Ospreys 25 Chiefs 13

Ospreys 25

Exeter Chiefs 13

Mark Stevens at the Liberty Stadium

Just as he was the scourge of England during the Rugby World Cup, so Welshman Dan Biggar did the same to Exeter Chiefs on their competitive return to the Champions Cup.

The Ospreys fly-half was the mastermind behind the Welsh region’s success story, plundering five penalties, a drop-goal and even converting a late try from former Exeter player Josh Matavesi.

Even then Biggar - who was named Heineken Man of the Match - could afford to miss three further chances afforded to him by the Chiefs, who fell foul of Italian referee Marius Mitrea on far too many occasions.

Although the visitors pushed hard until the death, they were unable to keep their unbeaten record in the Principality in tact, leaving Swansea with not even a bonus point for their efforts.

Skipper Gareth Steenson slotted two penalties and also converted James Short’s first half try, but it was never enough for Rob Baxter’s side, who must now ready themselves for next week’s visit of Bordeaux-Begles to Sandy Park.

Having progressed through the early rounds of the Aviva Premiership with three wins from a possible four, Baxter saw little reason to tinker too much with his winning formula as his side returned to Europe’s top table.

From the side they saw off Leicester Tigers so impressively just a week earlier, there were just two changes to the starting XV. Both came in the back division where Sam Hill was given the nod over Ian Whitten in the centre, whilst Phil Dollman’s injury meant Jack Nowell was switched to full-back and Matt Jess was elevated from the bench.

On the sidelines, Tom Johnson came in for Thomas Waldrom, who picked up a bang during the win over the Tigers, whilst summer signing Michele Campagnaro was given his first taste of life with the Chiefs first team.

The Ospreys, meanwhile, made three changes to their starting line-up from that which saw off Zebre last time out. All of them came up front where Dmitri Arhip, James King and Dan Lydiate - one of three British Lions in the home ranks - all started.

Also included in the centre was former Chief, Josh Matavesi, whilst there was a late call-up for former Exeter Academy product Hanno Dirksen, who came in for Ben John just before kick-off.

Early on, though, it was the Welsh region who set the attacking tone, laying siege on the visiting line with a series of promising raids. Initially, the Chiefs did well to repel the ‘Black Wave’, but just when it looked as if they had held their rivals at bay, the Italian official referee spotted an Exeter offside.

Bigger with time and space - and knowing he had the advantage in the bag - attempted a drop-goal chance, but when they slipped by, the Welsh international made no mistake with the penalty that followed.

At the other end, the Chiefs looked to respond almost immediately, working the ball from left to right off a line-out, but just as Jack Nowell released Jess on the burst, the winger slipped at the crucial moment and the covering home defence bundled him into touch.

The Ospreys made the most of the let-off and countered with a second Biggar penalty midway through the half when Jess was harshly adjudged to have strayed offside.

To their credit, the Chiefs refused to stray from their game plan and having reduced the deficit with a successful Steenson penalty, they thought they had claimed the opening try on the half-hour through Luke Cowan-Dickie.

Sadly for the Cornishman, Mitrea was unsure of the grounding and having referred it to the TV match official, the effort was chalked off when he it showed the hooker spilling the ball as he looked to touch down.

No matter, Baxter’s side made light of the missed opportunity to respond successfully just three minutes later. Will Chudley was the architect, fielding a hanging kick deep inside his own half, before setting off on a fleet-footed run that made the space for Short to run in unopposed for his third try of the season. Steenson obliged with the extras to make it 10-6.

Before the break, however, the Ospreys twice had the chance to cut Exeter’s lead through Biggar, but twice the home playmaker fired wide of the mark, much to the relief of the travelling Tribe.

HALF TIME OSPREYS 6 EXETER CHIEFS 10

The first half penalty count was a concern for Baxter at the break, but three early indiscretions on the resumption - two of them against Cowan-Dickie - allowed Biggar to restore the home side’s lead to two points.

It was somewhat harsh on Cowan-Dickie, who at least had the support of the Exeter coaches in the stands, but it made no difference with Mitrea, who continued to ping the visitors for a string of indiscretions.

With little to choose between either side, Steenson restored Exeter’s slender lead with a second penalty of the night on 58 minutes.

But no sooner had the visitors nudged themselves back in front, Slade’s crucial knock-on deep inside his own 22 allowed the Ospreys to set up camp from a scrum which, having been worked through the phases, created the opening for Biggar to plunder a simple drop-goal to make it 15-13.

Baxter turned to his bench in a bid to reinvigorate his side’s fortunes, but Moray Low’s first contribution was to be penalised for dropping a scrum, gifting Biggar another opportunity to punish the Premiership outfit.

Although it was a slender cushion, the Ospreys were happy to soak up the forays of their English counterparts, gleaning turnover ball as and when they could, before punting the ball back down field and making the Chiefs once again run from deep.

Whereas the opening weeks of the season have seen the Exeter attack run riot, on a cold and wet night in Swansea, handling errors and wrong options sadly came back to bite them on countless occasions.

Indeed, when they did fashion a decent attacking platform ten minutes from time, Steenson’s intended pass wide was plucked from the air by Fijian international Matavesi. Still with half the field to go, he galloped clear of the Exeter defenders, including old Truro College mate Nowell, to dot down for the match-clinching score that Biggar duly converted.

Even then, the Chiefs did try to throw it around a little bit more to salvage something from the on-field wreckage, but sadly it was to no avail as the home side comfortably dealt with the Exeter threat.

Ospreys: D Evans, D Howells (S Davies 79), J Spratt, J Matavesi (H Dirksen 74), E Walker; D Biggar, B Leonard (T Habberfield 79); P James (R Bevington 73), S Baldwin (S Parry 67), D Arhip (A Jarvis h/t); L Ashley, A-W Jones (capt); D Lydiate, J Tipuric, J King (D Baker 79). Replacement (not used): R Thornton

Try - Matavesi; Conversion - Biggar; Penalties - Biggar (5); Drop-Goal - Biggar

Chiefs: J Nowell; M Jess (I Whitten 49), H Slade, S Hill, J Short; G Steenson (capt, M Campagnaro 73), W Chudley (D Lewis 73); A Hepburn (C Rimmer 67), L Cowan-Dickie (J Yeandle 55), T Francis (M Low 67); M Lees (O Atkins 73), D Welch; D Ewers, J Salvi, D Armand (T Johnson 59).

Try - Short; Conversion - Steenson; Penalties - Steenson (2)

Referee: M Mitrea (Ita)

Attendance: 7,969