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Page last updated at 22:04 GMT, Saturday, 12 December 2009

Humphreys hails Ospreys Dan Biggar and Ricky Januarie

Dan Biggar kicked 22 points in the Ospreys' win at Viadana
Dan Biggar kicked 22 points in the Ospreys' win at Viadana

Ospreys forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys hailed half-backs Dan Biggar and new scrum-half Ricky Januarie for their part in the 62-7 win in Viadana.

Humphreys described Wales star Biggar as the "glue" that holds the Ospreys together and said try-scoring Springbok debutant Januarie was "fantastic".

Biggar kicked all his shots at goal - eight conversions and two penalties - to notch up a stunning 22-point tally.

"He is becoming the glue that holds this team together," said Humphreys.

"He has got a very old head on extremely young shoulders and he's a gifted player and it's great to see him in the form he's in."

The Ospreys ran in four tries in each half in the bonus point win that put them top of Pool Three while South African new boy Januarie scored in an impressive opening period.

Januarie tried to learn his side's set plays from DVDs prior to arriving at the region for his three-month stay.

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And ex-Wales captain Humphreys was also keen to praise Kiwi scrum-half Jamie Nutbrown, who sat on the bench despite having not fully recovered from a knee injury.

"Ricky was fantastic, but also we have Jamie Nutbrown who isn't fit, who wasn't right, but was prepared to go out and play for us," said Humphreys.

"And that is fantastic of him in this professional era, there's a guy there who's put the region first before himself.

"And we felt an obligation of duty when he wasn't right not to put him on the field.

"So we felt we had two fantastic displays, one was on the field and one was off it, from both our nines."

Humphreys added: "Overall it was a job well done. Coming out here is a potential banana skin.

"They've performed very well against Clermont Auvergne and against Leicester.

"So we're particularly happy to come in half time four tries to the good, but also we questioned that first 20 minutes in that game.

"We felt we were a little bit sloppy, but it was difficult for the boys in the second half to maintain that momentum, but for large part of that we did.

We didn't like to watch that [Quinnell's try], but they kept on battling hard

Jonathan Humphreys

"We've been working on trying to get our style of play to be right, to get the balance right and those sort of snapshots will tell us we are getting people in the right position, doing the right things.

"These boys like to run with the ball, they like to offload and it's great when they do it with accuracy."

Welshman Gavin Quinnell scored Viadana's try and Humphreys says the Ospreys must remain focused and produce a professional display in next weekend's re-run at Liberty Stadium.

He said: You see enough in them to know they are a threat.

"You know why they troubled Leicester and Clermont so we know we've got some things to work on and hopefully we are going to put in a professional performance.

"We didn't like to watch that [Quinnell's try], but they kept on battling hard and it's disappointing for us to concede a try but in fairness to them, they really didn't throw the towel in, did they?"



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see also
Viadana 7-62 Ospreys
12 Dec 09 |  Welsh
Ospreys sign scrum-half Januarie
26 Nov 09 |  Ospreys
Heineken Cup 2009/10
22 Dec 09 |  Rugby Union
Heineken Cup tables
09 Aug 06 |  Tables
European rugby archive
16 Aug 06 |  Rugby Union
Coming up next on Scrum V...
03 Nov 08 |  Welsh
BBC Sport Wales coverage
03 Oct 11 |  Wales


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