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The Ospreys host Castres Olympique on Friday night with their Heineken Cup hopes all but over following defeat in the reverse fixture last week. - 11/12/2013 16:34
The Ospreys host Castres Olympique on Friday night with their Heineken Cup hopes all but over following defeat in the reverse fixture last week.
The Welsh region slipped to a third straight loss in Pool 1 as they were edged out 15-9 at the Stade Pierre Antoine, a result that leaves them bottom of the table and 12 points adrift of leaders Leinster.
They will take heart from the manner of their performance against the French Champions, though, after they remained in the hunt throughout despite knowing that it was already highly unlikely that they would be able to reach the knockout stages after previous failures against Leinster and Northampton Saints.
Steve Tandy’s troops prevented Castres from crossing their line and took a losing bonus point back to Wales, where they will be confident of gaining immediate revenge given that only Leinster and Saracens have breached their Swansea home in Europe in the past eight years.
Toulouse are the only French side to have triumphed at the Liberty Stadium and that result came in the Ospreys’ first French encounter back in January 2004. Since then, Toulon, Perpignan, Bourgoin, Stade Francais and Toulouse have all tried and failed, while ASM Clermont Auvergne have twice been beaten in South West Wales. Stade earned a draw in 2007 but Castres are among the long list of losing Top 14 teams having been seen off 20-11 at the same venue in January 2005.
Castres’ record on the road in the Heineken Cup doesn’t make happy reading for Rory Kockott and co, either, even though they beat Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun last term. Prior to the that success in Scotland, you had to go back to January 2007 to find an away win in the continent’s top tournament, with Castres losing to Northampton (three times), Leinster (twice), Edinburgh (twice), London Wasps (twice), Ulster, Scarlets, Munster, Cardiff Blues and Perpignan since they beat Benetton Treviso nearly seven years ago.
But they will head across the Channel in high spirits having won two of their first three Heineken Cup games so far this season and come close to shocking Leinster in Dublin, where they were unfortunate not to pick up at least a losing bonus point.
Benetton Treviso - who will fly the flag for Italy in the Champions Cup - begin their Pool 5 challenge against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium with Enrico Bacchin making his tournament bow and adamant Treviso have the potential to make an impact. - 18/10/2014 16:55
Dan Biggar won the battle of the boots to kick the Ospreys to their first win of this season’s tournament.
Catres Olympique, 15-9 winners at Stade Pierre Antoine last weekend, kept in touch for most of a lack-lustre Pool 1 contest through the goal kicking of Rory Kockott but ultimately went down 21-12 in a second defeat in a group dominated by former champions Leinster.
The Ospreys were largely playing for pride in front of their home fans and in the end Castres’ poor record on the road – this was their 14th defeat in their last 15 away tournament matches – played a part in the Ospreys notching up another Liberty Stadium success.
Only Leinster and Saracens have won at the Liberty in the last eight seasons of European action and Toulouse are sill the only French side to win at the ground after this stop-start affair.
The Ospreys suffered a pre-match blow with the late withdrawal of lock Ian Evans – Canadian international Tyler Ardron coming into the starting line-up – and they went behind to a fifth minute penalty by Kockott.
The home side responded by battering at the Castres try line but had to settle for the first of seven Biggar penalties to initially level matters and then a similar strike to edge them in front after 12 minutes.
Both sides were willing to run the ball but the battle of the boots continued with Kockott matching Biggar strike for strike.
Castres were virtually living off scraps with the young Ospreys backs desperate to move the big French forwards around the pitch and their pack was weakened when Scottish international Richie Gray was forced off shortly after Biggar had restored the Ospreys’ lead with his third penalty.
More woe for the reigning French champions came in the shape of captain and outside half Remi Tales being yellow carded by English referee Luke Pearce and Biggar promptly on target to punish them further with a fourth success with the boot.
But Kockott hit back with two penalties of his own for it to revert back to deadlock at the break – despite plenty of positive intent from the Ospreys in particular.
However, it was the reliable boot of Biggar that edged them in front for the fourth time with his fifth penalty soon after the restart, an advantage they held when Tales sent a drop goal attempt wide.
It all became a bit stop-start with openings and chances with the ball in hand few and far between and the boot dominating – as it had done from start to finish.
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