Ospreys Tame Tigers For Crown

Accurate fly-half Andy Goode opened the scoring with a penalty after Tigers scrum-half Harry Ellis was pulled into the ruck illegally.

The Ospreys hit the lead with another trade mark sniping run from the talented Welsh outfit. Big number eight Filo Tiatia picked up a knock-on in the line-out from veteran flanker Martin Corry to setup inside centre Andrew Bishop on the crash ball for the try.

The Tigers had a another narrow escape just before half-time when James Hook burst down the right wing and was unlucky not to reach his kick ahead close to the try line. The Ospreys, after a slow start, should have been further ahead however.

Hook was instrumental in Ospreys second try after floating a neat overlap pass which lock Alun Wyn-Jones steamed onto for the try in the corner minutes after the half-time interval. The exciting young fly-half had no trouble with the acute angle for the conversion.

Ospreys ended 23-6 winners to avenge their 2007 EDF Energy Cup defeat by the Tigers.

Leicester: Johne Murphy, Ollie Smith, Dan Hipkiss, Aaron Mauger, Alesana Tuilagi, Andy Goode, Harry Ellis, Boris Stankovich, George Chuter, Martin Castrogiovanni, Louis Deacon, Ben Kay, Martin Corry (c), Ben Herring, Jordan Crane. Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Julian White, Richard Blaze, Tom Croft, Christophe Laussucq, Sam Vesty, Tom Varndell

Ospreys: Lee Byrne; Johnny Vaughton, Sonny Parker, Andrew Bishop, Shane Williams; James Hook, Justin Marshall; Paul James, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones, Ian Evans, Ryan Jones (capt), Marty Holah, Filo Tiatia. Replacements: Huw Bennett, Duncan Jones, Ian Gough, Jonathan Thomas, Gareth Owen, Jonathan Spratt, Aled Brew.