Match Report: Ospreys 31 – 24 Saints

A late Luke Morgan try for Ospreys proved the difference, as Northampton Saints ended their preseason campaign with a narrow 31-24 defeat in south Wales.

The visitors led 12-3 at the break at Dunraven Brewery Field, as Angus Scott-Young’s first Saints score added to an earlier penalty try earned by the pack.

As both sides rang the changes in the second half, the game opened up – and while Tom Collins and Brandon Nansen both crossed the whitewash with impressive solo efforts, a try for Cai Evans and Garyn Phillips’ double saw the game level at 24-24 with ten minutes to play, before Morgan’s 77th-minute score snatched a win for Ospreys.

FIRST HALF

A bright start from Saints saw the visitors work the ball all the way up the field from the kick-off, with some good early touches from Matt Proctor, Alex Mitchell and Juarno Augustus earning Northampton ground before Alex Mitchell’s grubber-kick was touched down behind the try line by the hosts’ defence and they could clear.

With a quarter of an hour played however, the Ospreys built some pressure with a couple of scrum penalties and a mini-break from No.9 Rhys Webb taking them into the 22. An offside penalty against the visitors allowed former Saint Stephen Myler to kick the opening points of the match and hand his side a 3-0 advantage.

But a scrum penalty won by Northampton loosehead Emmanuel Iyogun on halfway handed his side the platform to attack, and a penalty try followed in the 23rd minute as Ospreys infringed with Saints’ lineout drive rumbling towards the whitewash.

The visitors’ scrum again did some damage three minutes later, as the ball was won against the head allowing Augustus to surge 50 metres upfield. Ospreys scrambled to clear to touch but, from the resulting lineout, smart hands from James Ramm and Joel Matavesi paved the way for flanker Scott-Young to score his first try in Northampton colours and take the scoreline to 12-3.

Myler pegged Saints back into their own corner with a cross-field kick, and soon after skipper Alex Mitchell and Augustus had to combine to tackle 14 into touch to prevent a try. But stern lineout defence from Saints then repelled the attack before James Grayson stripped the ball to win back possession and see his side into the sheds with a nine-point lead.

SECOND HALF

Director of Rugby Phil Dowson rung the changes at the interval with Alex Waller, Sam Matavesi, Alfie Petch, Alex Moon, and Callum Braley entering the action – although Matavesi did not make the impact he would have wanted as he saw yellow three minutes into the half for an offence at the maul.

And the hosts then cut the gap to two points, as a smart tip-on from Justin Tipuric created the space for Cai Evans to score with replacement Jack Walsh converting from out wide.

Saints hit back with a quality length-of-the-field score; Ramm broke clear and timed his pass to Collins perfectly on halfway, with the speedster then stepping his way around the last defender to score in the corner.

Grayson’s conversion just drifted wide and Ospreys hooker Garyn Phillips was over moments later as he was quickest to reach a loose lineout deep in Saints territory, and Walsh’s conversion this time levelled the scores at 17-17.

A huge carry from Nansen off the back of a scrum saw the lock hold off several defenders and burrow over, and Grayson landed the conversion to extend the lead back out to seven points.

But from there it was Ospreys who hit their stride, as Phillips again went over from short range before the hosts took advantage of a yellow card for Nansen, who was sin-binned for a high shot meaning Saints had to finish the clash with 14 men.

Ospreys found the space by flinging the ball wide for Morgan to score in the corner, and Luke Scully’s two impressive conversions from out wide meant it was the Welsh side who led 31-24 come the final whistle.

A busy week lies ahead for Northampton as the 2022/23 campaign gets underway in earnest, with the men in Black, Green and Gold first taking on Saracens in the Premiership Rugby Cup, before a Gallagher Premiership trip to Sale Sharks next Friday evening.

LINE-UPS

OSPREYS: Smith, Phillips, Henry, Botha, Warren, Baldwin, Taione, R Davies, H Sutton, B Davies, T Davies, J Morgan, Tipuric, Roots, Deaves, Morris; Webb, R Williams, Aubrey, Myler, Walsh, Giles, Florence, L Morgan, Hawkins, K Williams, Scully, Evans, Nagy.

SAINTS: Hendy, Sleightholme, Proctor, Dingwall, Ramm, J Grayson, Mitchell (c); Iyogun, Haywood, Hill, Salakaia-Loto, Coles, Scott-Young, Graham, Augustus.
Replacements: A Waller, S Matavesi, Smith, Petch, Heffernan, Moon, Nansen, Hinkley, Irvine, Braley, James, Arden, Collins, J Matavesi, Litchfield, Skosan.