It was raining tries at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday evening as the Ospreys crossed the whitewash seven times to make it two from two as they moved to top spot in the early season table.
- Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones score two each, with Tips moving to 10th in the all-time list on 27, the only forward on the chart
- George North crossed for his third in two games, while Alex Jeffries helped himself to his first ever PRO14 try, Scott Otten also touching down
- The Ospreys had to overcome the loss of Nicky Smith and Dan Evans to first half HIAs, while Scott Williams suffered a hamstring injury after the break
Taking an early lead, the Ospreys were made to work hard for the win, leading by 15 points at the interval, with the bonus point coming on the hour.
The first try came after seven minutes, a 24th in Ospreys colours for Alun Wyn Jones from a well-worked move at a line-out 5m out. As the Cheetahs defence set themselves for the drive, Justin Tipuric peeled off the back and slipped a lovely inside ball to Jones who had the simplest of finishes, Sam Davies adding the extras.
The Ospreys would have wanted to build on that start but the second try of the afternoon went to the visitors on their first meaningful visit into the opposition 22, 17 minutes in.
Cheetahs declined a simple three points, Tian Schoeman with the quick tap and go and, after, the backs had a couple of goes it was the big number eight, Jasper Wiese who bullocked his way over. Schoeman converted to level it.
The Ospreys almost hit straight back, scrappy play from the Cheetahs seeing the ball go to ground on halfway, Scott Williams hacking it upfield and chasing. He won the race but knocked on a metre or two short of the line and Cheetahs cleared, the officials missing an obvious pull back on Owen Watkin off the ball.
Try number two for the Ospreys went to Scott Otten on 27 minutes, the hooker unstoppable from close range after a well worked lineout move had seen Tipuric and Davies combine to release George North just outside the 22.
Davies was on target again with the conversion.
The lead was 12 four minutes from the break, North sliding over on the left for his third try of the season after play was swept from one flank to the other, Aled Davies realising the line out drive was stalling and moving it quickly across the backline. Davies pushed the touchline conversion across the face of the posts and wide, but the scoreboard read 19-7.
There was time for the Ospreys to go again before the half-time whistle but the home team were content to take the three, Davies slotting over a simple penalty from in front of the posts.
HALF-TIME: OSPREYS 22-7 CHEETAHS
Early pressure from the Cheetahs following the restart came to nothing as the home defence held firm, Aidon Davies knocking on in the tackle on the Ospreys line as his scrum half, Shaun Venter, fired the ball at him as he looked to get the ball away.
That scare aside, the Ospreys were firmly in control of affairs during the third quarter, without looking like troubling the scorers, until the pressure finally told a minute short of the hour when try number four and the bonus point arrived.
Cheetahs struggled to contain a powerful lineout drive in the 22, Alun Wyn Jones peeled off and went for the line but was unable to get the ball to ground. There was no stopping Alex Jeffries though, as the prop somehow found his way through the bodies to ground the ball for his first ever Guinness PRO14 try. Davies converted.
We had to wait just five minutes for the next score, another unstoppable maul rumbling towards the line and, this time, it was Tipuric dabbing down, before Davies split the posts again to push the scoreboard to 36-7.
Cheetahs served notice that they weren’t just going to throw in the towel with a lovely individual score from Rabz Rabz Maxwane, the winger collecting the ball on halfway, chipping over James Hook and then collecting the bouncing ball on the Ospreys 22 and sidestepping past Tom Habberfield to score, Schoerner converting.
The Ospreys went straight up the other end to grab another try, a penalty for not releasing allowing Davies to go to the corner and Tipuric was controlling things, scoring try number 27 for his region which went unconverted.
There was still time for one more Ospreys try as Alun Wyn barged his way over from 10m out after a flowing attack to take the score to 46-14 on a good night for the region.