Late try blitz sees Ospreys overcome Borders

Ospreys 30 Borders 13

The Ospreys produced a three-try second half comeback to take the spoils in a hard-fought Magners League win over the Borders at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea tonight.

But, just as they had in their victory over the Cardiff Blues 48 hours earlier, the West Wales region were forced to fight their way back off the ropes after trailing 13-3 at half-time before producing 27 unanswered points in the second half.

The Borders hit the home side – showing 14 personnel changes from Wednesday night’s clash with the Blues – with a 10-point salvo in the opening seven minutes.

Within five minutes the Scottish region were ahead through the boot of Steve Jones after the Ospreys were penalised for not rolling away at a ruck.

And two minutes later centre Nick De Luca evaded a tackle to send blindside flanker Kelly Brown for a try converted by Jones.

The much-changed Ospreys had plenty of possession in the middle section of the first half but could not convert it into points.

They finally got on to the scoreboard five minutes from half-time through a James Hook penalty but that was cancelled out in stoppage time by a 45-metre penalty from wing Garry Law.

It took the Ospreys just three minutes of the second period to score their first try when Stefan Terblanche finished off good work by Hook after an initial break through Borders ranks by Shaun Connor. Hook converted to cut the deficit to three points.

The scores could have been tied on 49 minutes had Hook not missed an attempt at a penalty goal.

The Ospreys began off-loading their big name replacements bench and brought on Justin Marshall and Gavin Henson.

And that gave the home side a lift. First they levelled the scores at 13-13 with a 64th minute Hook penalty and seven minutes later Tal Selly went in for his side’s second try.

A 10-point lead was assured as another Ospreys attack produced a drop-goal for Connor before the Borders were reduced to 14 men when Ross Beattie was yellow-carded following a fracas with Jonathan Thomas.

In injury-time Ospreys replacement lock Mike Powell was also sent to the sin-bin.

But it did not stop Ospreys from grabbing a third try from close range from lock Alun Wyn Jones, converted by Hook who completed a 12-point haul as man of the match.