Welsh derby matches are usually scrappy games. The weather was poor with constant rain and a strong breeze. I wasn't expecting much of a spectacle but I was proved wrong. It was to be a night of surprises. The biggest of which was seeing Luke Charteris as Dragon's captain. Regular captain Willis was starting on the bench. I've never been a big fan of Charteris but obviously Paul Turner sees something in him. On the Ospreys side Henson and Mike Phillips were returning from injury.
The game saw six tries, Dragons got four for a bonus point. The Ospreys created a fine back line move with Bowe coming off his wing to create the extra man, then feeding to full back Henson to score a decent try. Gavin scored again in the second half after a powerful run from Sonny Parker. At that stage I thought the Ospreys would run out victors. The real story of the match was the Dragons defence and dominant pack performance. Captain Luke was excellent in the line-out and managed to nick a few Ospreys' throws. The crucial try came from a Colin Charvis cross kick that fullback Tovey caught. It was a smart bit of skill and rounded off a fine display by the home side.
In horrible conditions both sides played some excellent open rugby. One of the best Magners League games of the season so far.
My man of the match: Luke Charteris. Who would have thought it?
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