Biarritz edge Ospreys

Biarritz have booked themselves a home semi-final in this season's Heineken Cup after beating the Ospreys 29-28 in San Sebastian on Saturday.

Despite being behind for almost the whole of the match, the Welsh region never let their opponents pull convincingly clear at the Estadio Anoeta and were poised to snatch the win following a late try scored by replacement Nikki Walker.

Having been awarded a penalty in their own half, fly-half Dan Biggar kicked to touch - but the Ospreys could then have been awarded another penalty for offside within kicking distance.

As it was, referee George Clancy ruled that the ball had been knocked on and with Biggar instead resorting to a last-gasp drop goal attempt, his effort fell short.

The Top 14 side have therefore progressed after Takudzwa Ngwenya and Iain Balshaw both touched down and Damien Traille scored a hat-trick of drop goals.

Ryan Jones and Lee Byrne joined Walker in scoring for the Ospreys in an open, entertaining match which saw attack frequently outstrip defence.

Kicking off in warm, sunny conditions, the home side went ahead after just 30 seconds when immediate pressure allowed Traille the chance to kick his first drop goal.

Stretched

Both defences were soon stretched and the Ospreys had two promising breaks early on, both inspired by Andrew Bishop. The first ended with Shane Williams bundled into touch while the second - coming after Balshaw had knocked the ball on - also found Biarritz's defence able to regroup.

Bishop was again to the fore having been released by James Hook after 10 minutes although, once again, they could not capitalise. Instead, Ngwenya halted their momentum and the right winger got his hands on the ball once more after the Ospreys were overturned seconds later.

This time, however, the result was spectacular as Ngwenya proceeded to sprint the length of the pitch for an emphatic try, converted by Dimitri Yachvili.

The visitors did not panic though and responded in the 20th minute with a well-worked try that stemmed from Williams, whose step inside and offload to Hook took out three Biarritz defenders.

The inside centre then charged forward before his pass inside found Ryan Jones for the number eight to touch down, Biggar converting.

Biarritz came up with a quick response as first a Yachvili penalty - the scrum-half albeit missing another - and then a second drop goal from Traille found the target to take their lead back out to nine points.

The half-hour brought a move from Biarritz that deserved a try as Traille burst forward before quick hands from Balshaw and Karmichael Hunt set up Yachvili - the number nine knocking on under pressure short of the posts.

Biggar then missed a long-range penalty attempt but the Ospreys soon scored their second following a flowing move left- to right that ended with Byrne crashing over in the right-hand corner.

Faced with a difficult conversion, Biggar missed the extras but he drew the Ospreys to within a point in the 39th minute after coolly dispatching a long-range drop goal.

He then put his side ahead for the first and only time with a penalty five minutes into the second half, although it was Biggar's off-the-ball tackle on Ngwenya just seconds later that allowed Yachvili to inch his side back ahead.

Breathing space

Biarritz then set about putting a little breathing space between themselves and their opponents as Yachvili's early pass found Ngwenya, who again made inroads on the right flank before kicking through for Balshaw - the England full-back albeit injuring himself in the process of scoring.

Yachvili converted and all of a sudden a two-point deficit had become an eight-point advantage. Biggar narrowed it with a penalty in the 51st minute before Traille completed his hat-trick just short of the hour.

Biggar missed two attempts - a penalty followed by a drop goal - to try and bridge the gap as the match entered its final 10 minutes, but just as it looked as though the match had wilted, the Ospreys sprung back to life.

The fresh legs of Walker crossed the line but the replacement was handed the opportunity by Mike Phillips with Biggar then converting to set up the final act.