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Man of the match Dan Biggar kicked eight out of eight attempts at goal to steer the Ospreys to a 28-21 victory at home to Biarittz. - 12/11/2011 22:30
The Ospreys will be looking to keep their unbeaten record on Italian soil in the Heineken Cup when they travel to face Benetton Treviso at the Stadio Comunale Monigo.
The Welsh region, who failed to reach the quarter finals of the tournament for the first time in four years, play Treviso for a third time in Europe on Saturday and have a played two, won two record over the Italian outfit.
The Ospreys are currently second in Pool 5 after their 28-21 win over Biarritz in Swansea and will be looking to build on that success as they bid for a quarter-finals place for the fourth time.
Treviso will have been disappointed with their one-sided 42-17 defeat to Saracens, the English champions, last weekend. The Italians, who are in their 14th season of Heineken Cup rugby, will be looking to end a 10-match losing streak at home in Europe.
The Ospreys, who have such an impressive home record at the Liberty Stadium, will be looking to end a five-match losing run on the road in the tournament when they arrive in Italy.
Our exclusive video takes you behind the scenes at the Ospreys v Saracens match. - 16/12/2012 16:43
The Ospreys kept their unbeaten record on Italian soil but they surrendered their 11-match winning run when they salvaged a draw against a well organized and well drilled Benetton Treviso side.
Replacement fly-half Matthew Morgan, making his Heineken Cup debut for the Ospreys, saved his side’s blushes when he landed a long-range penalty in the dying moments to clinch a draw for the Welsh side.
Tommy Bowe, who overtook Shane Williams to become the Ospreys leading try-scorer in the Heineken Cup, scored one of his side’s two tries but the Italian side will be frustrated they didn’t win a game they led for most of the second half.
The Ospreys lost Wales and Lions prop Adam Jones to injury before kick and Aaron Jarvis, the former Bath tighthead, was drafted into the starting line-up but the visitors soon found themselves 3-0 behind to a Kris Burton penalty.
The Welsh region then took the lead midway through the first half when Ireland and Bowe wing showed impressive strength and strength to crash over for the game’s first try.
Biggar added the conversion but his opposite number Burton kept the hosts in the contest when he slotted over two penalties to claw his side back to within a point to make it 10-9 at half-time.
But the home side came out all guns blazing at the start of the second half and soon crossed for two early tries by prop Michele Rizzo and wing Benjamin De Jager to go back ahead.
The Ospreys replied with another Biggar penalty before second row Ryan Jones latched onto a loose ball at a Treviso lineout to score and claw his side back to within a point at 21-20.
Scrum-half Tobias Botes then crossed for Treviso’s third try to stretch his side’s lead before Biggar, who crossed the 200-point mark for the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup, and Morgan rescued a game the visitors looked like losing.
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