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Weak Dragons discipline sees Ospreys stay in the URC play-off race
By PA
Ospreys kept alive their United Rugby Championship play-off hopes by beating the Dragons 26-13 in bonus-point fashion. They will need another five-pointer in their final regular season game against Cardiff on June 1 to have any chance of a top-eight finish.
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But Ospreys ensured they remained in the mix after capitalising on weak Dragons discipline which saw Aaron Wainwright and Dane Blacker both yellow-carded.
Hooker Dewi Lake led the way with two of Ospreys’ four tries at Swansea.com Stadium while scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams and centre Keiran Williams also crossed.
Fly-half Dan Edwards kicked three conversions, with Will Reed scoring all the Dragons’ points through a try, conversion, and two penalties.
Reed kicked the Dragons into a fifth-minute lead and doubled his team’s advantage 12 minutes later through a second penalty after Ospreys infringed at a scrum.
It was a solid opening quarter from the visitors against opponents 24 points and four places above them before kick-off but they then saw Wales number eight Wainwright yellow-carded for a technical offence.
Ospreys initially struggled to make their temporary one-man advantage count despite pitching camp deep inside the Dragons’ 22.
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The Dragons defended impressively but they could not stop Lake crashing over from close range for a try that Edwards converted and then a second yellow card cost them dear.
Blacker was banished after attempting to knock the ball out of Ospreys captain Justin Tipuric’s hands from an offside position and Morgan-Williams made them pay.
Tipuric won quality lineout possession, then number eight Morgan Morris surged clear before his superb inside pass sent Morgan-Williams over and Edwards’ conversion opened up a 14-6 interval lead.
Wainwright returned for the start of the second half but Ospreys were on a roll and Lake claimed their third try with Blacker still off as the Dragons were ruthlessly punished for their poor discipline.
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Eventually restored to a full complement of players, the Dragons gave themselves a lifeline when Reed pounced for a try that he also converted.
But Ospreys were soon back in charge through Williams’ try with 20 minutes left that secured a bonus-point and maintained their play-off ambitions.
Straight off the training ground from @ospreys ???
? How about the offload from Morgan Morris! #BKTURC | #URC | #OSPvDRA | #RaceToTheEight pic.twitter.com/le5luwLswC
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 18, 2024
