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The Ospreys overturned a 15-point deficit to record a 24-22 Guinness PRO14 victory over Benetton at St Helen’s in Swansea.
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Tries from Ifan Phillips, Shaun Venter and Dewi Lake along with nine points from the boot of Stephen Myler was enough to secure a dramatic victory for Toby Booth’s side.
Hame Faiva scored a hat-trick for Benetton with Ian Keatley adding seven points from the kicking tee as they fell just short.
Benetton full-back Jayden Hayward received an early yellow card for an illegal slap down after an early break from Wales wing George North.
And the hosts took full advantage with Phillips powering over from short range after a well-worked driving lineout by the Ospreys. Myler added the extras from the touchline to give the hosts a 7-0 lead after five minutes.
After a period of sustained pressure, former New Zealand Under-20s international Faiva smashed his way over the line for Benetton’s first try with Keatley converting.
The Ospreys took a 10-7 lead into the interval after Myler was successful with a penalty kick from 40 metres on the stroke of half-time.
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Benetton lay siege to the Ospreys’ try line in the opening stages of the second half as they attempted to maul their way over the line.
The hosts were forced to illegally sack a driving lineout which resulted in blindside flanker Will Griffiths being sent to the sin bin.
And Benetton made the most of their numerical advantage with Faiva touching down for his second try from short range.
Keatley missed the conversion but he made amends with a simple penalty from right in front of the posts soon after as Ospreys full-back Mat Protheroe was penalised for holding on.
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The Ospreys were forced to play the final 30 minutes with 14 men when number eight Gareth Evans was given a red card after his shoulder made direct contact with the head of Benetton prop Cherif Traore.
Benetton moved into a 22-10 lead with 22 minutes to go.
Right-wing Iliesa Ratuva Tavuyara chipped the ball over the top of the Ospreys defence before regathering and was brought down just short of the line by North.
After a series of forward carries, Faiva completed his hat-trick as he burrowed his way over the line and Keatley was successful with a touchline conversion.
But the Ospreys made the match a one-score game in the final 10 minutes when replacement scrum-half Venter crossed over following a powerful break from inside centre Kieran Williams with Myler converting.
Benetton prop Filippo Alongi was sent to the sin bin for a no-arms tackle and the home side took advantage as they went to the corner with replacement hooker Lake levelling the scores with a try off the back of a driving lineout.
Myler was successful with the conversion to secure a dramatic victory for the Ospreys.
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments