By David Williams
The Mark Jones era at the Ospreys got off to a flying start as an overtime try from Iestyn Hopkins earned his side a dramatic 23-22 West Wales derby win over Scarlets at the Swansea.Com Stadium.
The replacement full back slid over the line as the home side made the most of the space created by the sin binning of Scarlets wing Ioan Nicholas to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
It was the fifth win in a row in the fixture for the home side.
“I thought the Scarlets were clinical off our mistakes in the first half. We spoke about that at half-time and we were far more clinical in the second half and that last play summed it up,” said a delighted Jones, who only took charge four days before the game.
“We knew if we could continue that quality we had enough good players on the field to put the final nail in the coffin.
“I would have liked it to have been before the 82nd minute though!”
Iestyn Hopkins wins it for the Ospreys
FT: Ospreys 23-22 Scarlets
Watch live on BBC Two Wales and @BBCiPlayer #BBCRugby pic.twitter.com/ILKjImA0Ac
— BBC ScrumV (@BBCScrumV) December 21, 2024
Coming on the back of a record European defeat in Montpellier, and a loss in Italy to Zebre in their last outing in the BKT United Rugby Championship, it was as welcome a win as it was much-needed.
And it came without the help of Wales captain Dewi Lake, who missed the game due to a bicep injury picked up in training.
He is due to undergo surgery which Jones admits will keep him out for “months rather than weeks” and make him a doubt for the upcoming Guinness Six Nations which kicks-off in Paris on January 31.
It was Lake’s replacement, fellow international Sam Parry, who bagged the first of the Ospreys three tries.
That came after Dan Edwards had opened the scoring with a penalty for the home side and Ioan Lloyd had responded with three for the Scarlets.
A fourth Lloyd success made it 12-3 before Parry drove over from a line-out to cut the gap.
It’ll be interesting to see what the crowd will be for the Ulster game with an 8pm Saturday kickoff. Could be our lowest European attendance for a while. I know we’re not comparing like with like, but the crowd at Ospreys v Scarlets yesterday teatime was 6,800 which is shocking.
— Phil Jones (@CaerlyrOsprey) December 22, 2024
But it was the Scarlets who ended the half in better shape with an Ellis Mee try and the wing also converted to leave the visitors 19-8 up at the break.
Justin Tipuric burrowed his way over from close range for a welcome second try for the home side, which Edwards improved, to launch the Ospreys’ second half fight back.
Then, Sam Costelow kept his cool to kick a penalty for Scarlets from the 10-metre line after the ball had initially fallen off his kicking tee.
That made it 22-15 with 24 minutes left to play. With skipper Jac Morgan, who was once again named as the man of the match, urging on his side the home team turned up the pressure.
A brilliant Owen Watkins break almost led to a try, but Scarlets lock Sam Lousi was shown a yellow card for cynically killing the ball on the line. That led to an Edwards penalty that cut the gap to four points.
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel expects an emotional Ospreys side in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship west Wales derby #BBCRugby
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) December 19, 2024
Morgan then had a try overturned as the TMO decided he had been held up at the posts and time seemed to be running out for Jones’ men.
The departure of Nicholas, for a deliberate knock down in the 75th minute, gave the Ospreys an advantage which they were able to exploit in the end as they worked Hopkins over wide on the right after winning a line-out in the Scarlets’ 22.
“We are bitterly disappointed. We came here well prepared and I felt at half-time we deserved our commanding lead,” said Scales head coach Dwayne Peel.
“Slowly but surely we let momentum slip in that second half through some inaccuracy and lack of discipline, with two yellow cards not helping.
“It was a game we probably let slip rather than them winning it.”
