Gutsy Ospreys make it tough for French aces

By ROGER PANTING

Ospreys …………..10pts

Tries: K Williams 21

Conversions: Anscombe 21

Penalties: Anscombe 31

Racing 92 ……….25pts

Tries: Imhoff 34, Vakatawa 57, Thomas 72

Conversions: Gibert 57, 72

Penalties: Machenaud 6, Russell 67

RACING’S search for the Holy Grail remains on course but they will have to play a whole lot better if they are going to achieve their longheld ambition of winning European Cup.

Racing have been beaten finalists on three occasions and are well fancied to go one better this year but their galacticos were made to look ordinary for large parts by spirited Ospreys.

It took until eight minutes from time to secure the victory which takes them through to the quarter-finals.

Racing’s British Lion fly-half Finn Russell said: “It was far from our best performance. It was frustrating that there were occasions that we were in their 22 but didn’t come away with points.

“There were a lot of errors and poor discipline but we are through to the next round even if we are not happy with our effort.

“Credit to Ospreys, they won a lot of collisions up front in the first 60 minutes but in the end it showed the power that we had coming off the bench.”

Russell wasn’t at his best. He and his threequarters were erratic in their passing and so the efforts of their dominant forwards went largely unrewarded.

Ospreys had little possession but for most of the game they seemed not to need it as the French repeatedly ran into a brick wall with flanker Jac Morgan and centres Keiran Williams and Owen Watkin leading the defensive effort.

Racing made the quicker start with Julian Imhoff and Tedy Baubigny making strong runs to threaten the home defence.

Baubingny was stopped by a high tackle from Alex Cuthbert, which earned the Ospreys wing a yellow card with Maxime Machenaud kicking the resulting penalty.

Down to 14, Ospreys were placed under considerable pressure, conceding five penalties in the opening 12 minutes, and were fortunate not to pick up another yellow card.

However, the home side kept their line intact for Cuthbert to return in time to see them, totally against the run of play, take the lead.

With their first attack of the game, in which Watkin and Dewi Lake made valuable contributions, they were able to pick up the opening try when Rhys Webb sent Williams over

Gareth Anscombe was on target with the conversion and a subsequent penalty before the French responded in style.

They flung the ball wide to provide space for Teddy Thomas, who twice kicked ahead for Imhoff to win the race to touchdown. Machenaud missed the conversion to leave his side trailing 10-8 at the interval.

Ten minutes after the restart, Ospreys flanker Will Griffiths became the second home player to be sin-binned, this time for a deliberate knock-on.

Anscombe was short with a penalty from the half-way line before his side lost a line-out on halfway for Russell and Gael Fickou to combine and send Virimi Vakatawa in under the posts.

Griffiths returned with his side still in contention but Russell fired over a long distance penalty to give Racing some breathing space.

The French then sealed victory as Thomas rounded Luke Morgan to score as Ospreys wilted.

Ospreys head coach, Toby Booth said: “I thought we gave them a real fright but against the very best, if you don’t finish what you create then the best are going to keep coming at you.”