Western Mail

Hair-Raising Stuff ...

Ospreys Look Determined to Do It the Hard Way This Year

ONE thing is for sure, if the Ospreys are going to achieve European glory this season, they are clearly going to do it the hard way. There was a real sense of deja vu against the French championship leaders yesterday, as the Welsh Galacticos threw away a commanding lead for the second week in a row.

Clermont Reflect On First-Half Mistakes ; Clermont View Vern Cotter

CLERMONT AUVERGNE coachVern Cotter was left to rue a tale of two halves as he reflected on his side's narrow defeat at the Liberty Stadium. The French championship leaders were outplayed by the Ospreys in the opening period, conceding three tries to trail 22-3 at the break. But they then bounced with a rapid three-try blitz of their own to take the lead, only to ultimately lose out by a single point.

We Are in Position to Take Control of the Pool ; Ospreys View Sean Holley

HEAD coach Sean Holley believes the Ospreys are in a strong position after the first two rounds of Heineken Cup group matches. The Liberty Stadium outfit followed up their 32-32 draw away to Leicester with a 25-24 victory over Clermont Auvergne yesterday in another nail-biting encounter.

Big Guns Handed a Viadana Warning

Viadana Leicester 11 46 HEADcoach Richard Cockerill insisted Viadana proved to be a tough test despite Leicester's 46-11 Heineken Cup triumph in Italy. Full-back Scott Hamilton grabbed a hat-trick to add to further scores from Johne Murphy, Tom Croft, Lucas Amorosino and a penalty try as the Tigers picked up maximum points in the Pool Three clash.

Scarlets Serve Up European High for Delighted Davies

NIGEL DAVIES has been involved in two Heineken Cup semi-finals and six quarter-finals with the Scarlets... but he reckons their mesmerising triumph over London Irish topped the lot. When his view was backed up by a warrior like former Ireland captain Simon Easterby everybody should take notice.

Natural Look Is Better for Cheika

Brive Leinster 13 36 LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika was pleased with how his team played their natural game as the Heineken Cup champions got their campaign back on track with a 36-13 win over Brive. Rob Kearney's first-half try helped Leinster build a 19-6 lead at the break and, although Gerhard Vosloo touched down for the home side in the second period, a late double from replacement Kevin McLaughlin ensured Leinster ran out comfortable winners. It was an important victory for Cheika's men, ...

We Were Really Taught a Lesson

LONDON IRISH coach Toby Booth admitted Scarlets were good value for their jaw-dropping victory over his high-flyers. Booth shrugged off suggestions from the English media that complacency had cost the Exiles dearly in the Pool Six classic.

We Are Capable of Beating Anyone

DAVID LYONS hailed success at London Irish as the Scarlets' most important win since he joined them. And he warned Heineken Cup holders Leinster, who the Scarlets face in back-to-back December fixtures in Pool Six: "If we play to our potential we are capable of beating anyone.

Bath Pay As Dupuy Puts the Boot In

Bath Stade 27 29 JULIEN DUPUY returned to ruin Bath's Heineken Cup ambitions for a second successive season as Stade Francais stole a dramatic 29-27 Recreation Ground victory. The scrum-half's seventh penalty a minute from time condemned Bath to their second successive Pool Four defeat.

Young Is Backing Blues to Sustain Euro Bid

THE Blues must beat European giants Toulouse at Cardiff City Stadium in the next round of matches to keep their quarter-final dream alive. The hopes of last season's semi-finalists are dangling by a thread following their 27-26 Pool Five defeat to Sale Sharks in Stockport and Toulouse's 23-19 victory at Harlequins.

Quins' Kingston Still Setting Sights On the Last Eight

Harlequins Toulouse 19 23 HARLEQUINS' Heineken Cup hopes are hanging by a thread, but head coach John Kingston has not given up on securing quarter-final status. Quins, whose European campaign last season was scarred by the 'Bloodgate' fake injury scandal, have collected just one point from two games in Pool Five.

Redpath Left to Count the Full Cost of Individual Errors

Biarritz Gloucester 42 15 GLOUCESTER coach Bryan Redpath admitted his team paid a big price for individual mistakes after losing 42- 15 to Biarritz. Biarritz wing Takudzwa Ngwenya scored a hat-trick to inflict a heavy defeat on Gloucester at Parc des Sports Aguilera.

Charteris Keeping Dream of Last Eight Spot Alive

LUKE CHARTERIS insists the Dragons' dream of Heineken Cup qualification for the latter stages is still alive and kicking. The Wales lock guided the Gwent region to a vital home win over Glasgow Warriors in Pool Two on Friday night.

Warwick: Munster Can Still Improve

Munster Treviso 41 10 MUNSTER full-back Paul Warwick believes the two-time Heineken Cup champions remain "a work in progress" after securing a 41-10 comeback victory over Benetton Treviso at Thomond Park. Warwick bagged his side's opening try and the man-of-the-match accolade as Munster recovered from a sluggish start to put the brave but limited Italians in their place.

Horgan Relief After Neath Edge Thriller

Swansea Neath 27 31 NEATH director of rugby Patrick Horgan was left with mixed emotions after his side edged the most pulsating of local derbies. He had to watch as the Welsh All Blacks first concede three converted tries in 20 minutes in the first half and then had to claw their way back to eventually take the lead for the first time in the match in the final minute.

Giles Sees Red As Rivals Go to War in Derby Clash

Newport Pontypool 53 14 FOR two clubs under the wing of the Dragons, there was little comradeship shown as four players got yellow cards and Pontypool's prop Neil Giles saw red. There appeared to be a bubble boiling from the off, but it burst in the 16th minute into ugly violence which resulted in Giles being dismissed and his colleague Morgan Allen receiving yellow, along with Newport's Sam Waldron and Michael Poole.

Quins Left to Rue Costly Misses

Carm Quins Llanelli 10 18 IT was rough justice that Carmarthen Quins didn't get anything from an intense local derby, but it was a case of not turning pressure into points. They had enough possession and territory to have won it comfortably, Llanelli didn't even get into their 22 in the first half, but turnovers and missed kicks cost them the consolation of a losing bonus point in the end.

Drovers Turn On the Style in Record Romp

Llandovery Aberavon 52 34 IN Church Bank's most fluid and entertaining game for many a season, Llandovery chalked up a record win over the Wizards. The Drovers were in vibrant form with the back row of Nio Aiono, Josh Turnbull and Johnathan Edwards, plus the entire back division, running and handling with huge confidence. In the 86-point spectacular, they outscored Aberavon by seven tries to five.

Keys Are in Control to Add to Vale Woe

Ebbw Vale Cross Keys 12 36 CROSS KEYS ran away with this Gwent derby game by scoring three converted tries in the final quarter after all the first 27 points had come from penalty goals. It was a defeat that leaves Ebbw Vale in 13th place in the table and they rarely looked likely to score other than through the boot of fly-half Gareth Bowen.