Late yellow card costly for Saints as they lose pre-season clash at Ospreys

Nansen came off the bench and powered over for a try that looked like it could win Saints the game as they moved into a 24-17 lead.

But Ospreys hit back through Garyn Phillips' second try of the night before Nansen was shown a yellow card for a high tackle.

The hosts took advantage almost immediately as Luke Morgan went over in the corner with the clock close to hitting 80.

Luke Scully converted to stretch the Ospreys lead to seven points, and the home side held out, winning a key penalty inside their own 22 to help confirm the win.

It meant Saints finished their pre-season campaign, which began with a win against Bedford Blues last weekend, with a victory and a defeat.

They will now gear up for a Premiership Rugby Cup fixture against Saracens on Thursday night before the big Gallagher Premiership opener at Sale Sharks on the following night.

There had been plenty of huff and puff during the opening 10 minutes in Bridgend, with neither side able to truly trouble the opposition 22.

Alex Mitchell had to be alive to get back and clear after Ospreys kicked ahead, and it was part of a lively start from the Saints scrum-half and skipper for the night.

Mitchell was buzzing around, frantically trying to get his team moving, but Ospreys were the first to truly threaten as they broke the Saints line before being denied at the last.

Fraser Dingwall made a big shot to stop the hosts moving the ball to the space out wide, but Saints soon conceded a penalty in front of the posts, allowing Northampton legend Stephen Myler to kick Ospreys ahead.

Saints used a scrum penalty to buy some territory soon after, and there were positive signs from their new Australian duo as Lukhan Salakaia-Loto fought hard in contact and Angus Scott-Young delivered a fine back-door offload.

The Saints pack stepped things up after kicking a penalty to the corner, and the referee was soon heading under the posts to award a penalty try thanks to a huge lineout drive.

Ospreys lost Scott Baldwin to the sin bin, and Saints took advantage, piecing together a fine move that started when Juarno Augustus made a trademark break.

Eventually, Joel Matavesi and James Ramm combined superbly to send Scott-Young in out wide.

James Grayson was unable to slot the conversion but Saints led 12-3.

Ospreys tried to summon a response, kicking a series of penalties to the corner, but Saints defended well and eventually got out when Grayson stripped the ball in contact.

Ospreys did look like they would finally get their first try when Keelan Giles burst through, but his pass was not accurate enough and the hosts knocked on to give Saints a reprieve.

The black, green and gold held a nine-point lead at the break and made five changes for the second half as they sought to manage players ahead of the Premiership opener next week.

Ospreys made just one alteration at the interval, opting to take Myler off.

Sam Matavesi was soon heading off the field for a different reason as he was shown a yellow card.

Saints started to find themselves under increasing pressure, which eventually told when Cai Evans went over for Ospreys following some patient play.

Jack Walsh converted and there was suddenly just two points in it.

But Saints were to hit their hosts with a sucker punch with little more than 20 minutes to go a fast break eventually found the hands of Tom Collins, who turned on the turbos before sidestepping his man and finishing in fine fashion in the corner.

Grayson missed the conversion and Saints soon gave Ospreys a gift as they overthrew a lineout in their own 22, allowing Phillips to gather and score.

Walsh converted again, levelling the scores, but they weren't to be level for long.

Saints applied some pressure in the Ospreys half, and Nansen showed immense power to get himself over the line.

Grayson converted but Ospreys hit back almost immediately as Phillips managed to get the ball down for his second score.

Scully slotted the conversion, meaning parity was restored to set up an intriguing final 10 minutes.

Saints would have to play the final five minutes with 14 men though as Nansen was sin-binned after getting a big shot all wrong.

He went high and was fortunate not to injure himself, apologising to his opponent before heading off the field.

Ospreys made immediate use of their extra man as Morgan flew in out wide, allowing Scully to put the gloss on the victory with a very tidy conversion.

Saints: Hendy (Arden 70); Sleightholme (Collins 50), Proctor (Lichfield 64), Dingwall (J Matavesi 23), Ramm (Skosan 46); Grayson, Mitchell (c) (Braley 40 (James 65); Iyogun (A Waller 40), Haywood (S Matavesi 40), Hill (Heffernan 40 (Petch 66)); Salakaia-Loto (Nansen 57), Coles (Irvine 64); Scott-Young (Moon 40), Graham (Smith 64), Augustus (Hinkley 54).