Biggar inspires Ospreys to win over Exeter
Dan Biggar, left, was a key figure as Ospreys beat Exeter
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REACTION
"I thought the Ospreys looked a lot more comfortable with the whole evening, and I think that is the disappointing thing for me.
"I don't know if we ever really settled down and looked comfortable.
"At the start we created quite a lot of opportunities, but I don't think we realised there were points there for the taking. In the second half, we never really got a grip of the game at all.
"We made repeat errors and just got a bit uncharacteristically ragged, and I am a little frustrated that our forwards didn't take a bigger grip on the game in the second half.
"The scoreboard and the clock wasn't against us for quite a long time, but we started to play like it was. We got knocked out of our stride a little too easily for my liking."
Rob Baxter, Exeter Chiefs head coach
"It's a good start. We can be happy with today.
"It is going to be a tough one out there next week, with the squad they (Clermont) have got and the sort of rugby they play."
Alun-Wyn Jones, Ospreys captain
Dan Biggar led Ospreys to a 25-13 win over Exeter at the Liberty Stadium as the Chiefs became the first English side to register a defeat in this season's European Champions Cup.
Seven weeks after playing a leading role in kicking Wales to victory over England in the World Cup, the fly-half kicked five penalties, a drop-goal and converted centre Josh Matavesi's late try for a 20-point haul.
Exeter wing James Short touched down while fly-half Gareth Steenson converted and scored two penalties, but they failed where Leicester, Saracens, Northampton and Wasps had succeeded this weekend.
The Ospreys were good enough for Biggar to be able to miss three penalty attempts but he was composed enough at the key moments, also denying Exeter a losing bonus point.
Eight members of Wales' World Cup squad turned out for the home side and they dominated early territory and possession, putting Jack Nowell - playing at full-back - under early pressure.
Biggar scored a seventh-minute penalty and doubled the advantage from further out 10 minutes later.
Steenson opened Exeter's account with a penalty which was the catalyst for a sustained pressure, although they let a golden chance to score slip by as Luke Cowan-Dickie was denied by Paul James.
Three minutes later they made amends when scrum-half Will Chudley gathered Biggar's defensive clearance, beat two players and sent Short clear, the wing brushing off James King's attempted tackle, eluding Biggar and touching down to score.
Steenson converted to put Exeter 10-6 ahead and they stayed in the clear until the break as Biggar missed two kickable penalties.
After the break, he was back on song and had his third penalty on 42 minutes, missing another shot at goal soon afterwards, but then finding his range to land his fourth kick to put Ospreys back ahead.
Exeter were punished for a lack of discipline but could consider themselves unfortunate to be on the end of some poor decisions by referee Marius Mitrea, including a missed forward pass from scrum-half Brendon Leonard to flanker Justin Tipuric as the Ospreys counter-attacked.
Steenson put Exeter back in front with a 58th-minute penalty and there was little to choose between the teams as the final quarter approached, as they scrapped for points in a pool that also includes Clermont Auvergne and Bordeaux-Begles.
The visitors could not stay ahead, as Biggar's drop-goal meant the lead had changed hands three times in 14 minutes and set up a tense finale.
Despite their best attempts, the Chiefs could not come back, Biggar adding another penalty and when Matavesi intercepted Steenson's attempted pass to flanker Dave Ewers, he sprinted 65 metres to put the seal on the win.
