Famous win puts an end to Ospreys Euro drought
SWANSEA, WALES - JANUARY 13: Ospreys player Rhys Webb passes from a scrum during the European Rugby Champions Cup match between Ospreys and Saracens at Liberty Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Montpellier….. 10pts
Tries: Paenga-Amosa 55
Conversions: Carbonel 56
Penalties: Carbonel 4
Ospreys…………. 21pts
Tries: Parry 20, K Williams 31, Morris 61
Conversions: O Williams 22, 32, 63
Ospreys recorded their first win in Europe in two years as they saw off Top 14 champions Montpellier.
Ospreys, whose last win in Europe came in December 2020, went into the break 14-3 up after first-half tries from Sam Parry and Keiran Williams.
Montpellier responded in the second half with a try through their own hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
But Morgan Morris hit back with a score in the corner to seal a famous win.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth had made nine changes from the team that lost to Leicester last time out, including a first start for Owen Williams and the notable absence of Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones.
Louis Carbonel kicked Montpellier ahead on four minutes after Ospreys were penalised for not rolling away at the ruck. The Top 14 side were in the ascendency but it was the Welsh region who scored the games opening try.
After Zach Mercer was penalised for tackling Rhys Davies in the air, Florian Verhaeghe committed the same infringement at the next line-out and was sin binned by referee Nika Amashukeli.
Ospreys took immediate advantage of the extra man, powering over with the driving maul and Parry dotting down. Williams was on target with the conversion.
As Montpellier returned to full strength Ospreys extended their lead. More good work by the Welsh pack from the line-out drove Ospreys to within a metre of the Montpellier line before the ball was spread right to Williams who dived over to score. The Welsh region looked in control, but were soon down to 14 men when Luke Morgan took Mercer out in the air under the high ball. Ospreys saw out Morgan's 10-minute absence without conceding but Montpellier stepped up a gear in the second half.
TEAMS
MONTPELLIER: Bouthier (c); B Lam, Darmon, P Garbisi, Bridge; Carbonel, Reinach; Forletta, Paenga-Amosa, H Thomas, Verhaeghe, Chalureau, Doumenc, Becognee, Mercer Replacements: Langdon, Fichten, Tuinukuafe, Tauleigne, Coly, Tisseron, Dakuwaqa, Willemse OSPREYS: Nagy; Cuthbert, Collins, K Williams, L Morgan; O Williams, R Webb; G Thomas, Parry, Botha, R Davies, Beard, Roots, Tipuric (c), M Morris Replacements: Baldwin, N Smith, Francis, Sutton, J Morgan, Morgan-Williams, Walsh, Hawkins
REFEREE: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
Star man Morgan Morris -Ospreys
Paenga-Amosa finished off a Montpellier driving maul for their first try but Morris hit back in the corner and Williams converted.
Alex Cuthbert thought he had Ospreys' fourth try of the match minutes later, but the TMO deemed his foot was in touch moments before he grounded the ball – but Ospreys held on for a famous win in Europe.
