ULSTER FELL TO a third consecutive defeat on Welsh soil this season as they just missed out in a slug-fest at the Brewery Field against a fired-up Ospreys team.
With a top four place in the URC on the line Richie Murphy’s team through they had won the game in the 74th minute when Harry Sheridan went over from close range to make it 15-14.
The conversion was missed but that didn’t matter. Ulster had their noses in front – or so they thought.
Then the TMO intervened and after a lengthy consultation with Italian referee Filippo Russo the score was ruled out and Marcus Rea picked up a yellow card for making head contact as he charged into the ruck on the line.
To make matters worse, in almost the next passage of play Werner Kok coughed up possession, the Ospreys kicked deep to the Ulster line and as Michael Lowry stooped to pick up the ball, so too did Daniel Kasende. The home wing managed to wrestle the ball over the line and after another check on the big screen the Ospreys were awarded a third try in the 77th minute.
One last shot from a penalty line out in the Ospreys 22 gave Ulster a chance of picking up a losing bonus point, but they managed to knock the ball on over the line. It was that sort of night.
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Tom Stewart is tackled by James Fender. Geraint Nicholas / INPHO
Geraint Nicholas / INPHO / INPHO
The Ospreys came out of the blocks full of energy and a ferocious attack off a penalty line out deep in the Ulster 22 ended with Cormac Foley marking his first start for the Welsh region with a try in only the third minute. What a feeling for the former Leinster Academy and Ireland U20 scrum half
Jack Walsh added the extras and the Ospreys had got the start they wanted. Their lead, however, didn’t last long as in their first foray into the home 22 Ulster came up with a try.
Zac Ward was lurking out on the right wing as the forwards tried to make headway in midfield and after a quick recycle, Jack Murphy cross kicked inch perfectly for Ward to catch and flop over in the corner. That cut the gap to two points and in the 12th minute the Ulstermen went ahead.
This time it was a driving line-out that came up trumps for Iain Henderson’s men. Murphy kicked a penalty into the corner and hooker Tom Stewart came up with the try.
Nathan Doak was unable to convert either score and so the game remained on a knife-edge for the rest of the half. Ulster were forced to dig deep on the stroke of half-time as the Ospreys launched from another close range line-out and it took a magnificent turnover three metres out to save the day,
The Ospreys started the second half as they had the first and launched everything they had at the Ulster defensive line, but couldn’t find a way to knock down the door.
The Ulster back row and midfield defence stayed watertight against wave after wave of attacks and were successful in holding up Harri Deaves over the line, turning over another attack inches out from the try line and then ruining a driving line out maul from five metres.
It took the home side until the 69th minute to final find a way of crossing the Ulster line again and it came from a tapped penalty move five metres out. James Ratti finally got over the line and Walsh added the extras.
That made it 14-10 with 10 minutes to go and the kick-off allowed Ulster to get out of their own half for almost the first time in the second period. Then came those bonkers final six minutes which saw ecstasy turn to agony for the visitors and the Opsreys pick up another notable scalp
Ospreys: I Hopkins; D Kasende, O Watkin, K Williams (E Boshoff 60), K Giles, J Walsh (co-captain, L Scully 24-36), C Foley (R Morgan-Williams 46); G Thomas (S Thomas), S Parry (co-captain, L Lloyd), R Henry (T Botha 46), J Fender (H Sutton), R Smith, J Ratti, R Moriarty, M Morse (H Deaves 49)
Ulster Rugby: M Lowry; W Kok, J Hume, J Postlethwaite (B Carson 75), Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak (C McKee 57; E O’Sullivan (A Bell 57), T Stewart (R Herring 57), S Wilson (B O’Connor 61), I Henderson (captain, H Sheridanj 57), C Irvine, M Dalton (M Rea 57), D McCann, B Ward
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Ulster fall short in Wales again as Ospreys edge tight contest
Ospreys 21
Ulster 10
ULSTER FELL TO a third consecutive defeat on Welsh soil this season as they just missed out in a slug-fest at the Brewery Field against a fired-up Ospreys team.
With a top four place in the URC on the line Richie Murphy’s team through they had won the game in the 74th minute when Harry Sheridan went over from close range to make it 15-14.
The conversion was missed but that didn’t matter. Ulster had their noses in front – or so they thought.
Then the TMO intervened and after a lengthy consultation with Italian referee Filippo Russo the score was ruled out and Marcus Rea picked up a yellow card for making head contact as he charged into the ruck on the line.
To make matters worse, in almost the next passage of play Werner Kok coughed up possession, the Ospreys kicked deep to the Ulster line and as Michael Lowry stooped to pick up the ball, so too did Daniel Kasende. The home wing managed to wrestle the ball over the line and after another check on the big screen the Ospreys were awarded a third try in the 77th minute.
One last shot from a penalty line out in the Ospreys 22 gave Ulster a chance of picking up a losing bonus point, but they managed to knock the ball on over the line. It was that sort of night.
The Ospreys came out of the blocks full of energy and a ferocious attack off a penalty line out deep in the Ulster 22 ended with Cormac Foley marking his first start for the Welsh region with a try in only the third minute. What a feeling for the former Leinster Academy and Ireland U20 scrum half
Jack Walsh added the extras and the Ospreys had got the start they wanted. Their lead, however, didn’t last long as in their first foray into the home 22 Ulster came up with a try.
Zac Ward was lurking out on the right wing as the forwards tried to make headway in midfield and after a quick recycle, Jack Murphy cross kicked inch perfectly for Ward to catch and flop over in the corner. That cut the gap to two points and in the 12th minute the Ulstermen went ahead.
This time it was a driving line-out that came up trumps for Iain Henderson’s men. Murphy kicked a penalty into the corner and hooker Tom Stewart came up with the try.
Nathan Doak was unable to convert either score and so the game remained on a knife-edge for the rest of the half. Ulster were forced to dig deep on the stroke of half-time as the Ospreys launched from another close range line-out and it took a magnificent turnover three metres out to save the day,
The Ospreys started the second half as they had the first and launched everything they had at the Ulster defensive line, but couldn’t find a way to knock down the door.
The Ulster back row and midfield defence stayed watertight against wave after wave of attacks and were successful in holding up Harri Deaves over the line, turning over another attack inches out from the try line and then ruining a driving line out maul from five metres.
It took the home side until the 69th minute to final find a way of crossing the Ulster line again and it came from a tapped penalty move five metres out. James Ratti finally got over the line and Walsh added the extras.
That made it 14-10 with 10 minutes to go and the kick-off allowed Ulster to get out of their own half for almost the first time in the second period. Then came those bonkers final six minutes which saw ecstasy turn to agony for the visitors and the Opsreys pick up another notable scalp
Scorers: Ospreys: Tries: Foley (3), Ratti (69), Kasende (77); Cons: Walsh 3 (4, 70, 78). Ulster: Tries: Z Ward (9), Stewart (12)
Ospreys: I Hopkins; D Kasende, O Watkin, K Williams (E Boshoff 60), K Giles, J Walsh (co-captain, L Scully 24-36), C Foley (R Morgan-Williams 46); G Thomas (S Thomas), S Parry (co-captain, L Lloyd), R Henry (T Botha 46), J Fender (H Sutton), R Smith, J Ratti, R Moriarty, M Morse (H Deaves 49)
Ulster Rugby: M Lowry; W Kok, J Hume, J Postlethwaite (B Carson 75), Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak (C McKee 57; E O’Sullivan (A Bell 57), T Stewart (R Herring 57), S Wilson (B O’Connor 61), I Henderson (captain, H Sheridanj 57), C Irvine, M Dalton (M Rea 57), D McCann, B Ward
Rep Unused: J Flannery,
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Ulster URC