Ospreys power into second
The one-sided bonus point victory takes the Ospreys into second place in the league table, ahead of the Scarlets.
The match had been delayed 24 hours kick-off because of frozen pipes at the Liberty Stadium. But it was the Scarlets who froze when the match kicked off. Apart from the opening few minutes the Ospreys dominated the first half as they assumed a 20-3 half-time lead.
They went on to score six tries in a second period which saw Martin Roberts and Sean Lamont both sent to the sin bin for the visitors.
Biggar edged an early kicking contest with Rhys Priestland to put the Ospreys 9-3 up before James Hook struck for the first try on 25 minutes. Two more Biggar penalties gave the Ospreys a handsome interval lead. Two tries in two minutes after the break from Jonathan Thomas and Biggar killed the game off, before Gareth Maule scored against the run of play for Scarlets.
But the Ospreys hit back with another three tries in the space of nine minutes as Fussell crossed to secure the bonus point with Tommy Bowe and Paul James following suit.
Jonny Faamatuain’s try gave the Scarlets’ score a bit of relative respectability but the home side had the final say through replacements scrum-half Jamie Nutbrown.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors claimed a 30-18 victory over Edinburgh in the first leg of the 1872 Cup at Firhill.
The visitors were in front at the midway point despite Canadian wing DTH van der Merwe’s try for Glasgow.
David Blair’s precise goal-kicking had given Edinburgh a 12-10 half-time advantage and the fly-half’s accuracy continued in the second period with two more efforts. But Hefin O’Hare’s try turned the match in Glasgow’s favour and Max Evans also crossed the line for the hosts late on.
The clash was marred in the closing seconds when Glasgow replacement Chris Fusaro and Edinburgh’s Scott MacLeod clashed, and both players were shown a red card. The two will meet again in the second leg at Murrayfield on Sunday.
Meanwhile, England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has signed a two-year contract that will keep him at Toulon until summer 2013, the French Top 14 club have confirmed. The 31-year-old had been widely expected to extend his stay in the south of France, but the decision puts him at odds with the Rugby Football Union’s stance that England will not pick any players plying their trade overseas following the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
A statement on the Toulon website read: “This Monday, December 27, 2010 early in the afternoon, fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, the England international, has extended his contract with Toulon for two seasons (one option).”
Wilkinson was voted the best overseas player in the French league at the end of last month and Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal had previously stated his desire to keep England’s 2003 World Cup hero “at any price”.
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