Teen star Giles jets in for star try in rout
KEELAN Giles announced his arrival in senior rugby with a try-scoring debut in this rout for table-topping Ospreys.
The teenager was rewarded for winning a Grand Slam with Wales Under-20s with a call to the New Zealand tour in the summer before touching a ball for the Ospreys.
But the 18-year-old showed just why Steve Tandy and Warren Gatland are excited about him with a scintillating try.
Giles raced onto Justin Tipuric pass before stepping past three defenders and out-pacing two more on his way to the Ospreys’ seventh try.
Just moments earlier he had shown no fear in taking on – and beating seasoned international Luke McLean and there is real excitement around the Liberty Stadium about this new talent.
By the time he took the field along with Dan Biggar and Alun Wyn Jones, for their first appearances of the season, this game had long been over as a contest.
Ben John, Sam Parry, Jeff Hassler, Dan Evans and Dafydd Howells had all scored as Ospreys continued their record-breaking start to the season with a thumping victory.
Steve Tandy’s revitalised team became the first team to start a Guinness Pro12 season with three successive bonus-point wins.
That two of those were against a dispiritingly poor Italian side will be of little consequence for the Ospreys who can only beat the team put in front of them.
Though their run of seven successive try-bonuses, stretching back to the end of last season, proves Tandy has got their game in order.
Treviso made life easy by collecting three yellow cards. A a penalty try and others from Jones and Ma’afu Fia completed the landslide before Dean Budd scored for Treviso in the final seconds, to the Ospreys frustration.
A reckless late tackle on Davies amid one series of kicks drew a penalty that Davies guided into the corner. It was ideal territory from which to attack, especially with the reliability of service from the Pro12’s leading lineout exponent, Rory Thornton.
John picked his angle and his opponent cleverly, beating the out-stretched arm of lock Filo Paulo with
a step and burst of speed for the opening try after 22 minutes.
It was to prove the breaking of the floodgates as Ospreys wrapped up a bonus-point with three more tries in the space of eight minutes before halftime. Parry crashed over for his fourth try in three games, Hassler then showed a combination of power and pace before Evans clinched a bonuspoint with the pick of the bunch.
Even when Treviso had the ball in hand, Tipuric was able to get an arm in and rip possession from their grasp.
His turnover, the alertness of Ollie Cracknell and quick hands from John meant the Ospreys were clear.
Howells had the confidence to take on defenders, Tom Habberfield, wearing the captain’s armband, provided support and Evans offered the finishing touch to a wonderful team try that looked to have secured maximum points before half-time.
Howells continued the rout with a sensational acrobatic effort, touching down in mid-air with his right hand before the penalty try, then Giles scorching past four defenders to score, Fia and Jones crossing before Budd’s last minute charged down kick.