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Ospreys give Adam Beard send-off and remain in URC hunt
By PA
Ospreys kept alive their hopes of reaching the United Rugby Championship play-offs with a comeback 57-24 bonus-point victory over Dragons at Swansea.com Stadium.
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Two successive defeats had left Ospreys seven points adrift of the top eight with three rounds left but they remain in the hunt ahead of tough assignments in South Africa against Sharks and Lions.
They ran in nine tries to give Adam Beard a fitting home farewell with the Wales lock this week confirming he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, ending an 11-year stay.
It is now 15 successive defeats for bottom-of-the-table Dragons, who are still without a win away from home since beating Scarlets in April 2022.
Dragons, whose only win in 18 visits to Swansea.com Stadium came in 2010, made a strong start and opened up a 10-point lead just past the midway point of the first half.
After Angus O’Brien had kicked a penalty, Harry Rees-Weldon, who signed a new contract with the club earlier this month, celebrated his debut with a try, which O’Brien converted.
Ospreys, though, hit back within minutes when Will Spencer forced his way over the line under the posts, leaving Dan Edwards a simple conversion.
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Dewi Lake then dotted down before half-time, Edwards adding the extras, before two converted tries early in the second half from Ben Warren and Keelan Giles saw Ospreys take control.
Rhodri Williams’ converted score made it a nine-point game but Edwards helped himself to two quickfire tries, converting one, as extend Ospreys’ advantage to 40-17.
Jared Rosser grabbed a third Dragons try but Kieran Hardy, Giles and Reuben Morgan-Williams added further scores for the home side in the closing stages.
Dragons forward Dan Lydiate, who played for both sides, was given a standing ovation 10 minutes from time in what was his final appearance on Welsh soil ahead of his retirement at the end of the season.
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