Ospreys secure bonus-point win to go second in Pro12 table
Friday 2 December 2016 22:34, UK
Ospreys moved up to second in the Guinness Pro12 table with a solid 31-22 bonus-point victory over Edinburgh at the Liberty Stadium.
The region extended their unbeaten run at home in the league to five games with tries for wings Dafydd Howells and Keelan Giles, number eight Dan Baker and prop Ma'afu Fia, with fly-half Sam Davies kicking 11 points.
Edinburgh, who suffered yellow cards for captain Grant Gilchrist and prop Allan Dell, scored three tries from wing Will Helu, full-back Blair Kinghorn and replacement Viliame Mata as Duncan Weir supplied seven points with the boot.
Davies, who this week pledged his future to the region by signing a new long-term deal, was preferred to Wales' first-choice fly-half Dan Biggar. Ospreys also fielded Justin Tipuric and lock Alun Wyn Jones, while other Wales squad members Nicky Smith, James King and Keelan Giles started.
Edinburgh made seven changes, with Weir returning from a broken jaw sustained in late September.
An incident-packed first half saw Ospreys lead at the interval 24-15, three tries to two.
Edinburgh suffered a couple of setbacks in the opening minutes, not only losing centre Chris Dean to a knee injury but they had to watch as Davies kicked the opening penalty after six minutes.
But the Scotsmen hit back with a try down the left for Helu after Davies had a kick charged down his own 22.
However, the lead changed for the third time in the space of seven minutes when Howells burst through midfield and ran in unopposed from 35 metres out after good ball from a lineout.
That was followed up by Ospreys' second try five minutes later. Edinburgh were forced back in a five-metre scrum and Baker picked up to go over for the simplest of tries. Davies converted both conversions as the home side led 17-5 after 18 minutes.
But Edinburgh kept on Ospreys' shirt tails and scored a controversial try by Kinghorn, but that was after Dan Evans was taken out in the air by Damian Hoyland.
Ospreys did not let that try, converted by Weir, affect them and they managed to restore their 12-point lead when prop Fia squeezed over following a drive off a line-out. Davies slotted his conversion.
But Edinburgh had the final say of the half with a Weir penalty.
Ospreys' dominance was asserted four minutes after the break when they scored their bonus-point try five minutes after the restart. Centre Ashley Beck made the initial break into the 22 before Giles was sent over the right corner.
It was a frustrating half for both sides but Edinburgh suffered two setbacks with yellow cards for Gilchrist and Dell on 54 and 68 minutes respectively.
But two minutes from time Mata went over for Edinburgh's third try with Weir adding the conversion.
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