Ospreys plummet as Evans sent off in double quick time
Dan Evans was sent off after just 37 seconds, but the Ospreys admitted they could not complain at the decision as Racing 92 moved top of Pool Four with a convincing bonus-point win.
The Welsh region have been their country’s standard bearers for the majority of the professional era, but these are dark days at the Liberty Stadium. With one win all season, head coach Allen Clarke is no longer in charge of the team, and a crippling combination of injuries and World Cup absentees has seen the side lose confidence at an alarming rate of knots.
Evans was dismissed for kicking Teddy Thomas in the head, albeit unintentionally. After that, the game was always going to be a procession and so it proved as Racing scored through Thomas (two), Teddy Baubigny, a penalty try, Yoan Tanga-Mangene and Henry Chavancy and Maxime Machenaud kicked four conversions.
Captain Dan Lydiate said: “The red card was never intentional, but player welfare is paramount.” Forwards coach Carl Hogg added: “It makes it very difficult when you get a red card in the first minute and you have to play one of the best teams in Europe.”
Ospreys’ debutant fly-half Marty McKenzie – brother of All Black Damian – kicked off and Racing returned it with interest. Evans went up to claim the ball, dropped it, but as he rose to the skies his foot connected with Thomas’s face. It was not deliberate, but he rightly saw red under the law.
Ospreys went ahead through Hanno Dirksen and McKenzie converted.
The Ospreys lost Wales centre Owen Watkin to a worrying knee injury and his midfield partner Scott Williams to the sin bin for killing the ball, and Racing’s first try came when their giant forwards rumbled over the line. Hooker Baubigny was the scorer, Machenaud converted. Thomas made it two and things soon got even worse.
With Zebo sprinting clear down the middle, his pass was knocked on by Aled Davies. Not only was the Wales scrum-half yellow carded, but Murphy awarded a penalty try. The automatic seven points was followed by a second for Thomas as the maverick Finn Russell wove his magic to create the bonus-point score.– four French tries in 11 minutes as Racing led 28-7 at the break.
Racing replacement Tanga-Mangene made five French tries.
Ma’afu Fia gave the Ospreys a try and then Davies jumped over the ruck and to the line after taking a quick tap. McKenzie converted the first score.
There was still time for Racing captain Chavancy to smash over and Ospreys’ Shaun Venter to have a late effort for a bonus point ruled out.