Glen Jackson kicked Sarries' sole penalty

Saracens are in danger of ending their season empty handed after they were comprehensively beaten 30-3 by Ospreys in the EDF Energy Cup semi final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium this evening.

The Men in Black have slipped off the Premiership play-off places and will have to find a performance of epic proportions if they are to overcome Ospreys in the Heineken Cup quarter final at Watford in a fortnight.

Sarries trailed just 8-0 at the break thanks to a James Hook penalty and, at the second time of asking, a Shane Williams try of all his own making.

It could, and should have been worse for Alan Gaffney's anxious side as both Williams and Johnathan Thomas were denied scores by a stray foot and forward pass respectively.

Sarries, who lost captain Neil de Kock and lock Chris Jack to injury at the start of the second half, got off the mark via Jackson's boot before Gavin Henson's converted try strengthened the Osprey's grip on the match.

Tries for replacement Filo Tiatia and Williams further underlined Ospreys' dominance in a superb display that should have their cup final opponents Leicester Tigers quaking in their boots.

Saracens were forced into one change on the eve of the game with tighthead prop Cencus Johnston rushing to be at his wife's side for the birth of their first child. Cobus Visagie came into the side with Kevin Yates brought in on the bench.

The Ospreys, backed by their fervent support, thought they had got off to a flier when wing Williams darted over in the right corner after three minutes. Television replays, however, showed the twinkle-toed Welshman's foot had strayed into touch.

The Men in Black then breathed another huge sigh of relief minutes later when a Thomas effort was chalked off after referee Wayne Barnes deemed Gavin Hensons' off-load forward.

Sarries created their first meaningful attack after 11 minutes with Andy Farrell, Don Barrell and Hugh Vyvyan making good ground before Jackson's angled kick for Dan Scarbrough bounced into touch.

Jackson then failed with his first penalty of the afternoon as the bad omens continued to stack up against the Guinness Premiership side.

The first points of the game came the way of Ospreys fly half Hook after 29 minutes. The three points could have been seven, however, had it not been for a try saving tackle by Sarries skipper Neil de Kock on Thomas moments earlier.

The Men in Black were understandably a little nervous in their first domestic cup semi final for a decade as errors and poor decision making crept into their game. And it was one of those decisions that gave Ospreys the upper hand on the stroke of half time.

Jackson's intended pass to Farrell on the Ospreys ten metre lacked direction and pace and the one man Sarries did not want the ball to fall to was Williams.

The Six Nations Player of the Tournament kicked and chased twice before grounding the ball ahead of two desperate challenges from Scarbrough and Richard Haughton.

Referee Barnes went upstairs for a second opinion and, after a lengthy delay awarded Williams his sixth try of the competition which Hook failed to convert.

Sarries emerged for the second half without their inspirational skipper de Kock, an injury forcing him to make way for Moses Rauluni, the man who ended Wales' World Cup dreams with Fiji.

Chris Jack then made way for Tom Ryder before Jackson got Sarries on the board.

Ospreys, however, forged further ahead when, from a scrum 22, Hook put Henson away on the angle and the centre slipped past the attentions of both Francisco Leonelli and Farrell to cross. Hook added the extras before his second penalty put his side in command at 18-3.

Sarries, on the back foot for long periods, then had Brent Russell to thank for running the ball out of play as Williams hared down a chip.

Ospreys replacement Tiatia crossed the whitewash less than a minute after entering the field as clueless Sarries crumbled to pieces.

Haughton then scampered upfield in a rare moment of opportunism, but a lack of support runners saw the chance go begging.

Williams scored his second try of the evening for Ospreys, latching on to Ian Evans' cute kick down the touchline after Farrell was turned over with embarassing ease at the Welsh side's ten metre line.

Sarries have not beaten Welsh opposition for nine years and that trend looks set to continue at Vicarage Road next month unless Gaffney's men regroup and buck up their ideas.

Ospreys: Byrne, Vaughton, Parker, Henson, Williams, Hook, Phillips; James, Hibbard, A Jones, A W Jones, Evans, Thomas, Holah, R Jones (cpt).

Replacements: Bennett for Hibbard (blood), 13; Hibbard for Bennett, 23; Marshall for Byrne (blood), 44; Byrne for Marshall, 49; D Jones for James, Tiatia for Thomas, Bennett for Hibbard, 61; Marshall for Phillips, 69; James for A Jones, Bishop for Henson, 72; Bateman for Evans, 73; Biggar for Hook, 78.

Saracens: Russell, Haughton, Leonelli, Farrell, Scarbrough, Jackson, de Kock (cpt); Lloyd, Ongaro, Visagie, Jack, Vyvyan, Chesney, Barrell, Skirving.

Replacements: Rauluni for de Kock, 41; Ryder for Jack, 43; Kyriacou for Ongaro, Gustard for Chesney, 60; Sorrell for Leonelli, 68; Yates for Lloyd, 71.

Referee: Wayne Barnes.

Attendance: 41,018.

Scoring sequence (Ospreys first): 3-0/8-0 HT/8-3/13-3/15-3/18-3/23-3/25-3/30-3.

7:03pm Saturday 22nd March 2008

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