Skipper Alun Wyn Jones scored the first of three tries as the Ospreys flexed their muscles with a devastating forward display. Adam Jones, playing his 100th game in the competitioin, followed before their advantage at the scrum was finally rewarded when Tom Smith touched down for a push over try late on.
Victory saw the Ospreys consolidate their two point lead in second place over Munster – both teams trail behind runaway leaders Leinster – and if they can win their final two games, against the Dragons at home and Aironi away, they will be at home in the semi-finals.
Man of the match Ryan Jones said: “This team is full of confidence that has come from within as well as strength in depth. We have guys coming to the fore who are going to get their chances over the coming weeks and I’m sure we are going to do well.
“I don’t think we have seen the best of this team. There are a few things to work on and we need to be more accurate on some things but with hard work and more efficiency at the breakdown, I’m sure we can do better.”
It was a different story for the Blues who suffered more misery with their fifth successive defeat. This defeat ended any faint hopes they may have harboured of a late push for the Pay-Offs as their season peters out with a whimper, heaping more pressure on joint coaches Gareth Baber and Justin Burnell.
Dan Biggar celebrated becoming the youngest player to make 100 appearances for the Ospreys by surpassing 700 career-points with an 18-point haul. But it was the sheer power of the forwards that proved the difference as the Ospreys over-tuned a 12-6 half-time deficit to run out comfortable winners at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Jones: “It was a great derby and I’m so pleased with this group of players. We came under a lot of pressure in the New Year but we’ve stuck together, worked hard as a team and we have come away with a fantastic win here at Cardiff.
It had looked a different story when Leigh Halfpenny edged the battle of the kickers in the half-half. The Ospreys are at the foot of the ‘Fair Play’ table in the Pro12 this season and their troubles continued from the opening minute.
Yet it was the Blues twice reduced to 14 men after Gavin Evans and Ceri Sweeney were shown yellow cards in either half for deliberately knocking down passes. Moments after Sweeney departed Jones broke the deadlock following a line-out drive that enabled Justin Tipuric to break clear, sucking in defenders before the Wales lock chose his angle of running superbly.
Jones burst onto Rhys Webb’s pass, swerving past Leigh Halfpenny before stretching out of Dafydd Hewitt’s desperate challenge for the game’s opening try. It was the least the Ospreys deserved and Dan Biggar kicked the conversion. It was a score to break Cardiff resistance and just six minutes later, it was another Jones crashing over from close range.
Tipuric was again the instigator before his fellow forwards nudged closer from where British Lions prop Jones proved unstoppable despite two defenders. Replacement Smith then put the icing on a devastating forward display as the Ospreys exposed more problems in the Cardiff scrum, driving over for the No8 to touch down in the final minute.
