Biggar bags a vital win
DAN Biggar kicked 14 points as Ospreys came from behind to beat Scarlets 19-9 in a closelyfought Guinness PRO12 derby at the Liberty Stadium.
The victory, which puts Ospreys up to second in the table, was secured with the aid of a second-half penalty try.
Scarlets were not helped that they were shown three yellow cards to scrum Rob Evans, flanker Will Boyde and replacement wing Steff Evans.
Biggar kicked four penalties and a conversion to take his tally to 2,000 points for the Ospreys, while Scarlets’ scores came with three first-half penalties from Rhys Patchell.
Tom Bristow (prop): The 25-year-old loose head has seen limited action so far this term due to the early impact made by Simon McIntyre and the ongoing reliability of Matt Mullan. When called upon Bristow has produced some useful cameos from the bench, and in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and A League.
Jake Cooper-Woolley (prop): After making his first England Saxons tour last summer, Cooper-Woolley will be frustrated to have since missed big chunks of action through injury. His forceful scrummaging was especially missed at Gloucester and Worcester where Wasps’ front row was under pressure.
Tom Cruse (hooker): If the leg injury he sustained didn’t prevent it, Cruse would surely have spent the last few weeks kicking the cat. Having begun the season as No.3 hooker, the former London Irish No.2 provided a salutory lesson in taking chances when they come along, and worked his way from the A League team into a Premiership starting spot. While Tommy Taylor’s return from England duty would probably have checked his upward mobility, Cruse’s mobility marked him out as a man going places until injury intervened.
Marcus Garratt (lock): Garratt’s splendidly fractious contribution to the A League defeat at Franklin’s Gardens caught the eye, since when he has been name-checked by his director of rugby following a couple of impressive Anglo-Welsh outings. The former Cornish Pirate has also impressed some good judges on loan at Moseley, where he is under the watchful eye of former England lock Louis Deacon.
James Gaskell (lock): 26-year-old Gaskell’s leadership qualities (he was once Sale’s youngest ever skipper) have been rewarded with the captain’s armband on a couple of occasions, and his athleticism caused Worcester all sorts of problems in the lineout at Sixways. Gaskell’s brief sojourn at No.6 at Gloucester was not a success, but he is neck-and-neck with Messrs Myall and Symons to partner Captain Launchers in the engine room as the season progresses.
Ben Harris (prop): The on-loan Newcastle loose head, who provided bench cover at Worcester, did a good job in helping Wasps close out a win in the closing stages.
James Haskell (flanker): Nathan Hughes (No.8):
Ashley Johnson (hooker/flanker): Probably the stand-out forward from the first half of Wasps’ season, Johnson produced a string of robust ball-carrying displays while Hughes was away with England. Johnson’s ability to switch positions from hooker to No.6, without performance levels dropping, has been crucial to Wasps during the absence of others through injury.