Montpellier routs hapless Ospreys
REPORT: The French hosts capitalised on Ospreys’ No.8 Morgan Morse receiving an early yellow card - recording a commanding 38-5 win.
George Bridge scored his first of two tries on 10 minutes, converted by flyhalf Paolo Garbisi from a tight angle.
Bridge scored his second try on 21 minutes after left wing Ben Lam found his run inside the opposition’s 22 for an unconverted effort.
Montpellier Hérault had a third try without answer 10 minutes later as inside centre Jan Serfontein’s offload found scrumhalf Leo Coly to score and Garbisi converted.
Finding themselves three tries down Ospreys also lost influential outside centre George North after a yellow card infringement.
Once restored to 15 men the Welsh visitors scored their first points after half-time courtesy of an unconverted try by scrumhalf Reuben Morgan-Williams.
However, Montpellier Hérault sealed the bonus point with a fourth score on 57 minutes when a driving maul resulted in replacement hooker Vano Karkadze scoring and Garbisi kicked his third conversion of the afternoon.
The hosts were out of sight with 15 minutes remaining as replacement inside centre Auguste Cadot held off three tackles before dotting down, converted by Louis Foursans-Bourdette.
Montpellier Hérault had a sixth try with four minutes remaining - with replacement Cadot running in alone for an unconverted score as the game ended 38-5, Ospreys finishing with 14 men as Harri Houston was sent to the bin late on.
The scorers
For Montpellier
Tries: Bridge 2, Coly, Karkadze, Cadot 2
Cons: Garbisi 3, Foursans
For Ospreys
Try: Morgan-Williams
Yellow cards: Morgan Morse (Ospreys, 11), George North (Ospreys, 33), Harri Houston {Ospreys, 80)
Teams:
Montpellier: 15 Anthony Bouthier, 14 George Bridge, 13 Pierre Lucas, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Leo Coly, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Clement Doumenc, 6 Yacouba Camara, 5 Tyler DuGuid, 4 Marco Tauleigne, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Baptiste Erdocio.
Replacements: 16 Vano Karkadze, 17 Enzo Forletta, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Paul Willemse, 20 Masi Dakuwaqa, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Louis Foursans-Bourdette, 23 Auguste Cadot.
Ospreys: 15 Jack Walsh, 14 Mat Protheroe, 13 George North, 12 Owen Watkin, 11 Harri Houston, 10 Owen Williams, 9 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 8 Morgan Morse, 7 Harri Deaves, 6 Tristan Davies, 5 Adam Beard, 4 James Fender, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Dewi Lake, 1 Nicky Smith.
Replacements: 16 Sam Parry, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Rhys Henry, 19 Lewis Jones, 20 Morgan Morris, 21 Luke Davies, 22 Dan Edwards, 23 Luke Scully.
Referee: Anthony Woodhope
Assistant referees: George Selwood, James Clarke
TMO: David Rose
Source: @ChallengeCup_