Ospreys secured their first European Cup win of the season after a superb performance against English Premiership leaders London Irish gave them a 27-16 victory in Swansea on Friday.
Ospreys wing Tommy Bowe scored a fourth-minute try and Dan Biggar kicked four first-half penalties, but a breakaway try from Sailosi Tagicakibau kept the visitors in touch.
Welsh international Shane Williams took the game away from Irish after a magnificent chip and chase allowed him to cross the try-line in the corner in the 53rd minute to secure an important win.
Photo: AFP
“I had been finding it really difficult to get involved in games this season, but I felt sharp tonight,” Williams said. “I just wanted a crack, to be honest. I feel pretty good. It was a very tough game and there was a lot of pressure on us to play well. It would have been doom and gloom in Wales had we lost.”
The hosts had to see out the match without sin-binned flanker Jerry Collins, who was punished for going over the top, but held on for a victory that prolongs their unbeaten five-year run at home in European competition.
In the other game on Friday, French side Castres secured a 27-20 win at home to Cardiff Blues in Pool 1 after storming into a 27-6 halftime lead thanks to a pair of tries from wingers Vincent Inigo and Marc Andreu.
The Welsh side trailed 27-13 with minutes to play, but salvaged a valuable losing bonus point when replacement prop Scott Andrews crossed in the final minute and Ceri Sweeney kicked the resulting conversion.
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