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Ospreys and Racing-Metro may not have previously met in Europe yet they will know each-other inside out for this crunch tie at the Liberty Stadium. - 04/12/2014 14:05
Ospreys and Racing-Metro may not have previously met in Europe yet they will know each-other inside out for this crunch tie at the Liberty Stadium.
Jamie Roberts, Luke Charteris and Mike Phillips have just returned from spending a month with many of their opponents in the Wales camp during the autumn internationals.
Now they will come face to face with many of their Test team-mates for a clash between two of the in-form teams in Europe.
Andrew Bishop and Ashley Beck have both played alongside Roberts for their country but must now find a way to stop the British Lions centre.
Charteris will be eager to prove a point against Alun Wyn Jones, who kept him on the Wales bench. While Phillips returns to face the team for whom he made 60 appearances, including 18 European games.
The contest between fly-halves Jonathan Sexton and Dan Biggar will also go a long way to deciding the outcome of this hotly-anticipated match.
Both come into the Champions Cup on the back of impressive autumn campaigns with their national sides that included wins over South Africa.
Ospreys backs coach Gruff Rhys said: “The Wales players coming back into the squad are in a good mental state, having all been in good form and come back off a great win. There’s a buoyancy around and we want to tap into that.
“Experience is invaluable. It’s a big game for us in the biggest club competition around and the boys want to be a part of it. They recognise we’ve had a good run with them in the league and we’re into a competition that we want to have a good crack at.”
Ospreys are second in the Guinness Pro12 but face a Racing team that have won four of their last games in all competitions, including victories over Northampton Saints and Benetton Treviso.
Rhys added: “This Racing team beat Northampton by matching their physicality while they have great players behind, including Bruce Dulin who is one of the best full-backs in Europe.
“We can knock teams off their stride but are we just going out there to stop Racing or go and win the game? I know what my gut-feeling is.”
A brave Ospreys fightback was not quite enough to earn a vital victory as the Welsh side played out a 19-19 draw against Racing Metro at the Liberty Stadium. - 06/12/2014 17:41
A brave Ospreys fightback was not quite enough to earn a vital victory as the Welsh side played out a 19-19 draw against Racing Metro at the Liberty Stadium.
The home side had trailed 16-3 during the first half as Johan Goosen kicked three penalties and converted Francois van der Merwe’s try.
But they roared back through three Dan Biggar penalties and a tremendous late try from Josh Matavesi.
Goosen had a chance to give Racing all four points with a late penalty attempt, but his long-range effort fell wide as an engrossing clash finished all square.
The Ospreys were missing a host of forwards through injury and Racing ruthlessly targeted that area during the first half.
A powerful rolling maul and a destructive scrum shove allowed Goosen to slot two early penalties for the visitors, although Biggar responded with one of his own.
But Racing took control when they registered the first try. They worked Van der Merwe into space and the giant lock barrelled his way over the line, with Goosen converting.
Another penalty from the South African made it 16-3, although Biggar did chip away at the gap with his second penalty.
However, the Welsh side survived a mighty scare right on half-time when Racing centre Alexandre Dumoulin dropped an inside pass from Marc Andreu which would have sent him under the posts.
The Ospreys made the most of the lifeline, with scrum-half Rhys Webb and Biggar injecting real tempo into their play for the first time in the game.
Biggar missed one easy penalty chance, but slotted two more to get the Welsh side to within four points.
Racing returned to their forward strengths and worked a drop goal chance which Goosen took to make it 19-12.
But the hosts responded brilliantly. Justin Tipuric broke through and Webb seized on his offload to send Matavesi in, with Biggar’s conversion tying the scores.
Goosen had a late chance to snatch victory with a long-range penalty, but he was off target in a tense finale.
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