The Ospreys welcomed back the majority of their Rugby World Cup stars and it helped them to a 16-3 home win over Munster. First half tries by Lee Byrne and Shane Williams were enough to grab the points in a scrappy affair at the Liberty Stadium.
After drawing to Edinburgh last weekend, Lyn Jones’s star-studded side included all his internationals bar Alun Wyn Jones and James Hook for the visit of the 2006 Heineken Cup champions, who welcomed back Irish squad members Brian Carney and Alan Quinlan to the fold.
There was also a place in the starting XV for the Ospreys newest young fly half talent, Gareth Owen, who made his full regional debut.
The Ospreys took the lead on three minutes when the 18-year-old Maesteg-born Owen slotted over a close-range penalty after wing Brian Carney failed to release the ball. Munster fly half Paul Warwick had a miserable day with the boot as he missed three easy-looking penalties in the opening half.
Munster competed well at the breakdown but threw away a golden opportunity on 19 minutes when hooker Denis Fogarty knocked on just metres short of the try line. Flanker Quinlan’s exquisite chip found wing Carney who was held up short of the line and in the next phase, Fogarty couldn’t handle the ball.
The miss was to prove expensive as the Ospreys stepped up the pressure. Scrum half Mike Phillips surged through the Munster defence and over the try line but Television Match Official Hugh Watkins disallowed the try.
But the home side weren’t to be denied and on 35 minutes it was Owen who made the crucial break before his pass found fullback Lee Byrne who beat the last-ditch challenge from Carney to score the first try of the afternoon.
Just four minutes later, the Ospreys kept the TMO busy with the fourth decision of the half as Shane Williams displayed his dancing feet to ease past Ian Dowling to score in the right corner to extend the Ospreys’ half-time lead to 13 points.
Owen and replacement kicker Jeremy Manning swapped penalties as the Ospreys sealed their comfortable victory.
