SAINTS MAGIC TOO LATE TO DENY WIZARDS OF OS
OSPREYS held off a stirring fightback from Northampton to secure their first win of the season in the Champions Cup.
Saints have now been beaten in all three tournament matches and their hopes of progression from the pool stages are already over.
Stephen Myler, brought on early after Piers Francis suffered a head injury, put Northampton ahead with a simple kick in front of the posts.
After conceding that early penalty, Steve Tandy’s visitors ran riot with 17 unanswered points before the interval.
Even more remarkable for Ospreys was that 10 of those points came when they were down to 14 men with Jeff Hassler yellowcarded for repeated infringements. Things went from bad to worse for Northampton as tries from Hassler (2), Dan Evans and Kieron Fonotia put the visitors 43-8 in front, with Dylan Hartley offering a solitary try in response.
However, Saints then launched a remarkable comeback, with Nic Groom, Rob Horne, Ahsee Tuala and Harry Mallinder all going over to take Saints to within 11 points of their visitors.
Mallinder’s score sparked a melee, for which the Northampton man and Ospreys’ Rob McCusker were sent to the bin.
And Ospreys finished with 13 men when Hanno Dirksen was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on JP Estelles.
But the Welshmen were able to hang on for a win that keeps their European ambitions alive.