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Ospreys have lost their last nine games in France but head coach Steve Tandy insists his players have no fear before facing the best-supported side in Europe. - 17/12/2015 11:38
Ospreys have lost their last nine games in France but head coach Steve Tandy insists his players have no fear before facing the best-supported side in Europe.
The Welsh region has not tasted success across the Channel since downing Bourgoin in 2008, a win that propelled them into the quarter-finals of Europe for the first time.
Now a repeat of that result would nudge them a step closer to achieving that once again.
Their miserable run in France continued when they lost 34-29 at Clermont-Auvergne in Round Two.
However late tries by replacements Sam Parry and Tom Habberfield made sure Ospreys left Stade Marcel-Michelin with not just one but two bonus points.
Tandy said: “We believe if we get our game right we can always give a good account of ourselves. The players believe that and so do the coaches. It is about trying to impose our game on the situation.
“When we went to Racing Metro last year we played largely on our terms and almost got a win, while we felt we did well in Clermont earlier this season.
“It’s about going there and producing our best rugby. We know we need to be better than we were last weekend and I think we will be.”
They made hard work of beating 14-man Bordeaux-Begles. Dan Biggar, top-scorer in this season’s European Rugby Champions Cup, dusted himself down from being clattered by Jean-Baptiste Dubie to score all the Ospreys points at the Liberty Stadium, including a second-half try.
Dubie will miss the return match at Stade Delmas as he serves a one-match ban. The wing will take a place in the stands among Bordeaux’s huge following.
The west-coast club have averaged crowds of 22,563 in the Top 14, with more than 31,000 seeing them beat Toulouse in October.
Tandy said: “We won’t have any fear. There is a lot of experience in our squad and plenty of boys who have played in front of big crowds. At this level, players prefer to perform at packed stadiums with big atmospheres.”
Match Facts
- Bordeaux-Begles are the only side still with a 100% lineout success rate in this Champions Cup campaign; however they also have the lowest scrum success rate (70%).
- Ospreys have averaged more kicks from hand (30) per game than any other side after three rounds of action.
- After their win against Bordeaux-Begles last weekend, Ospreys have the opportunity to win consecutive matches in the Champions Cup for the first time since November 2011.
- Ospreys have lost 14 of their 15 away games against French opposition in the Champions Cup, a solitary win at Bourgoin the only positive result in this record.
- Alun Wyn Jones tops the lineouts won chart this season so far having claimed 17 of his own side’s throws and one steal from an opposition throw.
- Bordeaux have conceded more penalties per game (15) than any other side this season.
- No side has conceded fewer turnovers per game than Ospreys in 2015/16 (10.3).
- Begles have won four of their last five European home games (all in the Challenge Cup), losing only to Edinburgh in this run.
- Ospreys have not won an away game in the Champions Cup since beating Viadana 62-7 in 2009, since when they have lost 17 of 18 games on the road (D1).
- Only George Smith of Wasps (45) has made more tackles than Dan Lydiate this season (41).
Première victoire pour l'Union Bordeaux-Bègles dans un match spectaculaire face aux Ospreys où chaque équipe a pris le bonus offensif (33-27). Les Girondins respirent encore dans cette poule 2
Bordeaux Begles came out on top of an incredible game against the Ospreys but the Welsh region’s two bonus points keeps alive their hopes of qualification.
The French side stunned the Ospreys with three first half tries and secured the bonus point after the break.
But a stunning late fightback from the Welsh region saw them claim a losing bonus point and a try bonus point after almost snatching the victory.
The first score in this eight-try thriller came after just 71 seconds when centre Julien Rey cut a lovely angle through the Ospreys’ defence.
Flanker Justin Tipuric responded for the visitors two minutes later with a well-worked try after excellent hands from full-back Dan Evans.
Pierre Bernard put Bordeaux back in front with a penalty before the home side went down to 14 men when hooker Clement Maynadier was sent to the sin bin as they came under pressure.
But it was Bordeaux who scored next when they counter-rucked the Ospreys in the visitor’s half and moved it wide for lock Berend Botha.
Their third try was gifted to them by a risky pass from Ospreys centre Sam Davies close to the Bordeaux try-line which Sofiane Guitoune scooped-up and ran 70m to go under the posts.
The Ospreys fightback started seven minutes after the interval with a try in the corner for wing Eli Walker before a moment of controversy.
Dan Biggar kicked the conversion from the touchline but referee Luke Pearce went to the TMO to check the try. It was then awarded but Biggar missed with his second conversion attempt.
Replacement outside-half Baptiste Serin became the second Bordeaux player to see yellow but the Ospreys wasted several chances to get back into the game.
History then repeated itself as Bordeaux worked the ball out from their own five metre line and went the length of the field for Yann Lesgourgues to secure the bonus point with a fourth try.
It looked to be enough to seal the win until Ospreys captain Alun Wyn Jones scored their third try on his 50th European appearance 12 minutes from time to set up a grandstand finish.
Biggar then grabbed the Ospreys a four-try bonus point and a losing bonus point when he intercepted Serin's pass to race 60m to score.
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