Ospreys 13 Saracens 16

Saracens ended Ospreys 17-match unbeaten record at home in the Heineken Cup to put themselves in pole position to qualify from Pool 5.

The whistle of pedantic referee Jerome Garces dominated the game for large parts, particularly in the first half when the Frenchman awarding 13 penalties - seven to Ospreys and six to Saracens. Owen Farrell, who did his international prospects no harm with an assured display in front of watching England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster, kicked three of them and the conversion to Ernst Joubert's try to hand Saracens a 16-6 interval lead. Ospreys dominated possession in the first half, but were unable to secure the quick ball needed to work their way around Saracens' defensive line. Farrell and opposite number Dan Biggar struck two penalties apiece before the only try of the half arrived when Biggar's clearing kick was charged down by Charlie Hodgson and Ernst Joubert gathered in the bouncing ball for his sixth try of the season. Much to the frustration of the players and spectators not one scrum was completed in the whole of the first half and there were several set-piece 'set-tos' between the front rows. Garces eventually lost patience and sent Ospreys prop Paul James to the sin-bin two minutes before the break for a binding offence. No sooner had James returned than Schalk Brits was off the field for ten minutes, during which time lively Ospreys centre Ashley Beck was twice denied a try. Ospreys finally managed to breach the visitors' defence on 65 minutes shortly after Kelly Brown had been harshly sin-binned for an innocuous trip on Biggar. Biggar floated out a beautiful pass to lock Ian Gough who wriggled over in the corner for a try which was converted to bring the score to 13-16.