Protheroe produces the goods with debut double
MAT PROTHEROE grabbed two tries on his Ospreys debut as the Welsh region opened their PRO14 campaign by dismantling Edinburgh in horrendous conditions at Murrayfield.
The visitors, who failed to win an away league game last season and finished bottom of Conference A with only two victories, looked a side transformed under new head coach Toby Booth, guided by the steady hand of veteran fly-half Stephen Myler.
Edinburgh, with their semi-final collapse to Ulster last month still fresh in the memory, appeared rusty and sluggish by comparison. They led 7-0 but then conceded 20 unanswered points and rarely threatened a comeback.
After an error-ridden early kick-fest in driving rain, Edinburgh wing Jamie Farndale broke the deadlock with a storming break from deep off the left flank.
He found the supporting Chris Dean but when the centre’s scoring pass to Mark Bennett was intercepted by Justin Tipuric, referee Andrew Brace deemed it a deliberate knock-on and awarded the hosts a penalty try, dispatching the Wales flanker to the sin-bin.
Edinburgh had an extra man for all of a minute, lock Grant Gilchrist yellow-carded for a dangerous ruck clear-out.
Ospreys hit back with a patient series of phases that saw prop Nicky Smith driven over from close range, Myler converting and adding a penalty for a 10-7 lead.
The visitors went further ahead on the half-hour with a sublime counter-attack featuring superb balance and vision from centre Kieran Williams, who sent Protheroe slicing through the remaining cover for his first try since arriving from Bristol.
Myler again added the extras and booted his second penalty to put the Ospreys 20-7 up.
Edinburgh had lost two back rowers – Luke Crosbie and Magnus Bradbury – to injury inside the first quarter, so lock Andrew Davidson was pressed into action on the flank.
Two missed penalties from Van der Walt didn’t help their cause before the fly-half landed a three-pointer with the last kick of the half.
But Richard Cockerill’s men, missing several key players, failed to muster another point as they slumped to a third straight home defeat.
Ospreys saw out victory with relative ease, Protheroe effectively settling the outcome with another smart finish in the left corner after being put over by the impressive Rhys Webb.