Ospreys (15) 36
Tries: T Botha, Parry, Morris, Lloyd, K Williams Cons: Williams (4) Pens: Williams
Lions (7) 21
Tries: PJ Botha, Horn, Kriel Cons: Hendrikse (3)
In a dominant performance, early first half tries from front-row pair Tom Botha and Sam Parry had given the home side the perfect start, before PJ Botha had reduced the scoreline at the break to keep the visitors in touch.
It would be mainly one-way traffic in the second-half as man of the match Morgan Morris and replacement Lewis Lloyd would wrap up a bonus-point victory.
Late tries from South African backs Quan Horn and Richard Kriel made for a nervy finale, but it would be the home side who would wrap up a convincing win late with Kieran Williams going over with the last play of the game.
The win now sees the Ospreys move to seventh place in the standings capitalising on defeats for Connacht and Edinburgh to move back into play-off contention.
The Ospreys would come into the game looking to bounce back from their disappointing 27-17 defeat against Munster last weekend. A combination of a slow start and missed opportunities late in the game proved to be their undoing on an afternoon where bonus points would go begging against the reigning champions.
Next up would be South African province the Emirates Lions – the side the Ospreys dramatically beat just two months ago 38-28 in Johannesburg to secure European progress in the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Once again, the match-up would be pivotal. This time for the race for a top-eight end of season play-off placing – the last of those places currently held by the Lions coming into the match with a four points advantage over Toby Booth’s side.
With a tricky run of fixtures for the Ospreys seeing back-to-back away games in South Africa against the Stormers and Bulls on the horizon, before visiting leaders Leinster it would be a must-win match for the Welsh region if their ambitions of a play-off placing are to come to fruition.
Booth would make five changes to his starting XV with Wales duo Adam Beard and Gareth Thomas strengthening his forward selection, whilst Owen Watkin would come into midfield to partner on-loan Cheetah Evardi Boshoff at centre.
Without injured backs Alex Cuthbert and Iestyn Hopkins who both were casualties in the Munster loss, Booth gave a start to Jack Walsh at full-back after his impact against the Irish side whilst Luke Morgan would have a rare opportunity on the wing.
There would be just one change for the Lions from their impressive six-try 38-14 win in Galway against Connacht last weekend. Prop Conraad van Vuuren would come in for the suspended Asenathi Ntlabakanye. Speedster Edwill van der Merwe meanwhile would run out for his 50th appearance in Lions colours.
It would be the home side who would start the stronger winning an early kicking battle before pinning the visitors into their own twenty-two.
Having forced the Lions into several errors after multiple phases of patient play, front-row Tom Botha would make the breakthrough powering over from close range to open the scoring, emerging through a flurry of bodies to the delight of the home faithful.
The Ospreys would show the clinical edge Toby Booth would search for prior to the game and would double their advantage minutes later. Quick hands from Reuban Morgan-Williams, following a successful Ospreys set-piece allowing the scrum-half to burst free to feed the unlikely support of Parry to score for the second week in a row.
The Lions would start to work their way back into the match as the half would go on but would be clumsy and wasteful in possession. Booth’s side showing discipline and resilience in defense to force mistakes and would win two crucial turnovers when it would seem a try would be an inevitable conclusion.
The Ospreys would lose Parry to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle late in the half and with the extra man, the Lions would reduce their deficit to five points with the break approaching.
Lions hooker PJ Botha forcing his way through the back of a maul to go over in the corner with Hendrikse landing a difficult kick from an awkward angle for the extras.
A further mistake from the South Africans, however, would allow Owen Williams the opportunity to restore their advantage from the tee as the Ospreys would lead by eight at the break.
Any hope of a Lions comeback faded with ill-discipline and frustration minutes into the second-half. Replacement prop Morgan Naude finding himself on the wrong end of the law and was sent to the bin for a tip tackle on Ospreys captain Justin Tipuric much to the baying satisfaction of the crowd looking for further punishment.
The home side would make the most of the extra man to pile pressure on the Lions defense before Morris would benefit from strong scrummaging to score via the resultant mall from close range.
The home side would then add breathing space to the scoreboard, further punishing their out of sorts opposition. Replacement hooker Lewis Lloyd the latest to power over in the corner to earn a crucial attacking bonus point.
Back to full quota, the South Africans would plug away and after having a score disallowed by TMO for not grounding, would get their reward for a period of pressure. Lions flanker Pretorius feeding speedster Horn to score after a neat sweeping move had found space on the right-hand side.
With the game into the last ten minutes, the next score would be crucial with the close margins of the URC table. It would come the way of the visitors wing Kriel racing through to score in the corner evading two challenges leading to a tense finale.
Owen Williams would strike the woodwork with a late penalty as Booth’s side looked to get over the line, but it wouldn’t matter as the Ospreys would add gloss to the performance. Wing Keelan Giles bursting free to feed replacement centre Williams to earn his side a vital win that would move them back into the play-off picture.
Ospreys XV: Walsh, L Morgan, Boshoff , Watkin, Giles, O Williams, Morgan-Williams,
G Thomas, Parry, T Botha, R Davies, Beard, Ratti, Tipuric (captain), M Morris.
Lions XV: Q Horn, Kriel, Cronje, Louw (captain), van der Merwe, Hendrikse, Nohamba, JP Smith, PJ Botha, van Vuuren, Oosthuizen, Nothnagel, Pretorius, Tshituka. F Horn.
[Lead image: Ospreys Rugby]
