250 up! AWJ gets it right this time

By ROB COLE

Cardiff ………………6pts

Tries: Priestland 28, 44

Ospreys …………22pts

Tries: Lake 54, Webb 61, Parry 66

Conversions: Anscombe 55, Webb 61

Penalties: Anscombe 48

THE last time Alun Wyn Jones was in Cardiff for a celebration it all fell a bit flat. This time, he had something to shout about as he became the first player to play 250 games for the Ospreys.

If a three tries to nil victory was emphatic enough, Ospreys head coach Toby Booth still wasn't happy. He saw three other tries ruled out and didn't head home with what would have been a thoroughly deserved bonus-point.

“Three tries disallowed by the TMO is disappointing. I understand that is part of the game, but with certainly two of them the offences that go on before them are mind blowing for me,” said Booth.

“I thought we were good for a bonus-point win today. I hope that not getting the bonus point doesn't come back to haunt us later.”

Booth and the players invited Jones' family into the dressing room before the game for a special presentation. Then he headed out to turn in yet another top-drawer performance that helped his side stay in touch for this weekend's opponents, the Scarlets, in the battle for the Welsh Shield.

Any fears Booth may have harboured about his side being undercooked after not playing for three weeks were quickly dispelled as they dominated the opening ten minutes. It looked as though Wales hooker Dewi Lake had made the line in the third minute after he went solo off the back of a driving lineout. Italian referee Gianluca Gnecchi was totally convinced, went to the TMO and then ruled there had been an obstruction in the build-up and ruled out the score.

A minute after that letoff, Cardiff lost wing Owen Lane to a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. It seemed inevitable the Ospreys would take full advantage of their extra man, yet by the time Lane returned no damage had been done.

The Ospreys created a chance for Keelan Giles by kicking into the space that should have been occupied by Lane, but he wasn't able to pick up cleanly and the chance went begging.

It took almost half-anhour for the first score to arrive. The Ospreys came in at the side of a ruck 30 metres out and Rhys Priestland made no mistake from the kicking tee.

In the clear: Rhys Webb runs in to score for Ospreys

PICTURE: Huw Evans

The visitors, still chasing the Scarlets for top spot in the Welsh Conference in the URC standings, sprung back into offensive action with a clean break in the home 22 by Wales flanker Jac Morgan, but weren't able too make it pay. It seemed as though Michael Collins had finally got the Ospreys on the board in the last play of the half but, even though he got over the line, the TMO again ruled out any score.

Priestland and Gareth Anscombe traded penalties at the start of the secondhalf before Anscombe kicked a penalty to the corner and Lake trundled over from the lineout for the game's first try.

That came after 54 minutes and then Rhys Webb ran 60 metres to the posts five minutes later after intercepting a Priestland pass. He also added the conversion. He was denied another two try minutes later, but the Ospreys still extended their lead in the 66th minute when replacement hooker Sam Parry drove over. “It's disappointing but it's a little bit the story of the last three or four weeks,” said Cardiff DoR Dai Young.

“We're in the game come half-time but then we fall away in the second half. Ultimately, it's been the same type of issues – we didn't get past three phases on 15 occasions.”