Ronan O’Gara’s injury time penalty takes Munster home against Ospreys
Munster Fly Half Ronan O'Gara's last minute penalty sealed the game away from the Ospreys as they lost their consecutive fourth game during the Magners League.
Munster's 22 - 20 victory over the Ospreys also marked the second occasion in their history to lose four matches during a season in a row. Munster and Ospreys encounter was held at Liberty Stadium, Swansea on Saturday April 23, 2011.
The was the 18th win in the season for the Magners League leaders Munster and now have a 14-point lead over the second ranked Leinster.
Munster’s earned a hard-fought victory and full marks to the Ospreys who stretched the match till the last moments of the game. Both teams started strongly as both fought middle of the field for the ball possession. However, both negated each other to gain
territory and to build some sort of momentum in the game.
Both teams were levelled 0-0 during the first 22 minutes of the game. The only notable move during this phase of the game came from the Munster but was stopped by the Ospreys defence.
Munter Fly Half Ronan O’Gara’s 23rd minute penalty goal resulted in getting the first points of the game on board. Munster started to find spaces on the field to run few phases and put pressure on the Ospreys defence line.
Ospreys seemed to hold on to the moves before Munster Flanker David Wallace run through the Ospreys defence to cross their try line to score the first try of the game during the 33rd minute. Ronan O’Gara followed by his first and only conversion
of the game to extend Munster lead by 7 points.
Four minutes later, Ospreys put their first points on board with their Fly Half Dan Biggar’s penalty to take the scorecard reading 10-3 in favour of Munster.
Ospreys as compare to their performance during the first half performed exceptionally as they overcome the deficit and put them into the lead before the O’Gara’s three crucial penalties.
O’Gara opened the scoring for the second half with his 42nd minute penalty to extend the lead again by 10 points. Ospreys came back strongly as they score 14 point during the span of 7-8 minutes to recover from the deficit.
Ospreys Lock Alun-Wyn Jones scored a try during the 52nd minute followed by the Biggar’s conversion. Shortly after Ospreys scored on the penalty try followed by the Biggar’s second conversion of the game to put Ospreys in lead for the first time
in the game.
Munster regained the lead courtesy of the O'Gara's 69th and 72nd minute penalty. However, the lead was reduced courtesy of Ospreys Centre James Hook's 76th minute penalty.
During the remaining passage of the play, both teams strived hard to score points and attacked each other's halves frequently. However, it was the class act of the Munster's which earned them a crucial penalty during the ending moments of the game on which
O'Gara scored to ensure his side's victory in the game.
O'Gara scored 17 points in the game that included 5 penalties and a conversion as he booted out the Ospreys hopes of winning the game.
Ospreys chances for reaching the play offs are totally dependent on the results of their, Ulster's, Leinster's and Cardiff Blues games during the final week of the Magners League 2010/11.
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