Crucial try: Benjamin de Jager
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Ospreys needed an 80th minute-penalty to claim a 26-26 draw against a spirited Treviso side in an enthralling encounter at Stadio Comunale di Monigo on Saturday.
Replacement fly-half Matthew Morgan split the uprights from long range to deny Treviso an historic Heineken Cup victory in the last minute.
Off the base of a massive effort from their impressive forward pack, Treviso outscored the Welsh side three tries to two.
Ospreys led 10-9 at half time as the Italian club went toe-to-toe with their more fancied visitors. But second-half tries from Michele Rizzo, Benjamin de Jager and Tobias Botes saw Treviso move ahead.
Ospreys have not lost to an Italian side in twelve games in European rugby and tries from Tommy Bowe and Ryan Jones helped them retain that record while Dan Biggar added 13 points with the boot.
Treviso came out of the blocks at a furious pace and took the early lead thanks to penalty from fly-half Kristopher Burton after an extended period of pressure.
Ospreys could have struck back soon afterwards but skipper Justin Tipuric spilled a pass with the tryline begging after Tommy Bowe had sliced through the home defence.
Bowe did however open the visitors' account at the end of the first quarter with a fantastic effort, breaking the line, muscling his way past a handful of defenders before stretching out an arm to score.
Biggar added the extras (after missing two penalties attempts) before trading place-kicks with his opposite number to leave Ospreys 10-6 up on the half-hour mark.
Burton made it three-from-three to close the gap to a single point with half time approaching when his kick bounced over off the upright.
Biggar sent a relatively easy drop goal attempt wide meaning the sides would head for the changing rooms at 10-9 to the Welsh side.
Ospreys were dealt yet another injury blow (Adam Jones pulled out earlier in the day) when scrum-half Kahn Fotualii hobbled off just before the break.
Treviso put their noses back in front soon after the restart however when a powerful rolling maul rumbled forward before prop Michele Rizzo crashed through the crowd to score.
Ospreys replied almost immediately when Biggar landed another three points to capitalise on an attack started by Shane Williams.
But Treviso were able to move further ahead when South African wing Benjamin de Jager beat Williams into the corner to give the hosts a a 21-13 lead.
However a line-out error gave Ospreys the chance to claw their way back into the game as Ryan Jones collected Enrico Ceccato's wayward throw and found his way through the traffic and over the whitewash.
Biggar's conversion meant that it was once again a one-point game, but to Treviso's advantage this time at 21-20.
That gap grew to six points though on the hour mark as Treviso scrum-half Tobias Botes finished off a wonderful move with a sprint down the touchline to score his side's third try.
The situation was almost literally turned on its head when Treviso centre Tommaso Benvenuti was sent to the sin bin for a tip tackle on Williams. Biggar found the target to cut Treviso's lead to just three points with fifteen minutes to play.
Treviso looked to have the game secured but Morgan landed a penalty from 51 metres out to save two points for Ospreys.
The scorers:
For Treviso:
Tries: Rizzo, De Jager, Botes
Cons: Burton
Pens: Burton 3
For Ospreys:
Tries: Bowe, R. Jones
Cons: Biggar 2
Pens: Biggar 3, Morgan
Yellow card: Benvenuti (Treviso - 62nd min -tip tackle)
Treviso: 15 Ludovico Nitoglia, 14 Benjamin de Jager, 13 Tommaso Benvenuti, 12 Alberto Sgarbi, 11 Brendan Williams, 10 Kristopher Burton, 9 Tobias Botes, 8 Robert Barbieri, 7 Alessandro Zanni, 6 Benjamin Vermaak, 5 Cornelius van Zyl, 4 Antonio Pavanello, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Enrico Ceccato, 1 Michele Rizzo.
Replacements: 16 Franco Sbaraglini, 17 Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet, 18 Pedro di Santo, 19 Valerio Bernabo, 20 Gonzalo Padrņ, 21 Manoa Vosawai, 22 Willem de Waal, 23 Fabio Semenzato.
Ospreys: 15 Richard Fussell, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Andrew Bishop, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Kahn Fotualii, 8 Jonathan Thomas, 7 Justin Tipuric (c), 6 George Stowers, 5 Ian Evans, 4 Ryan Jones, 3 Aaron Jarvis, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Duncan Jones.
Replacements: 16 Mefin Davies, 17 Ryan Bevington, 18 Cai Griffiths, 19 Ian Gough, 20 Joe Bearman, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Matthew Morgan , 23 Tom Isaacs.
Venue: Stadio Comunale di Monigo
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)
Comments
7ton says...
Makemehappy.
Doh! FACT= THE PLAYER WAS YELLOW CARDED I repeat that is a fact not opinion but you don't understand the difference between fact and opinion do you.
To try to say that I always back a person in power is really getting desperate.
On this occassion I happen to agree with the ref. Do try to understand that.
I have backed my opinion with evidence if you read my earlier posts with eyes open you might realise that. The more I view the incident the more I believe the player did make an attempt to hold onto him. As I have said the commentators thought so as well but of course they and everyone else who does not see things your way have to be wrong and are idiots because you regard yourself as the high and mighty judge of everything.
Now I have never said it wasn't a dangerous tackle and another ref possibly may have red carded him but in my ENTITLED OPINION there is enough EVIDENCE that he tried to hang on to him.
First you say "chucking someone to the ground while trying to hold on to their ankles" and then you say "dangling someone by their ankles and dropping them" which just contradicts yourself.
You also say " that tackling someone (Warburton) tends to be legal"
Warburton lifted the Guy in the air turned and dropped him on the back of his head/neck are you really trying to say that was a legal tackle.
Posted 11:54 30th November 2011
makemehappy says...
@7ton - one more thing - when making random comments (just take the last statement by you), try backing it up with evidence. I keep on requesting you do this, and it is so sad that you can't even argue your point. So funny seeing someone relying just on the refs decision all the time. Very sad too mind you. Shame some people have to just agree with those in power. Shows no conceptualisation at all. Some of us are leaders, others are followers. Prove yourself a leader and just vanish without further comment - or will you just keep on following?
Posted 21:56 29th November 2011
makemehappy says...
@7ton - you really have lost touch with reality, and Im sure you realise that and it concerns you. Where is your argument - you are just tossing stupid comments back. Back it up or shut up please! If you read my previous comments you should be able to pick up on facts. If not, its time for you to give up!
I put to you again (though using different words to make it easy for you), that tackling someone (Warburton) tends to be legal. This tackle was horrific. You still have not justified (as you can't) how this tackle shouldnt have resulted in a red. Look at rules, and common sense and even a complete idiot can work out that it should have been a red. I ask you again - is dangling someone in the air, by their ankles, then dropping them, a yellow? NO!!!!!!!! Of course we could arrange for me to be shown a yellow card by you, and but for me having dropped you on your head first. Might knock some sense into you!
Now come up with facts please! Not just opinion!
Posted 21:51 29th November 2011
7ton says...
Makemehappy
Factual? Really! where are you coming from?
The player was yellow carded that is a clear fact and most of the rest is just opinion and the way we see and interperate things (or the way we want to see them). I doubt you understand the difference.
As for putting things in perspective that is a joke with your comments like "Made Warburton's look like a game of touch rugby with kids" which really makes your opinions lose all credibility,
Posted 21:21 29th November 2011
makemehappy says...
7ton - bleating? What are you on about. I'm trying to put the event into perspective. Obviously that eldued you!
My argument has not been one sided, but actually factual. Your argument has been far from this. Lets just chuck players to the floor, but try to hold onto their ankles, and there's no need for a red. What a joke. Time to move on I think, as its clear I like a tought game, but where ridiculous fouls are dealt with harshly. You obviously prefer a different type of game, and that's fine by me.
Posted 13:18 28th November 2011
7ton says...
makemehappy
Ah I see now its just more bleating about Warburtons red card that is behind your reasoning.
Yeah perhaps Warburton should have had just yellow but I find your defence of the one and condemnation of the other a bit one sided.
Posted 14:26 27th November 2011
makemehappy says...
7ton - don't think you have exactly done a comprehensive study of assessments of the opinion of others, so you can't really argue the high ground there.
He wasn't cited, but let's be honest a lot of citing decisions are bizarre (Cooper for instance on McCaw).
My main issue was this was far worse than the Warburton tackle, yet the results were radically different. Personally I think the world has gone mad regarding the spear tackle. I do think that this was a bad tackle in any circumstances. I've looked at it several times and it is clear that only Bishop saved the day, and not the tackling player
Posted 13:17 25th November 2011
7ton says...
On a risk assesment I would give up rugby if I was you and probably many other sports as well and ban school playgrounds
Seriously though you can go on about a red card as much as you like but most people think yellow was enough. The ref thought it was yellow. To my knowledge he wasn't cited.
Posted 21:45 24th November 2011
makemehappy says...
@7ton - do a risk assessment and you will see. Sticking someone on their head is pretty risky usually.
Posted 13:27 24th November 2011
7ton says...
makemehappy
What is and what isn't!
Posted 22:11 23rd November 2011
makemehappy says...
@7ton - you are indeed entitled to your own opinion in relation to extremely dangerous tackles.
Posted 13:21 23rd November 2011
7ton says...
makemehappy
We are all entitled to our opinion and there certainly is as many have pointed out an argument against yours and of course mine Best to agree to disagree here and leave it at that.
Posted 19:36 22nd November 2011
makemehappy says...
@7ton - it is the worst spear tackle I've seen this year. I don't think that the individual tried to injure Shane, but it was reckless, and based on rules and current practice was without doubt a red card offence. There is no argument against it. There is an argument that suggests that refs are policing this area of the game too much at the moment, though even then this was much worse than many other red card decisions for the same offence.
Posted 13:08 22nd November 2011
ThinkingGame says...
Still no closer to working this team out. Are they a great team underperforming, or a poor one overperforming? May have to wait until Biarritz and Sarries go to Treviso to put this in context.
I've looked at that tackle, and it could have been nasty just because of the height Shane gets lifted to. Could be red or yellow by the iRB standards, either as a category a tip tackle, or serious foul play. It does raise another point on the Warburton red though. It's been two years of the red card directive, without it being an issue, and now we've had 4 tackles at the RWC, 2 yellow cards, 1 red card, 1 not seen but cited, and 5 domestic tip tackles (Brits, Benvenuti, Shingler, S Jones, Tipuric) 4 yellows, 1 red. Whatever the card colour should have been, it's pretty clear the red card isn't featuring in players decision making when tackling. Brits got yellow and won comfortably, Benvenuti and S Jones got yellow and drew, Tipuric got yellow and won away and Shingler got red and lost. The iRB probably should reconsider now, before the red card loses any meaning as a sanction due to overuse.
Posted 23:08 21st November 2011
7ton says...
makemehappy
If the game was played at a static snails pace perhaps players could make their intentions more obvious but as for your twisting and rotation business with Shane being so quick and wriggly I think he may have contributed to that in some way himself or did you expect him to just go limp in the treviso players arms.
Now had you been ref you may well have red carded him but IMO the Treviso player did appear to attempt to hang on to him, he did not drop him or drive him to the ground I would agree with the actual ref, the commentators and many people here that a yellow was enough. I am sorry but I think your worst spear tackle of the year comment is way over the top.
BTW I support the Welsh teams and am a huge fan of Shane Williams and he has to be given credit for not making a big hollywood act over the incident at the time
Posted 20:06 21st November 2011
makemehappy says...
@Carlepone - I do agree the Warburton one wasn't a red. This tackle was certainly far worse than that (the rotation, coming very close to a very nasty outcome etc). That I trust you can't argue with. I do not get happy when refs produce red cards when they shouldn't. Equally I am aware of what rules are there for. Without any doubt, if Bishop had not saved the day, that would have been a red card for any referee. As it was over 90% would have shown a red in my book - and deservedly so. That was just reckless and dangerous.
I would not have given a red to Warburon as that was simply a good tackle that went slightly wrong. You cannot say that sticking someone upside down was a good tackle.
Posted 17:37 21st November 2011
Carpelone says...
I insist. Yellow card and very well deserved full stop.
I also think that Warburton's tackle was yellow too, although he was unable to ground Clerc.
According to Rolland's standard, this was a read.
But he was not around, so follow up your nickname and be happy.
Posted 15:37 21st November 2011
makemehappy says...
fd23 - you're right - I was having problems watching any video for some reason. Will check it out though.
7ton - there's no way that he put him down safely. Do you usually do that, holding on to someone's ankles? Doesn't sound safe to me at all, and probably not to you either.
Posted 13:12 21st November 2011
GoWalesGo says...
No way was that a yellow card and im an Osprey's fan
Posted 13:06 21st November 2011
7ton says...
Make me happy
Its a fast playing physical game in a tackle anything can happen especially when a big man tackles against a small man. I don't know what exactly the treviso tacklers intent was but it is not illegal to lift a player of the ground in a tackle as long as you put him down safely which it appears the player may have tried to do
Posted 11:43 21st November 2011