Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Ospreys win at Dragons in Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup

By PA
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Ospreys maintained their interest in the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup competition with a bonus-point 42-26 win over Dragons in an entertaining game at Rodney Parade.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dewi Cross, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Morgan Morris, Dan Evans and Max Nagy all scored tries for Ospreys, with Luke Price adding three penalties and four conversions.

Dragons’ hopes of progressing in the competition were extinguished by the loss as they were hindered by frequent scrum penalties and a general lack of discipline.

Video Spacer

The Spirit of Rugby | Episode 1 | RugbyPass

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      The Spirit of Rugby | Episode 1 | RugbyPass

      Jonah Holmes scored two tries for the hosts to take his tally to 10 in his last nine appearances, while Dan Baker and Rio Dyer also picked up tries and Sam Davies converted all three.

      Dragons took a third-minute lead with a try from Holmes. A cross-field kick from Davies was collected by the wing, who brushed off a weak challenge from Evans to race away and score.

      Davies converted before Price put Ospreys on the scoreboard with a straightforward penalty.

      Dragons hooker Taylor Davies was then yellow carded for a tip-tackle on Justin Tipuric, with the visitors immediately capitalising with a try from Cross.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Morgan-Williams broke away from a maul to send Cross through a gap to score and Dragons’ Aaron Wainwright lost his Captain’s Challenge as he contended that the pass was forward but, after viewing replays, the officials stuck with their original decision.

      With Davies still in the sin-bin, Ospreys scored a second try when Morris forced his way over from close range to reward a succession of forward drives.

      Price added a second penalty before Dragons replied with a second try from Holmes after skilful passing had provided him with an overlap. Davies converted to leave the home side trailing 20-14 at the interval.

      Two minutes after the restart, Price kicked his third penalty but Ospreys hooker Sam Parry was soon yellow carded and former Osprey Baker crashed over to bring the hosts back into contention.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1393854216196743170

      However Dragons immediately conceded a third try when Morgan-Williams darted away for an excellent solo effort.

      Parry returned from the sin-bin in time to see his side score their bonus-point try when Evans took advantage of some weak tackling to score and Price converted for a 35-21 lead going into the final quarter.

      A strong run from the impressive Holmes created a try for his fellow wing Dyer, but Ospreys had the final say with a try from Nagy.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

      Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

      Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

      Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

      Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

      England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

      Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

      Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

      Trending on RugbyPass

      Comments

      0 Comments
      Be the first to comment...

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Features

      Comments on RugbyPass

      M
      MS 10 minutes ago
      Why Blair Kinghorn should be nailed on as the Lions starting 15

      I can see arguments for both Kinghorn, and Keenan starting for the Lions. But I’m less convinced by some of the claims (clearly partisan) supporters are using to argue the merits of one over the other.


      For example, a number of Ireland supporters have suggested Kinghorn is ‘defensively weak’. That’s patently false - or at least on the evidence of this 6N, he’s certainly no weaker there than Keenan is, who is presumably the comparative standard they’re using. Keenan was both shrugged off in contact, and beaten on the edge for pace, a number of times during this competition.


      Equally, Scotland supporters arguing Kinghorn is the more capable ‘rugby player’ seem to have overlooked the (frankly sizeable) body of evidence demonstrating that Keenan is an excellent ball in hand distributor and decision maker. So that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny either.


      I don’t think there’s all that much to choose between them, and either would be a strong choice. I think it would be really interesting from a pure rugby perspective to see Keenan playing a ‘Scotland-esque’ style of high tempo attacking rugby. Either coming into the line more routinely as first receiver, or being swung as a pendulum and getting the ball on the edge against a stretched defence.


      That’s assuming Andy Farrell goes that route, of course. He may well just opt for his Ireland system instead, and populate it with the likes of Henshaw, Ringrose, Lowe and Keenan. I’m sure that would win the series. Quite what effect it might have on a Lions audience who were expecting something other than ‘Ireland on tour, but wearing red’ would remain to be seen.


      As for the debate at FB, the only ‘eye test’ difference I feel exists is in the pace of rugby Kinghorn (Toulouse? Scotland?) tends to play. His passing/offload game feels crisper and higher tempo than Keenan’s - and as we saw in Paris, his pace and eye for a gap from deep are superior.


      But again, that will only prove a decisive factor if Andy Farrell wants to play that way. If all he wants from his FB is to sit deep, field high balls, and mop up then there’s little between these two equally excellent players.

      3 Go to comments
      TRENDING
      TRENDING Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F
      Search