OSPREYS FAIL TO CAUSE AN UPSET
THE Ospreys failed to defy the form book as Leinster posted their 24th consecutive Guinness PRO14 victory.
Just six days earlier Toby Booth’s side had fallen to Zebre, a side who had previously won only once in the league since January.
So it was hardly a surprise that they came unstuck against opponents who arrived in Swansea with a perfect record this season: bonus-point successes in all games.
They maintained their unblemished form with another four-try victory.
Ospreys had started well, scoring a penalty try after just eight minutes.
But once the Irish team moved up the gears at forward there was only one side in it.
James Tracy, Dave Kearney, Scott Penny and Peter Dooley scored their tries, with skipper Rhys Ruddock a deserved man of the match — the big man powering forward like an Irish Godzilla, boasting a physicality the Ospreys couldn’t match.
His dad Mike Ruddock, the Ospreys development boss, must have been proud of his son.
The hosts tried hard, with Mat Protheroe, Will Griffiths and the indefatigable Dan Lydiate their best players on the day, but Leinster had too much, with the province operating at a speed the Welsh team struggled to live with.
The loss was the third for Booth’s team to suffer from five games in 2020-21.
But the Englishman is surely realistic enough to realise that when it comes to strengh in depth in this competition, Leinster blow everyone out of the water.
Leinster led 19-7 at the break after countering an early Ospreys try with three of their own.
The hit their straps first, forcing the visitors back with some direct carrying, with Griffiths, usually a lock but playing out of position at blindside, to the fore.
They took the lead after winning a scrum penalty for Cai Evans to propel the ball towards the flag. From the resultant line-out, taken by Adam Beard, the Ospreys drove a maul which Leinster could only stop by illegal means.
They had their flanker Penny yellow-carded for his troubles.
But Leinster were not long in replying.
Two tries came in seven minutes – the first after a driving maul which was finished off by hooker Tracy; then came a peach of a score which saw Leinster at their best.
They turned over a home line-out and spread the ball left, where Rory O’Loughlin provided an injection of pace.
A pass or two later and Dave Kearney was crossing in the corner. It was simple rugby executed with accuracy and breathtaking speed.
The classy Harry Byrne set up Leinster’s third score with a sweet pass out wide to Penny, who crossed after a juggle.
Ospreys brought on Ifan Phillips for Dewi Lake after a first half that saw three line-outs picked off.
The set-piece did improve and that was a plus for the home side, but they couldn’t generate quick ball like Leinster.
When the visitors attacked, it was as if an alarm had sounded to put everyone in their team in a higher gear. When the Ospreys attacked it sometimes seemed they were wading through treacle, the elusive Protheroe aside.
The final Leinster score came from Dooley from a tapped penalty.
They were simply too quick and too strong.