Guinness PRO12: Dan Biggar guides Ospreys to top of table with win over Dragons
Last Updated: 11/01/15 7:26pm
Dan Biggar was the star of the show as he led the Ospreys to a 22-11 win over Newport Gwent Dragons in their Guinness PRO12 clash at the Liberty Stadium.
The Ospreys had slipped to fourth in the table but the victory gave them a one-point lead over second-placed Glasgow at the summit.
The wet conditions did not inspire much running rugby but Biggar created a try for Tyler Ardron in the first half and kicked over another 17 points in an excellent display.
Tom Prydie responded with two penalties and the Dragons did try and get back in the game with a Richie Rees try, but in the end the Ospreys held firm.
The scores were locked at 3-3 for most of the first half after Prydie and Biggar swapped penalties on five and 14 minutes respectively.
The Dragons did have the edge in the scrum where Dmitri Arhip seemed to have problems, although it was Arhip and Rhys Webb who went close to breaking the try drought on 28 minutes, but any score was ruled out by TV match official Gareth Simmonds.
However, an Ospreys try did arrive courtesy of Ardron on 33 minutes, the Canadian latching on to a long pass from Ashley Beck after Wales flanker Dan Lydiate had been sent on a run into the Dragons' 22 by a finely-timed Biggar pass.
Prydie cut the deficit with a penalty on 37 minutes but, on the stroke of half-time, Ospreys earned a rare scrum penalty which Biggar kicked from inside the 22 to see the home side lead 13-6 at the break.
It took Ospreys only four minutes of the second half to extend their lead to 10 points with a penalty from Biggar who was also on target with a fourth penalty on 58 minutes to make it 19-6 to the hosts.
The match had something of a twist in the tail when Dragons prop Brok Harris and Ospreys replacement hooker Scott Baldwin were both sin-binned for separate scrum offences.
And a Dragons comeback was threatened when Rees sniped over for a try on 71 minutes, but Ospreys regrouped with Biggar converting his fifth penalty in the final minute.