Delaigue brings Ospreys to earth

Castres 38 - Neath-Swansea Ospreys 17

Trips to France in the Heineken Cup have not been the happiest for Welsh clubs and whatever the fire-breathing Ospreys thought they might do to reverse the fortunes of the Pays de Galles, they were destined to be flamed by a display of Gallic flair that, at times, left them dazed and frustrated. To end the game with flanker Jonathan Thomas being shown a red card three minutes into injury time - the lock Lyndon Bateman had been the only player to be sin-binned - was a miserable reward for what, at times, had been a spirited showing and some strong individual performances.

Trips to France in the Heineken Cup have not been the happiest for Welsh clubs and whatever the fire-breathing Ospreys thought they might do to reverse the fortunes of the Pays de Galles, they were destined to be flamed by a display of Gallic flair that, at times, left them dazed and frustrated. To end the game with flanker Jonathan Thomas being shown a red card three minutes into injury time - the lock Lyndon Bateman had been the only player to be sin-binned - was a miserable reward for what, at times, had been a spirited showing and some strong individual performances.

Conditions were perfect at the little stadium tucked away in a quiet suburb of a sun-bathed, wine-washed Castres on the Tarn River between Toulouse and the Mediterranean. Castres have had a strong start to the season but they are exactly mid-table despite being only five points behind the leaders Toulouse and Perpignan. The Ospreys, in contrast, travelled as high-flying leaders of the Celtic League by a 10-point margin.

Any thought that European ambition would come second to domestic glory was quickly dispelled. It took Castres a few minutes to settle down. A penalty, for a second silly Osprey offence, this time on their own 22, from Yann Delaigue was just an opening nibble of a concentrated feast which saw the French side rattle up 17 points in 10 minutes in the middle of the first half, establishing a 20-point lead which could have settled the game.

The first try, after continual probing kicks into Osprey territory by Castres stand-off Delaigue, credited locally as the Mozart of rugby, and centre Richard Dourthe, was taken by former Wasps centre Mark Denney. The second went to another Wasp old boy, Paul Volley.

The Castres pack was bundling the Ospreys out of the game when, out of nothing, Sonny Parker made a searing break, backed by Andrew Lloyd who, moments earlier, had been laid out at the bottom of a ruck, and finished by prop Adam Jones.

Delaigue then dropped a 45-metre drop goal and, five minutes after half-time, scrum-half Alexandre Albouy, a thorn in the Osprey side all night, made a blind-side break to put Benjamin Lhande home. The bonus point came from a penalty try after a series of Osprey touchline scrums and from then it was downhill, except for a Jason Spice sprint, as niggle compounded a flood of substitutions while the clock ran down.

So Castres go to Harlequins next weekend with a bonus point and the knowledge that their squad are in good shape and able to take any of the rugged opposition that could be offered by the Saxons, not least having some Saxon blood running through their own veins.

Castres: U Mola; B Fleming, R Dourthe (N Raffault, 78), M Denney, B Lhande; Y Delaigue (X Sadourny, 59), A Albouy (N Morlaes, 73); J Fitzpatrick (M Reggiardo, 59), M Ledesma (capt, G Arganese, 78), A Galasso, D Barrier, N Spanghero, R Froment (G Bernad, 71), A Bias, P Volley.

Neath-Swansea: A Durston; R Mustoe, D Bishop (M Jones, 77), S Parker, S Williams; G Henson, J Spice (A Williams, 74); D Jones (P James, 63), B Williams (capt, M Davies, 78), A Jones (A Millward, 63), B Cockbain, L Bateman (A Newman, 60), J Thomas, R Pugh, A Lloyd (J Bater, 40).

Referee: D Pearson (Northumberland).