Mark McCall hails Saracens' fighting spirit as they keep Champions Cup hopes alive with victory over Ospreys, despite early red card

That champions spirit will not be crushed. Reduced to 14 men after Rhys Carre’s fifth-minute red card, a second-string Saracens team ground out the win needed to keep their European defence alive.

An impressive performance in any circumstances, but all the more so in a week in which Saracens have conceded that they will have to release several players in the coming weeks to stay within Premiership Rugby’s salary cap for this season. It was one of those touted sacrificial lambs, Richard Wigglesworth, who steered Saracens to victory. The scrum-half controlled the game for Saracens in the second half and provided their only try with a box-kick expertly plucked out of the air by wing Alex Lewington. The rest of their points came from half-back partner Manu Vunipola, whose authority and calmness is staggering for a 19 year-old.

“We were down to 14 men for the whole match really,” Mark McCall, the director of rugby, said. “To problem solve the way the players did on the field all the way through the game was outstanding. Our senior players, Jackson Wray, Richard Wigglesworth, George Kruis, were magnificent out there and coming up with right answers to some of the problems that we were posed. Our younger players listened to what they said and got stuck in and displayed an incredibly amount of energy. Today was all about togetherness and listening to the senior players and doing it for each other. The performance spoke volumes.”

The caveat is that this is the Ospreys, a team on a run of 12 defeats who had nothing to play for apart from pride. Yet with second row Alun Wyn Jones playing his first club match of the season, that pride burned fiercely for the first time in months at the Liberty Stadium. The Wales captain, who seems to be composed of at least 20 per cent strapping tape, lasted 64 minutes, producing a performance full of grunt and one Fijian-style offload. If that augurs well for Wayne Pivac, then the watching Wales head coach must have also noticed the spark of full-back Dan Evans, who scored two excellent tries during a period in which Saracens were down to 13 men after Calum Clark was sin-binned in the 34th minute. Fleet-heeled wing Luke Morgan, too, caught the eye.

Once back to 14 men, Saracens suffocated Ospreys. While it was far from their A-team, the fact that McCall can bring a World Cup-winning tighthead in Vincent Koch off the bench demonstrates the ridiculous depth in their squad. Turning the screw at the scrum and maul, Saracens relied upon Wigglesworth to keep Ospreys pinned inside their own 22, negating any numerical superiority. “Amazing,” McCall said of his scrum-half. “He is 36 years old. In a situation like that you need to have somebody with that kind of experience to play the game at the pace you need to play it at with 14 men.”

The frustration will be that they were unable to claim a bonus point that would have made their task of qualifying for the quarter-finals significantly easier. Beating Racing 92 at Allianz Park on Sunday should still secure one of the three best runners-up places. Yet the notion they would rack up four tries was rendered impossible once Carre’s shoulder made contact with the jaw of full-back Evans. It was one of those unfortunate situations in which Nick Isiekwe’s initial tackle made it near impossible for Carre to wrap his arms, but under the letter of the law referee Alexandre Ruiz had little choice to award the red card.

Even with the man disadvantage, Vunipola was able to kick Saracens ahead 12-3 in swirling, sodden conditions. Ruiz, who earlier earned a spotter’s badge for penalising Ospreys players being in front of the restart, then noted Clark cynically playing the ball on the floor. A yellow card followed and Saracens’ task became significantly harder.

Ospreys almost immediately took advantage. After mauling their way to within inches of the Saracens line, fly-half Luke Price threw a perfect, flat pass for Evans to run on to and glide past Alex Lozowski’s tackle. With Clark still in the bin, Ospreys then took the lead early in the second half. Morgan flew down the left and after the forwards took it on, the same combination for the first try struck as Price fed Evans.

Restored to 14 men, Saracens took a vice-like grip of the match. Koch made an instant impression at the scrum. So too did precocious second row Joel Kpoku who bounced Ospreys tacklers out of the way with impunity. Their only try of the game came from a familiar source: a Wigglesworth box-kick that was claimed by Lewington above Shaun Venter’s head for an easy run-in.

They nearly had a second, which would have been one of the tries of the season, as Lewington, Wigglesworth and Vunipola combined like the Harlem Globetrotters down the left-hand side but centre Nick Tompkins just failed to claim the final pass. As it was, Vunipola’s fifth penalty in the 68th minute took Saracens seven points clear and they closed out the game without any more scares. McCall hinted they will be fully loaded against Racing, but he will need more of this team spirit.

Match details

Scoring sequence: 0-3, Vunipola pen; 3-3, Price pen; 3-6, Vunipola pen; 3-9, Vunipola pen; 3-12, Vunipola pen; 8-12, Evans try; 10-12, Price con; 15-12, Evans try; 15-17, Lewington try; 15-19 Vunipola con; 15-22, Vunipola pen.

Ospreys: D Evans; H Dirksen (L Klim, 71), G North, T Thomas-Wheeler, L Morgan; L Price (C Evans, 72), S Venter (A Davies, 64); D Marfo (R Fawcett, 74), S Otten (S Parry, 64), M Fia (G Gajion, 64), A Beard, AW Jones (L Ashley, 64), D Lydiate, S Cross, M Morris (D Baker, 64).

Saracens: E Obatoyinbo (R Barrington, 10); S Maitland, A Lozowski, N Tompkins, A Lewington; M Vunipola, R Wigglesworth; R Carre, J Singleton (T Woolstencroft, 45), T Lamositele (V Koch, 45), W Skelton (Kpoku, 47), G Kruis, N Isiekwe (Kpoku, 18-30), C Clark (S Reffell, 67), J Wray.
Red card: Carre 5.
Sin-bin: Clark 34-44.

Referee: A Ruiz (France).

Attendance: 7,002.

3:06PM

Post-match stats

• 17 tackles from Jackson Wray tops the charts, a real captain's performance.

• Manu Vunipola, 100 per cent off the tee, missed more tackles than any other player (4).

• Ospreys wing Luke Morgan made 169 metres; no Saracens player made more than 40.

• Saracens' tackle success rate was only 82 per cent.

• Ospreys made more clean breaks and beat more defenders, but conceded more penalties.

3:00PM

Wigglesworth on top form

2:52PM

Full-time

Captain Wray kicks the ball out from the back of the scrum, capping off a stunning effort from the Champions.

Admittedly, the Ospreys have won just one match all season, but this was a relatively inexperienced Saracens side that was reduced to 14 men after five minutes, away from home, in the rain.

It sets up next weekend against Racing 92 in north London fantastically. That's already got the senses stirring in anticipation.

2:51PM

80 min

Evans tries to find Morgan after some Ospreys meandering just outside their own 22, but the pass was forward and Saracens will get the scrum with 10 seconds to go.

That will be that, with just a scrum to go.

2:49PM

79 min

Isiekwe has been fantastic today, and he soars highest yet again to claim the Saracens lineout.

The visitors look to run down the clock with some close-range trundling, before Wigglesworth box-kicks once more.

If Ospreys are going to do it, they're going to have to do it from inside their own 22.

2:47PM

77 min

There's life in the Ospreys yet as Saracens go for the jugular. Parry gets himself in a strong position and wins a jackal turnover.

But the cardinal sin: Price misses touch as he too avaricious with his range.

Ospreys look to counter after a Saracens' clearance but they haven't got the accuracy and can't control the ball. Saracens win a penalty from the resultant scrum, and this is slipping away from the home side.

2:43PM

75 min

Davies breaks blind from the scrum and Morris sets Morgan away again down the left. He gets up to halfway before he's hauled down. Quick ball for Ospreys, but there's yet another handling error in midfield and Lozowski hacks downfield.

Ospreys race back and North beats the onrushing Saracens chasers to secure possession for his side and they just about manage to clear.

2:42PM

73 min

Isiekwe takes the lineout and the maul looks well organised as Saracens look to put it to bed.

But Tompkins knocks on as he carries tight to the breakdown - he was controlling the ball at the back of the maul as it turns out.

Ospreys survive with a scrum on their own 22 - they have seven minutes to grab seven points for the draw, or more for an unlikely win.

2:40PM

Lewington's try

2:40PM

71 min

Wigglesworth sends the ball high again, but it's dealt with exquisitely by Price under pressure in his own half.

Ospreys seem to avert the danger well, but Wigglesworth bombs again and Ospreys cannot deal with this one, and they are seemingly under pressure.

New man Davies kicks clear from deep within his side's 22 and Saracens will have an attacking lineout in an ominous attacking position.

Wigglesworth's pinpoint box-kicking is turning the tide.

2:36PM

Pen Vunipola

The penalty is good. That's six from six for Vunipola today. A fine effort.

2:36PM

67 min

Saracens get the shunt on at the maul, and almost the whole Ospreys pack gets caught offside, and Vunipola will have a chance to extend his side's lead to seven.

Nine handling errors from Ospreys in this match - that's not good enough.

2:34PM

65 min

Ospreys negotiate the scrum well, and clear up to their 10-metre line.

Saracens' lineout falters again and Ospreys come away with it, but new man, the Moldovan prop Gajion can't control the ball when Ospreys had space and numbers.

To compound the new prop's misery, Saracens win a penalty from the resultant scrum, that Vunipola punts for a lineout inside the Ospreys half.

2:29PM

62 min

Wow. Almost a contender for try of the season.

Gorgeous, intricate handling from Saracens down the short side. Wigglesworth and Vunipola with delightful lines of running, toing and froing from deep, juggling the ball between themselves and offloading cutely. The scoring pass asks too much of Tompkins though, and Ospreys survive.

They'll put in to a scrum on their own five-metre line.

2:27PM

60 min

Saracens attack from the lineout and, in most un-Saracens fashion, lack patience and composure.

The attack slows down slightly, but it's still well-placed, and Maitland inexplicably attempts a grubber through with no one chasing. Ospreys, of course, lap it up an clear up to halfway.

Saracens will come back from the lineout, however, and Ospreys are still under the cosh.

2:25PM

58 min

Now Saracens are up to 14 they seem to have their tails up, but the Ospreys are still in this. They're only four points behind, and have just held up a Saracens maul to win a turnover.

But the home side really let themselves down, as they try to attack from a scrum inside their own half. They have a hint of an overlap, but Evans opts to kick, and it flies straight off the outside of his boot to sail out on the full.

Advantage Saracens.

2:21PM

55 min

Wigglesworth box-kicks clear down to Dirksen, as Ospreys look to re-establish themselves in this match.

But they spill the ball on halfway and Kpoku pounces. He charges downfield, carrying Price with him for 15 metres, but Ospreys get back wonderfully on their own 22 to win a holding-on penalty and snuff the danger. Great work from the inside centre Thomas-Wheeler.

2:18PM

52 min

Vunipola takes his time and, with his lazy run up, gives his side a four-point advantage with the conversion.

2:17PM

Try Lewington

You can't rest on your laurels against Saracens.

Ospreys think they've repelled the danger and it's a try completely from nothing.

Saracens have a slow ruck on halfway, and Wigglesworth goes to the air. Lewington chases, beats Venter in the air, and sprints unopposed over the line. Simple, ruthless, opportunistic and well-taken.

2:14PM

49 min

Clark, now back on the field, wins another holding-on penalty as Ospreys look to attack from the lineout.

If the Ospreys thought that an inexperienced, depleted Saracens side was going to lay down and roll over then they'd better think again! The whole squad are reigning champions, not just 15 players.

2:12PM

46 min

Evans calls a mark following a Vunipola bomb, and he clears up to halfway.

Ospreys pressurise the Saracens lineout, forcing a turnover as they come piling back towards Saracens.

Lydiate punches, Otten is involved again, before Morgan breaks clear again down the left! He has a free man in support, but he can't find him as Lewington intercepts the pass.

Wigglesworth clear and Saracens just about survive.

2:09PM

43 min

Price cannot add the extras, but that was exactly what Ospreys needed, capitalising on Saracens' two-man deficit.

There will be a reaction from the Champions so the home side have to cash in, as the rain teems in Swansea.

2:08PM

Try Evans

Ospreys attack with vigour around halfway, with Marfo and Fia prominent once more.

Morgan breaks down the left, fending off Vunipola, taking Ospreys up to Saracens five-metre line, after a lovely touch from North.

Cross and Marfo combine, and the legs pump to take Ospreys to within a metre.

Price throws a monster pass to Evans out wide who is in acres of space, and he canters over for his second. What a start!

2:05PM

Back underway in Swansea

Vunipola restarts with Saracens still down to 13.

Clark will be back soon, however.

2:02PM

Stat attack

Meanwhile, it's finely poised at the Liberty Stadium, with Saracens racing into a 12-3 lead, and looking the more comfortable of the two sides despite Rhys Carre's early sending off, but Dan Evans' late try got the Ospreys right back in it.

They arguably should be leading, too, after Evans missed a fairly routine penalty kick on the stroke of half-time.

• Saracens have already missed 15 tackles - how often do they do that in one half of rugby?

• Ospreys have dominated both territory and possession, and have made 215 metres to Saracens' 98.

• Isiekwe is the joint top tackler of the match, with 8, alongside Cross of Ospreys, and that was after spending 10 minutes of the field for a HIA.

• Otten and Evans of Ospreys lead the total carries charts, with seven each. No Saracen has made more than five.

1:56PM

Elsewhere in the competition

It's shaping up to be a cracker in the potential Pool 3 decider at the Stade Marcel Michelin, where Ulster lead Clermont 10-9 at half-time, with John Cooney the try-scorer (again).

1:50PM

Half-time

Price pushes that one awfully. It was on his correct side and he should have converted the opportunity, let alone have a better stab. Sliced horribly.

Vunipola restarts; Evans puts the ball into touch, and that's that for the half. A let-off for Saracens.

1:48PM

38 min

Vunipola looks to break through the centre of a ruck for Saracens after Ospreys clear the restart, but his offload to Wigglesworth was never on, and the ball spills forward.

That gives Ospreys the chance to put some pressure on at the end of the half. Dirksen puts a menacing grubber down the right tramline that is cleared by Lewington, and as Ospreys look to launch another attack, Skelton is penalised for an off-the-ball tackle on Cross on the Saracens 10-metre line.

After leading for most of the half, Saracens might be about to lose their lead just before half-time. What a smash-and-grab effort this would be from the Ospreys.

1:43PM

Try Evans!

A good finish from the full-back following a strong Ospreys maul at the five-metre lineout.

The 13 men of Saracens were stretched too far, and Evans got on the outside of Lozowski to score under the posts. The Welsh side are right back in this now.

1:43PM

34 min

Ospreys win their own restart and launch a well-organised attack, with Otten storming up the middle to the 22.

Price puts a kick in behind Maitland, and Dirksen is on his case, and all the Scottish wing can do is run the ball out on his own five-metre line.

It was penalty advantage over, but Clark has been sin-binned by the referee for cynically using his hands on the floor. It was his first offence, but it was cynical and needless so I understand the card. But advantage was over.

1:39PM

Pen Vunipola

Saracens win a penalty from that scrum and Vunipola strikes the ball sweetly from 40 metres out, and Saracens' lead is now 9 points.

1:38PM

Carre red card

It's borderline, and from this angle, it seems to be shoulder to head. I just wonder whether initial contact was on the chest and then the shoulder slid up, which I think was overlooked.

1:37PM

30 min

Wigglesworth clears perfectly down to the Ospreys 22. That was textbook from the scrum on halfway and Ospreys are under pressure.

But they win their lineout well, and Venter makes a half break after dummying from the base. The scrum-half is then required to box-kick, which he does nicely, but Saracens come back.

Lozowski exploits some space down the short side, but there's a mix-up in communications between Tompkins and Wray and the attack breaks down. The referee has deemed that Ospreys knocked on with the ball in-flight, however, so Saracens will have the scrum on Ospreys' 10-metre line.

1:34PM

28 min

Goodness me, I hope everyone has this match recording at home - Opsreys have just been called up for being in front of the kicker at the restart. Save it for posterity. It was North, of all people.

I didn't even realise that law was still in existence!

1:32PM

Pen Vunipola

Ospreys are penalised for not rolling away, and Vunipola will have the easiest chance to extend Saracens' lead to six.

And he takes it with ease.

1:30PM

23 min

Ospreys throw a forward pass so Saracens are spared, momentarily at least. But the reigning Champions push early at the scrum - just outside their own 22 - so Ospreys win a free-kick, and they in turn choose the scrum.

Morris loses control at the back, however, and Wigglesworth hacks downfield. Morgan tracks back but he's swamped by the Saracens back-row, and he's penalised for holding on.

Vunipola punts downfield to give his side a lineout on the Ospreys 22. From dire defensive straits to promising attacking position in 30 seconds. Classic Saracens.

1:26PM

20 min

Lewington is spared as the referee deems that he was just throwing the ball towards his supporting players, rather than deliberately throwing the ball dead. A nuanced interpretation from the French referee.

But he was playing advantage for an earlier Singleton high tackle, and Price gives Ospreys a lineout five metres from the Saracens line.

Kpoku has come on for an Isiekwe HIA - his first job will be to defend a lineout maul.

1:24PM

18 min

Lewington gets nowhere near an Ospreys high ball, and the home side swiftly ship through the hands as they find space in the Saracens half.

But Clark wins another holding-on penalty for Saracens on their own 22. Great defensive spirit from the visitors.

Vunipola misses touch, however, and back come Ospreys! Morgan weaves through the Saracens defence before Price finds space with a dangerous cross-field kick.

Lewington backtracks with North on his tail, and there's a chance that the Saracens wing deliberately batted the ball dead, which he obviously cannot do. We're off to the TMO.

1:20PM

Pen Vunipola

But Ospreys' exit strategy is sloppy, and they immediately concede a penalty from the restart.

Slightly trickier for Vunipola, but he makes no mistake.

1:18PM

Pen Price

And he does. 3-3 and, you'd have to say, following Carre's sending off, we have a game on our hands here.

1:18PM

13 min

Maitland makes a total hash of a searching Ospreys attacking kick, running it out on his own five-metre line. Ospreys set up the lineout maul and we have a period of one-out rugby for the Ospreys as they attempt to breach those ever-elusive five metres.

But Barrington has been penalised - again - this time for not rolling away, so Price will have the chance to even the scores.

1:15PM

10 min

Wigglesworth clears long but Morgan sweeps up well for the Ospreys. The Welsh side attempt to counter but, while the endeavour and the vision to identify the space was good, their skills couldn't quite exploit it and the attack breaks down.

That was Carre's first professional red card, incidentally. And Saracens full-back Obatoyinbo has left the field to bring on a prop, so on comes Barrington. His first action is to be caught offside and Price gives Ospreys a lineout on the Saracens 10-metre line.

1:11PM

8 min

Ospreys look to capitalise, with North carrying powerfully in midfield, and they approach the Saracens 22. Fia and Marfo carry like trucks, too, but the Saracens defence stands firm.

Superb work from Lamositele in the end, too, winning a holding-on penalty on the floor.

1:08PM

Red card for Saracens!

Carre has been sent off for a shoulder to the head.

Referee Ruiz was in no doubt - but it looked really tight, it didn't seem clear-cut that he made contact with the head.

Regardless, Saracens have got an uphill struggle now - they have to play for 75 minutes with 14 men.

1:06PM

5 min

Isiekwe has absolutely clobbered Evans on the kick return, and Saracens ultimately win a turnover.

Hang on though - Carre got involved with that Isiekwe hit as a tackler assist. looked to be a high shoulder and we're going to the TMO for a look...

1:04PM

Pen Vunipola

Easy as you like for Vunipola and a commanding start from Saracens.

Wray, captaining his team, has made a fantastic start.

1:03PM

3 min

Wray charges from the base through Price and then Carre bursts through.

Saracens put early pressure on, camping themselves inside the Ospreys 22, before the hosts stray offside.

Vunipola will have an early shot at three points; a great start for the visitors.

1:02PM

1 min

An early error from the Ospreys as they attempt to run the ball back following Wigglesworth's clearance, but Morris knocks on under no pressure just inside the Ospreys half.

I know it's a bit greasy, but...

1:00PM

The teams are out

Here we go!

12:50PM

A change for Ospreys!

Tighthead prop Simon Gardiner is a last-minute absentee, so Gheorge Gajion comes onto the bench in his place. Gajion is one of two Moldovan props plying their trade in Welsh top-flight rugby, with Dmitri Arhip also at Cardiff Blues.

12:47PM

Mark McCall's pre-match interview

12:42PM

Pre-match reading

Austin Healey has been waxing lyrical about Eddie Jones' reported plan to switch Sale Sharks flanker Ben Curry, brother of Tom, to scrum-half. He believes that Jones has an ulterior motive for the change, which you can read here.

12:30PM

In case you missed last night's Champions Cup action

Harlequins put their stuttering run of form to bed with an impressive away victory over Bath at the Rec. You can watch highlights below, and read Ben Coles' report from the West Country here.

And over on the west coast of France, Sale Sharks, who played with 14 men for the last 15 minutes, pushed La Rochelle all the way, almost snatching a draw in a dramatic finale.

12:20PM

Team news

Ospreys starting XV: D. Evans, Dirksen, North, Thomas-Wheeler, L. Morgan, Price, Venter, Marfo, Otten, Fia, Beard, A. Jones, Lydiate, Cross, Morris.
Replacements: Parry, Fawcett, Gardiner, Ashley, Baker, A. Davies, C. Evans, Klim.

Saracens starting XV: Obatoyinbo, Maitland, Lozowski, Tompkins, Lewington, M. Vunipola, Wigglesworth, Carre, Singleton, Lamositele, Skelton, Kruis, Isiekwe, Clark, Wray.
Replacements: Woolstencroft, Barrington, Koch, Kpoku, S. Reffell, Whiteley, Segun, Crossdale.

Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)

12:14PM

Good afternoon!

Hello and welcome to the first match in today's Telegraph Sport Champions Cup coverage, where a largely second-string Saracens team travel to struggling Ospreys.

Realistically, Mark McCall's men must win today to keep their qualification hopes alive - winning with a bonus point would stand them in even greater stead - and a draw between Racing 92 and Munster in Paris tomorrow afternoon would help them greatly in the competition's most competitive pool so far.

McCall has seemingly gambled with his selection. He has rested most of his star names, and has sent a youthful-but-inexperienced side to Swansea to take on a team featuring Wales and British & Irish Lions stars George North, Alun Wyn Jones, and Dan Lydiate. But the Ospreys are struggling- they have won just one match across all competitions this season - and Mark McCall will still be expecting his team to do the business, presumably with the hope of reinstalling the big boys for next weekend's visit for Racing 92. Should they win today, a win next week against the flamboyant Parisians should see them qualify regardless of results elsewhere.

The first challenge is today, however, and the omens are good for Saracens. They have won seven of their last 10 matches, even in the midst of the off-field financial issues, and have rotated their squad along the way, too.

There is further cause for optimism, too, in the fact that, the last time the two teams met, back in November 2019 at Allianz Park, the North-London men won 44-3. An undoubted rout, but expect today to be closer. Saracens were at full strength in November, while the Ospreys were missing a host of their internationals.

Regardless, with the Ospreys out of the competition, desire will play a crucial part in this: will their desire to not suffer another torrid afternoon at the hands of their November tormentors outweigh Saracens' desire for qualification. We shall see.