a scrum on their 5 metre line and nearly got over again. We got the ball back as they kicked it away and so so nearly scored but the pass didn’t quite go right. The whistle blew but the final score of 51-16 did not reflect the brilliant first half or our determination to keep trying right up to the whistle. We have no regrets about our trip and hopefully the team can gain something positive from their trip too.

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