Ospreys scored four tries before half-time, as Adam Beard, Jac Morgan, Rhys Davies and Dewi Lake all crossed over before the break. Only a solo Blair Murray score for the Scarlets consolodated the damage, with the game looking like it was wrapped up by half time.
A further two tries for the Ospreys from Jack Walsh and Daniel Kasende moved the home side out of sight, and booked their ticket into the quarter-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup. Eddie James crossed over from close range in the dying embers, but the game was far past the Scarlets by that point.
Ospreys: 36
Tries: Adam Beard (1′), Jac Morgan (4′), Rhys Davies (29′), Dewi Lake (39′),Jack Walsh (53′), Daniel Kasende (62′)
Conversions: Dan Edwards (2′,30′,39′)
Penalties: 0
Yellow cards: 0
Red cards: 0
Scarlets: 7
Tries: 2 Blair Murray (11′), Eddie James (72′)
Conversions: 2 Ioan Lloyd (11′,72′)
Penalties: 0
Yellow cards: 0
Red cards: 0
Ospreys player ratings
1. Gareth Thomas – 6
Thomas absolutely battered down the visiting defence whether it be in open play or at the scrum nearly everything he did was a positive impact for his team.
2. Dewi Lake – 7
Lake was brilliant on the ball bringing so much energy and dynamism to a dominant Ospreys attack which tore the visitors apart at times.
3. Tom Botha – 6
Botha gained the home side some clever penalties and frustrated the Scarlets at scrum time and around the field was industrious effectively.
4. Rhys Davies – 6
Just like Beard Davies was really solid in attack and played some smart rugby in the way he picked his running lines like he did for his try.
5. Adam Beard – 7
Caused issues for the Scarlets lineout when they cropped up, had some good flashes in attack picking some nice lines and using his size well in defence and even grabbed himself the opening try for his efforts.
6. Jac Morgan (C) – 8
Morgan was absolutely everywhere and lead from the front from the start with some huge hits in defence and some even bigger carries to boot in attack which got him a try.
7. Justin Tipuric – 7
Tipuric despite being never getting younger still shows his class of years gone by with some great work around the field on both sides of the game.
8. Morgan Morris – 7
Morris tops off a fantastic back row showing from the Ospreys which caused the Scarlets so many headaches and ultimately was a key to so much of their joy.
9. Reuben Morgan-Williams – 7
The young Ospreys scrum-half looked full of energy and confidence against his veteran opposite number. Distribution was squeaky clean and looked exciting with ball in hand in open play.
10. Dan Edwards – 8
Edwards basked in his side’s dominance with some really clever kicks in the first half and some great examples of solo skills to break down the Scarlets’ defence.
11. Keelan Giles – 6
A quiet afternoon for Giles in a game that you would expect to suit a flying winger with just how open it was but ultimately everything went the other side of the field but a solid showing nonetheless.
12. Kieran Williams – 7
Williams looked so explosive in his carries, he was making yards from practically nothing which took the pressure off Edwards to dictate plays and gave his side a huge weapon in attack.
13. Evardi Boshoff – 6
Boshoff didn’t exactly put a foot wrong but he also didn’t spark the game in anyway he was just a steady pair of hands and complimented the rest of his backline really well with some great skills.
14. Daniel Kasende – 7
Kasende looked exciting for so much of the game he was just waiting for his chance to come and when it did come he took it with a really nice finish for his try,
15. Jack Walsh – 7
A fantastic solo try topped off a more than solid showing from Walsh who was just reliable throughout.
Replacements
16. Sam Parry – 5
17. Garyn Phillips – 6
18. Ben Warren – 6
19. James Fender – 6
20. Morgan Morse – N/A
21. Luke Davies – 5
22. Owen Williams – 6
23. Iestyn Hopkins – N/A
Scarlets player ratings
1. Alec Hepburn – 5
Hepburn struggled hugely and was up against it for so much of the time he was on the field he never got the chance to impact the game.
2. Ryan Elias – 5
To be fair to Elias his 40 minutes on the field were disrupted with a brief stint on the sideline for injury checks but apart from that he just looked off the pace of the game.
3. Henry Thomas – 5
Struggled physically in the first half and was at fault for some costly penalties for the visitors which punished them in the end.
4. Jac Price – 5
Price was ultimately the victim of his sides struggles as a lack of attacking set piece or situations to utilise his skillset were starved in the opening half.
5. Sam Lousi – 5
Lousi was unusually quiet which is most likely down to the lack of attacking chances the Scarlets in open play which suit him so well.
6. Vaea Fifita – 5
Fifita didn’t make anywhere near the impact of his opposite numbers and looked two or three phases behind the game especially in defence.
7. Josh Macleod – 6
Macleod put in a huge defensive shift when his side were surviving by the skin off their teeth and that was all he really could do in the situation his team faced.
8. Taine Plumtree – 6
Plumtree showed flashes of good but ultimately it wasn’t enough and more often than not he was just there to try put a stop to the Ospreys’ attack.
9. Gareth Davies – 4
For a player of so much experience Davies did little to use his wisdom to help rescue his side in anyway and instead just faded into nothingness for the time he was on the field.
10. Ioan Lloyd – 6
Lloyd looked good in parts especially when the Scarlets attack got some momentum he seemed more comfortable in dictating the attack on the front foot.
11. Ellis Mee – 5
Mee was shut out of any clear chances and was left to try and help sweep up any leaks in the defence which he did okay.
12. Eddie James – 6
James looked solid at twelve with some strong carries to try and create something for his side and even got a try with a very nice short line.
13. Joe Roberts – 5
Roberts just looked off the pace of the game especially in defence he lacked energy and awareness of the Ospreys onslaught.
14. Macs Page – 5
Page was similar to Mee where he was completely shut out by the host’s defensive shift and never got the chance to get going with the ball.
15. Blair Murray – 7
Murray was comfortably the Scarlets’ best player on the pitch looking dangerous with the ball in hand and a constant threat in open play.
Replacements
16. Marnus Van Der Merwe – 4
17. Sam O’Connor – 5
18. Sam Wainwright – 5
19. Alex Craig – 5
20. Jarrod Taylor – 5
21. Efan Jones – 4
22. Ioan Nicholas – N/A
23. Dan Davis – 5
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