Ospreys set up Challenge Cup quarter-final with Lyon after beating Scarlets
Ospreys will face Lyon in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals after triumphing 36-14 against Scarlets at the Swansea.com Stadium.
The hosts ran in six tries as they gained revenge in the second of back-to-back west Wales derbies, having been beaten 38-22 at Parc y Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship the previous weekend.
Ospreys had gone 17-0 up early on in that contest and again made another good start, with Adam Beard and Jac Morgan crossing in the opening few minutes.
Blair Murray swiftly replied, but there was no turnaround this time as tries from Rhys Davies and Dewi Lake helped Ospreys to a 26-7 lead at the interval, and Jack Walsh and Dan Kasende added efforts in the second half.
Eddie James scored Scarlets’ second try with just under 10 minutes of the match remaining.
Lyon got through with a 34-21 victory over defending champions the Sharks at the Stade de Gerland.
The first half saw the French side, winners of this competition in 2022, hit back after Fez Mbatha’s early try for the visitors with four of their own, Alexandre Tchaptchet, Theo William, Yanis Charcosset and Josiah Maraku going over.
The lead was subsequently extended by Vincent Rattez before Corne Rahl and Tino Mavesere scored late on for the Sharks.
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Dwayne Peel cannot get a big game right. He has failed on three occasions now to select and prepare a team for a must win game.
Ospreys were always going to try and ‘bully’ the game with runners and a driving line-out. They played a perfect game from their point of view because Peel is unable to react under pressure and has taken his role as far as he can.
Please, Scarlets board, search for a non-Scarlets background head coach and get a quality second row, 8 and outside half for next season.