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19:59 GMT, Saturday, 16 February 2008

Ospreys 37-7 Connacht

Marty Holah goes over the line for the Ospreys Ospreys (20) 37
Tries: Walker, Holah, Phillips, Owen
Cons: Connor 4
Pens: Connor 3

Connacht (0) 7
Tries: O'Connor
Cons: Donelly

Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips scored one of his side's four tries as the Ospreys secured a bonus-point victory over Connacht at the Liberty Stadium.

Shaun Connor converted all four tries and kicked three penalties as the home side eventually dominated.

Nikki Walker grabbed the first try late in the first half and Marty Holah added a second before the break.

Phillips and Gareth Owen completed the rout before Johnny O'Connor got a consolation for Connacht at the end.

It took only three minutes for the hosts to get on the scoreboard through a Connor penalty.

That lead was extended with a second three-pointer after Marshall was high-tackled by Robbie Morris.

By contrast Andrew Dunne was wayward with two penalty attempts after nine and 11 minutes for Connacht.

The Ospreys struggled to extend that lead, failing to keep hold of the ball for long enough to get any real momentum.

Connor got the home side into a good position with a penalty kick to the corner and from the resulting lineout Paul James went in at the right corner, but the try was ruled out by the video referee.

Connacht did not get any change out of a solid Ospreys defence and the Welsh region grabbed two injury-time tries to change the complexion of the game in the space of five minutes.

First Walker broke through midfield and ran in unopposed from 40 metres out for Connor to convert.

And just before half-time Holah went over under the posts following a battering run from Filo Tiatia from a scrum on the 22.

It gave the Ospreys a 20-0 cushion at the interval.

That lead was extended to 23 points when Connor converted his third penalty five minutes into the second half just before replacement flanker Colm Rigney was sin-binned for persistently offending at the ruck.

Phillips rounded off a satisfying evening's work with a try that he ran in from 20 metres out after scooping up a loose ball, before replacement fly-half Owen went in for the bonus-point try in the final minute.

In injury time former Ireland flanker O'Connor put Connacht on the scoreboard with a converted try.


Ospreys: Marshall, Vaughton, Taylor, Spratt, Walker, Connor, Phillips, James, Hibbard, Griffiths, Lloyd, Bateman, Lewis, Holah, Tiatia.
Replacements: Brew for Walker (80), Owen for Connor (71), Roberts for Phillips (80), Shervington for Hibbard (71), Millward for Griffiths (67), Powell for Lloyd (65), Smith for Lewis (67).

Connacht: Duffy, Riordan, Mostyn, Deane, Wynne, Dunne, McPhillips, Wilkinson, Flavin, Morris, Swift, Farley, McCarthy, O'Connor, J. Muldoon.
Replacements: Donnelly for Mostyn (66), O'Loughlin for McPhillips (57), Fogarty for Flavin (66), Loughney for Morris (57), Gannon for Farley (61), Rigney for McCarthy (39), Ofisa for J. Muldoon (57).

Att: 7,396

Ref: Andy MacPherson (SRFU).




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