Edinburgh 12 Ospreys 30

AN EXPERIENCED Ospreys outfit led superbly by former All Black scrum-half Justin Marshall comfortably saw off an Edinburgh side much weakened by international calls and injuries at Murrayfield last night, writes Steve Scott, rugby correspondent.

The veteran No 9 and his half-back partner Jason Spice inspired the Welsh team during a half-hour spell either side of half-time when they scored four tries and 25 unanswered points and left the inexperienced home team in their wake.

Flanker Steve Tandy scored two tries with Marshall among the other scorers on a night when the Ospreys could afford to play without a recognised goalkicker and missed seven shots at goal, but still comfortably outmatched the home side in all areas.

Gunners’ young centre Ben Cairns was the pick of the home team, but with so many regulars held back by Scotland and eight others injured or suspended, coach Lynn Howells had his resources stretched against his former team.

The home side seemed as loathe as Scotland had been on Saturday to kick goals as after Hodge missed a long penalty chance they declined three simpler opportunities only to be stalled as they bid for the early try.

The Ospreys also opted to kick to the corner with their first penalty and lost possession as they went for the shove, Allan Jacobsen leading a counter attack which set up position deep in the visitors’ 22.

After Lucio Lopez Fleming was high-tackled on a loping run Hodge again kicked for the corner but this time the maul made ground and Matt Mustchin spun off at speed to stretch out for the try, Hodge converting.

The Ospreys were stopped at another rolling maul close to the Edinburgh line before they eventually went for the posts with a penalty but Spice hooked the kick wide.

However, it was a botched Edinburgh lineout that got the Welsh team back in the game, with Marshall seizing on loose ball and Jon Vaughton squeezing in at the corner—and before Edinburgh could get a sniff of the ball they bagged another.

Marshall and Spice twice opened up the home defence in a flowing move and the stand-off eventually combined with Andrew Bishop to put flanker Steven Tandy in for the try, which also went unconverted.

The Ospreys continued to turn the screw as the second half began, with Terblanche taking over kicking duties and then the pacy full-back steamed in for a try after Sonny Parker sliced through a huge gap in the Edinburgh midfield at pace.

If that was easy the bonus point try was simplicity itself, a long throw to the tail of an attacking lineout tapped down to Marshall who raced untouched through a gaping hole and under the posts.

Edinburgh hit back with a try from Cairns but the Ospreys had done the hard work during the spell either side of half-time and a second try for Tandy after Jacobsen had been sin-binned for stamping, which again went unconverted, confirmed their superiority.

Attendance—2335.

Edinburgh—A Warnock; M Dey (D McCall 65), B Cairns, P Jorgensen (P Godman 51), L Lopez Fleming; D Hodge (capt), G Laidlaw (J Senio 59); A Jacobsen, A Kelly, G Cross (D Hewett 74); M Mustchin, C Bentley (R Rennie 69); A Strokosch, A MacDonald, S Cross (F Pringle 55).

Ospreys—S Terblanche; R Mustoe (N Walker 69), S Parker, A Bishop, J Vaughton; J Spice, J Marshall; P James (capt, D Jones 59), B Williams (H Bennett 55), A Jones (C Griffiths 63); B Cockbain, J Thomas; A Lloyd (M Powell 72), S Tandy, F Tiatia.

Referee—P Fitzgibbon (IRFU).