Skip to main content
BBC SPORT / IRISH
Graphics Version | BBC News Home
Sport Homepage | Football | Formula 1 | Olympics | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorsport | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Rugby Union Contents:  Live scores | English | Irish | Scottish | Welsh | My Club | Skills | Laws & Equipment | Get Involved

Friday, 12 May 2006, 20:15 GMT 21:15 UK

Connacht 16-44 Ospreys

CELTIC LEAGUE

Att: 2,250
Action from the Ospreys' win over Connacht The Ospreys moved closer to Heineken Cup qualification by hitting Connacht with seven tries in Galway.

Winger Jonny Vaughton got three tries with fly-half Shaun Connor, hooker Huw Bennett, replacement flanker Lee Beech and centre Sonny Parker also crossing.

Wales Under-21 fly-half James Hook, who will travel to Argentina with the senior squad in June, came on for his first appearance since September 2004.

Connacht only trailed 17-16 at the interval by were overwhelmed late on.

The Ospreys set the ball rolling in the fourth minute. Parker bulldozed up the Connacht line before flicking a pass for Connor to scoot in at the corner.

The classy Connor then sliced through the Connacht defence to set up Bennett's score on 23 minutes.

"Getting people back onto the field after injury and suspension has been the key"
Ospreys coach Lyn Jones

Gavin Henson converted and four minutes later, slick hands from Jonathan Thomas, Connor and Henson sent Vaughton scurrying down the touchline for an excellent score and a 17-6 lead.

A breakaway try from centre John Hearty in first-half injury time kept the province keep in touch at the interval.

Despite having back row Richie Pugh binned for a ruck offence, the Ospreys easily controlled the second half.

Henson landed a penalty to push himself through the 600-point mark in the league.

Beech (62), Vaughton (69, 72) and Parker (80) shared out the tries with Vaughton's hat-trick score seeing him outpace Conor McPhillips down the left wing.

Neath starlet Hook, making only his second appearance in an Ospreys shirt, converted his side's final two tries.


  • Ospreys coach Lyn Jones:
    "We've struggled all season to score tries, but this is a vital time to turn it on.

    "Things have changed since our loss to the Blues in March and we're carrying a lot of momentum into the end of the season.

    "Getting people back onto the field after injury and suspension has been the key.

    "Shane Williams, Gavin Henson and Andy Lloyd have been important, Ian Evans and Alun Wyn Jones have stood up and given us an extra dimension, and the front row have been immense all year."


    Connacht: Slemen, Mostyn, Hearty, Williams, Yapp, McHugh, Keane, Hogan, Fogarty, Knoop, McGowan, Farley, Muldoon, Lacey, Rigney.
    Replacements: McPhillips for Slemen (59), Warwick for McHugh (63), Merrigan for Fogarty (65), Gannon for Farley (15). Not Used: Clarke, Swift, Tierney.

    Ospreys: Henson, Vaughton, S. Parker, A. Bishop, S. Williams, Connor, Spice, D. Jones, Bennett, A. Jones, A. Jones, Evans, Thomas, Pugh, Lloyd.
    Replacements: Hook for Connor (64), S. Terblanche for Spice (76), James for D. Jones (76), B. Williams for Bennett (34), Griffiths for A. Jones (69), Bateman for Wyn Jones (78), Beech for Lloyd (58).

    Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland).




    E-mail this to a friend
    Related to this story:

    BBC Wales Sport coverage (18 Sep 05 |  Wales )

    RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
    Your Say - Scrum V
    BBC Where I Live - Wales
    Rugby union weather
    Welsh rugby web guide
    Scrum V homepage
    Irish RFU
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



    SEARCH BBC SPORT: 

    Sport Homepage | Football | Formula 1 | Olympics | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorsport | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
    Rugby Union Contents:  Live scores | English | Irish | Scottish | Welsh | My Club | Skills | Laws & Equipment | Get Involved

    ^ Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | Feedback | Help | ©