RaboDirect PRO12: Ospreys soar over Scarlets
The Ospreys cruised to a crushing 32-3 RaboDirect Pro12 victory over second-placed Scarlets at the Liberty Stadium.
Last Updated: 26/12/12 8:30pm
Dan Biggar scored 14 points for the hosts, who climb up to fifth place in the table after their three-try victory.
The visitors had two players sent off late on but by then the Ospreys had completed a league double over their Welsh rivals after a penalty try and two further tries for lock James King and skipper Kahn Fotuali'i.
Fly-half Dan Biggar added 14 points with the boot and Fotuali'i also kicked a drop-goal as Ospreys stormed to victory in front of a crowd of 19,443 in Swansea.
The Scarlets were not helped that they had replacements Rob McCusker and Gareth Owen sent off in the final minutes and also had another three players sin-binned - George Earle, Tavis Knoyle and Aled Thomas.
The Ospreys, who were boosted by the return of Wales prop Adam Jones for his first start in two months, were dominant throughout after taking the lead when Biggar kicked a third-minute penalty from a scrum offence.
Good pressure from the Ospreys, who hammered at the Scarlets' 22, ended with a snap drop-goal from scrum-half Fotuali'i to double their lead.
Centre Ashley Beck's kick to the corner forced a five-metre scrum and the Scarlets eight disintegrated,referee Nigel Owen awarding a penalty try converted by Biggar.
There was some respite for the Scarlets when fly-half Thomas opened the visitors' account with a 27th-minute penalty.
Jones went over the line again but referee Owen had already blown for a penalty which Biggar kicked to give the Ospreys a 16-3 lead on 34 minutes, with his opposite number Thomas missing his own shot at goal two minutes later.
Biggar knocked over his third penalty in injury time to give the Ospreys a 16-point half-time lead and they continued to dominate in the second half, scoring an unconverted try for King on 48 minutes after Richard Fussell had broken down the left flank.
The lead was increased to 24 with a fourth Biggar penalty and matters did not get any better for the Scarlets as replacement scrum-half Knoyle was sin-binned for taking Eli Walker without the ball, as Fotuali'i squeezed in at the left corner.
The Scarlets had a third man, fly-half Thomas, sent to the bin before a dramatic final three minutes saw McCusker and Owen both shown red for foul play.
