Ospreys steamroll Scarlets

Llanelli 6 Neath-Swansea 23

Wales full-back Gavin Henson claimed 18 points in a superb man-of-the-match display as Neath-Swansea Ospreys emerged deserved winners of this west Wales Celtic League derby.

Llanelli, the Celtic League champions, were devoid of ideas and inspiration for much of the match with Henson sparkling for the Ospreys in the Stradey Park gloom.

The 22-year-old kicked 13 points and added a crucial second-half try as the Ospreys made it two wins out of two in the competition.

It had been all square after a cagey opening 20 minutes which saw Scarlets fly-half Arwel Thomas and Henson exchange a brace of penalties.

The game then burst into life after 24 minutes when Llanelli’s Tongan wing Salesi Finau was yellow carded for a stamp on Ospreys’ international prop Duncan Jones.

The visitors almost took advantage straight away with young fly-half Matthew Jones searing through the midfield, but the ball was spilled five yards from the home line and the chance was lost.

The Ospreys had two further golden opportunities before the break, but centre David Bishop failed to find Wales wing Shane Williams with the line beckoning and then Williams again was hauled down yards short.

Henson did add a third penalty to make it 9-6 to the Ospreys at half-time, but coach Lyn Jones would have been a disappointed the margin was not greater considering their dominance of territory and possession.

The second half continued in a similar vein with the Ospreys hammering at the home line, but spilling the ball at critical moments.

Henson missed a chance to make it 12-6 when he pulled a close-range penalty wide after 52 minutes, but made amends with a breakaway try four minutes later.

Llanelli coughed up the ball in a rare foray into the visitors’ half, Henson chipped through and then won the hack and chase in a scramble for the touchdown.

The full-back’s conversion made it 16-6 with just over a quarter of the match remaining, leaving the champions with it all to do in deteriorating conditions.

That mountain became even higher soon after when flanker Richie Pugh took advantage of more confusion in the home defence for his side’s second try after 67 minutes and for all Llanelli’s efforts in the closing exchanges there was no stopping their first defeat to their regional rivals.