Lions (18) 28
Tries: Louw 2, Pretorius, Van den Berg Cons: Nohamba Pens: Nohamba 2
Ospreys (14) 38
Tries: Watkin, North, Giles, Cameron Jones, Morse Cons: Edwards 2, Walsh 3 Pen: Edwards
In a gripping game with action aplenty, scores from Owen Watkin, George North, Keelan Giles, Cameron Jones and Morgan Morse would see Toby Booth’s side become the first Ospreys team to win in South Africa, a feat that secured third place in the final Pool standings.
A home tie on the weekend starting April 5 at the Swansea.com stadium next awaits as Booth’s young guns fly the flag as the last remaining Welsh region.
The home side would be their own worst enemy with ill-discipline seeing three players sin-binned at crucial moments of the game but would be shell-shocked by the heart and spirit of an understrength Ospreys side who fought superbly to pull off an upset.
The away side would start positively and would see the game’s first try with centre Watkin charging down a poor clearance just outside of the Lions twenty-two before racing over under the posts.
The Lions would hit back straight away through centre Marius Louw straight from the restart but skipper Sanele Nohamba’s failure to convert the extras would be a telling factor as the scrum-half would miss three crucial kicks.
Wales centre North would put the visitors back in front carving his way through the midfield and a despairing tackle from fly-half Gianni Lombard before racing to the try line.
The 118-cap international 31-year-old, however, would be forced off minutes later clutching his shoulder in a concerning sight for national coach Warren Gatland just two weeks before the start of the Six Nations.
The Lions would then retake the lead through JC Pretorius after nifty footwork would see the flanker evade a challenge to score in the corner, before Louw would gain his second of the game to give his side a four-point lead at the break.
The second-half would start much like the first with a Lions player seeing yellow, Louw penalised for a shoulder charge.
The boot of Dan Edwards would keep the visitors in touch with the scoreboard, but it would be the home side who would move into an eleven-point lead. Replacement Morne van den Berg’s quick thinking with a tap and go allowing the fly-half to race under the posts.
Then would come the decisive moment of the match, the yellow card to replacement flanker Hanru Sirgel’s professional foul with 14 minutes to play.
Galvanised and fearless the Ospreys took the game by the scruff of the neck and reduced their arrears with the in form Giles proving a point to Wales selectors sprinting clear after collecting a splendid pass from Keiran Williams. Jack Walsh, introduced onto the pitch would be cool under pressure to add the extras.
With a sniff of a comeback, replacement prop Jones would then turn the match on its head powering over after being fed by Watkin.
The best, however, would be saved till last with exciting youngster Morse adding gloss to the victory. The number eight would intercept a pass 60 metres out before darting away from despairing Lions tackles to score the Ospreys fifth try to complete an incredible turnaround and memorable win.
Ospreys: Iestyn Hopkins; Mat Protheroe, George North, Owen Watkin, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Rhys Henry, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, James Ratti, Adam Beard (captain), Will Hickey, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morse.
Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Cam Jones, Ben Warren, Lewis Jones, Tristan Davies, Cameron Jones, Jack Walsh, Keiran Williams.
[Lead image: Ospreys Rugby]
