Heineken Champions Cup: Ospreys 17-23 Leicester: Anthony Watson try clinches Tigers win
- Published
Leicester came from behind to win in Swansea
Heineken Champions Cup: Ospreys v Leicester Tigers |
|---|
Ospreys (10) 17 |
Tries: Smith, Morris Cons: Walsh 2 Pen: Walsh |
Leicester (6) 23 |
Try: Potter, Watson Cons: Atkinson 2 Pens: Atkinson 3 |
Anthony Watson's stunning solo try clinched a dogged Leicester victory in the Heineken Champions Cup at Ospreys.
Nicky Smith's try gave the star-studded hosts a half-time lead.
But the Ospreys shot themselves in the foot with an undisciplined display that allowed a second-string Tigers to claim a crucial away win.
Harry Potter dived over and Watson sliced through to score and put the game beyond the Welsh region despite Morgan Morris' late try.
The result means the two-year wait for a Welsh win in Europe's top tier competition goes on.
It also justified Steve Borthwick's gamble with selection as he and opposite number Toby Booth took starkly contrasting approaches to this tie.
Booth immediately took the chance to recall nine Wales internationals to a team that had managed just one win from nine in the United Rugby Championship.
Meanwhile Borthwick, who continues to be linked with the England job, rested several front-line players, including Chris Ashton, Ben Youngs and Freddie Steward, amid eight changes from the draw with Bristol.
The changes meant a scrappy start at the Swansea.com stadium, though for all their experience, the hosts were particularly guilty of maddening mistakes.
An erratic display, marred by knock-ons and needless penalties, albeit from a whistle-happy referee, meant Ospreys were never in control.
Leicester's back row, including the returning Olly Cracknell and captain Hanro Liebenberg, carried hard in field but the visitors had to do little for a 6-3 lead through Charlie Atkinson.
Ospreys did dominate at the scrum with their all-Wales front row outclassing the young Tigers trio.
It was the platform from which they took a 10-6 lead on the stroke of half-time.
Rhys Webb's kick ahead sparked a scramble behind the tryline as the bouncing ball evaded six players before a Tigers' hand conceded a scrum five metres out.
Smith turned the screw on Joe Heyes who was shown a yellow card for collapsing before the Welshman was on hand to burrow over from close range for the game's opening try.
Nicky Smith burrowed over for the game's opening try
Walsh converted while George North trudged off with a suspected fractured cheekbone after taking a heavy blow in the build up to the try.
Once Heyes returned, Leicester turned the tables with two tries in the space of eight minutes midway through the second half.
Keelan Giles failed to gather Charlie Atkinson's speculative cross-field kick and Potter picked up and dived over.
Watson then showed his class with a wonderful solo score, splitting two defenders before beating Max Nagy and fending off Joe Hawkins to score under the posts.
Ospreys were galvanised as Hawkins, Webb and Alex Cuthbert all made breaks but mistakes continued.
Morris finally found a way over from close range and Jack Walsh converted to close the gap to three points seven minutes from time.
Yet immediately from the restart, Ospreys gave up possession, Tigers determination earned a penalty in front of the posts and Atkinson slotted an easy three points.
It summed up the night for both teams.
Leicester head coach Steve Borthwick said:
"Those young players out there were phenomenal and the sprinkling of more experienced players were also excellent. Anthony Watson did really, really well.
"There was about 650 caps of experience in the Ospreys team, it was almost the Wales test team, but these young lads are hungry and excited by the challenge.
"Our nine and 10 controlled the game well but I was most pleased with the fight we showed to work through a touch patch. You can have the best tactic planned but you always need to fight."
On his future with Leicester amid the links with the England job, he said: "I'm fully focused on Clermont next week. We had two great battles with them last season and I'm looking forward to next week."
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said:
"You spend a lot of effort to get into the main competition and then to not perform against a team that's going to live off the pressure and turnover, it's disappointing because we've shown better than that.
"We got in positions to apply pressure and there were too many unforced errors and penalties.
"As a result, we need to go to Montpellier and play the French champions after the English champions, and get a win in their backyard."
Ospreys: Max Nagy; Alex Cuthbert, George North, Joe Hawkins, Keelan Giles; Jack Walsh, Rhys Webb; Nicky Smith, Scott Baldwin, Tom Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Sam Parry, Gareth Thomas, Tom Botha, Huw Sutton, Rhys Davies, Reuben Morgan Williams, Owen Williams, Michael Collins.
Leicester Tigers: Anthony Watson; Harry Potter, Guy Porter, Dan Kelly, Harry Simmons; Charlie Atkinson, Jack van Poortvliet; James Whitcombe, Charlie Clare, Joe Heyes, Harry Wells, Ollie Chessum, George Martin, Hanro Liebenberg (capt), Olly Cracknell.
Replacements: Gabriel Oghre, Nephi Leatigaga, Will Hurd, Eli Snyman, Sean Jansen, Richard Wigglesworth, Jimmy Gopperth, Matt Scott.
Referee: Ludovic Cayre (France)
Assistant referees: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy & Jonathan Gasnier (France)
TMO: Eric Briquet-Campin (France)