Glasgow win Ospreys thriller to keep Champions Cup hopes alive
Sharpshooter Ross Thompson fired 15 points to keep Glasgow’s Champions Cup hopes alive as they edged out Ospreys 30-25 at Scotstoun.
The Welsh region started the night 10 points ahead of Danny Wilson’s team but Warriors will cling to the hope they can still hunt their third-placed rivals down after slashing their lead by three, with a top-three finish expected to be enough to qualify.
Toby Booth’s Swansea-based outfit now round off the regular season with a trip to Dublin to face reigning PRO14 champions Leinster.
Glasgow still have to play both Dragons and Benetton but know two victories may still not be enough.
Thompson was the coolest man on the pitch as he fired three penalties and a hat-trick of conversions in another hugely impressive display from the 21-year-old.
Lee Jones, Rufus McLean and Aki Seiuli also crossed the try-line for Glasgow, with Ospreys responding through Morgan Morris and Gareth Evans either side of a penalty try.
But it is the losing bonus point which could yet come in most handy for Booth’s side.
Ospreys’ only previous Scotstoun win was back in November 2016 and it looked like they were on course for another four minutes in as they won the first penalty, booted to the corner then launched a savage maul attack, with Morris smashing his way over.
Worse was to come for Glasgow on the quarter-hour mark as they found themselves overstretched again, with referee Sam Grove-White producing a double whammy as he awarded a penalty try as well as sin-binning Ollie Smith for a deliberate knock-on as Dewi Cross threatened in the far corner.
With his side 12 points down, Wilson could only shake his head in disbelief. But three Thompson penalties – countered by a solitary Luke Price kick – ensured Glasgow went in just six points down at the interval.
And they were in front within four minutes of the restart as Smith made amends for his earlier mistake to put in a vital tackle as Dan Evans looked primed to burst clear.
With the ball dislodged from the full-back’s grasp, Ospreys were left defenceless as Jones pinned his ears back and darted the length of the field to score a sensational solo effort, with Thompson’s conversion nudging Wilson’s team ahead.
The lead lasted just four minutes as Gareth Evans powered off the base of the scrum before shunting over for a third Ospreys try.
But Thompson produced another moment of magic in the 51st minute as he measured a sublime grubber through for McLean to score before adding the extras from out wide with another effortless swing of his boot.
Seiuli then crashed through for Warriors’ third try on 62 minutes as the Ospreys maul defence splintered, with another Thompson beauty sealing the conversion and an eight-point lead.
It looked like there might by late drama as TJ Ioane was yellow-carded to leave Glasgow playing out the final stages a man light, but Ospreys could only muster a Price penalty as Glasgow claimed a vital win.
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The way Ratima has been treated he needs to look OS. Same with Perofeta and Love, Hothem too. Razor is a token coach. Gives debuts but very few mins. Also DM too. Just go earn millions elsewhere DM as all you get in NZ is bagging.
BB is coaches favourite and I say let him have BB right thru to the next 2 or maybe even 3 World cups.😁😁 Have JB outside him at 12...That just works so well.
Go to commentsIt certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
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