| Ospreys (19) 27 |
| Tries: Giles 2, Webb, Lake Cons: Walsh 2 Pens: Walsh |
| Lions (13) 28 |
| Tries: Horn, Nohamba, E van der Merwe; Cons: Lombard 2 Pens: Lombard 3 |
Ospreys’ poor report towards South Africa sides continued as they slipped to a one-point defeat towards Lions within the United Rugby Championship.
Fly-half Jack Walsh missed a 78th minute penalty to clinch victory.
Tries from Sanele Nohamba, Francke Horn and Edwill van der Merwe and 13 factors from fly-half Gianni Lombard sealed the win.
Ospreys wing Keelan Giles scored two tries with additional scores from Rhys Webb and Dewi Lake.
Toby Sales space’s aspect misplaced 4 matches towards South African opposition final season and the development has continued.
Centre swap
George North switched from wing to centre the place he performed for Wales through the profitable 2021 Six Nations match and the 2022 summer season tour of South Africa.
Flanker Dan Lydiate made his first look of the season together with his inclusion as an alternative of Jac Morgan, one in every of 4 personnel adjustments to the aspect that drew 23-23 with Scarlets.
Full-back Max Nagy, wing Luke Morgan and Walsh got here into the beginning aspect with Joe Hawkins, Owen Watkin and Gareth Anscombe not included.
Ospreys had a backline reshuffle with North forming a brand new centre partnership with Michael Collins, who began towards Scarlets at full-back.
Nagy began at 15 with Morgan coming in on the wing. Fly-half Walsh made his first Ospreys begin following his late touchline conversion that rescued a draw towards Scarlets on his aggressive debut final week.
Lock Alun Wyn Jones was penalised for a head collision on Nohamba as Lombard missed the preliminary penalty however slotted over his second try.
Ospreys responded with a Keelan Giles strive after a fast faucet penalty from Rhys Webb and swift fingers from Alun Wyn Jones, Adam Beard, Morgan Morris and Luke Morgan.
Walsh transformed from the touchline and produced an incisive break to arrange Giles for his second strive.
A weak spot of the Welsh recreation resurfaced as Ospreys have been penalised straight from a restart and quantity eight Horn capitalised with the Lions’ opening strive.
Ospreys scored an creative third strive after a cross-field kick from Nagy was collected by Giles earlier than a superb Collins inside go set the foundations for Webb to snipe over.
Lombard decreased the deficit together with his second penalty as Lions trailed by six factors at half-time.
Lions flanker Sibusiso Sangweni was proven a yellow card for a harmful tip sort out on Collins.
The 14-man guests took benefit of Webb spilling the ball from an Ospreys scrum together with his reverse quantity Nohamba sprinting over to attain with the deficit coming down to a degree.
Sales space despatched on Wales forwards Jac Morgan and Lake, who made a right away impression with a strive from a driving lineout to safe the attacking bonus level after Nohamba had given away a pointless penalty.
Lombard responded with a long-range penalty earlier than Walsh retaliated with a profitable kick of his personal.
With Nagy down injured, Lions took benefit with a flowing transfer completed by wing Van der Merwe who glided over after latching onto a protracted go.
Lombard’s conversion gave Lions the lead earlier than Walsh fluffed his likelihood to turn out to be the Ospreys’ hero together with his missed kick.
Ospreys head coach Toby Sales space: “I understand how we misplaced it, however in relation to why, that is the questions for now.
“We have to get on and study the teachings we have not managed within the first two weeks. We had numerous management.
“I do not assume we began in addition to final week, however we wrestled again management and have relinquished it once more.
“That is the massive factor we have got to get on high of. Groups are too good on this league.
“When momentum shifts and shifts quite a bit and shortly, it is exhausting to wrestle it again.
“As soon as you’ve got bought it, you have to preserve it and switch it into factors on the scoreboard.”
Lions head coach Ivan Van Rooyen: “We’re relieved, delighted and pleased with that win.
“I felt we confirmed 80 minutes of struggle and character. That Ospreys staff is high quality with stars all through, so for us to come back right here and work that onerous is agreeable.
“We felt if it was shut within the final 15 or 20 minutes we had a good shot and in the long run we managed to tug it off.”
Ospreys: Max Nagy; Luke Morgan, George North, Michael Collins, Keelan Giles; Jack Walsh, Rhys Webb; Nicky Smith, Scott Baldwin, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Dewi Lake, Garyn Phillips, Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Will Griffiths, Jac Morgan, Reuben Morgan Williams, Joe Hawkins.
Lions: Andries Coetzee; Edwill van der Merwe, Zander du Plessis, Marius Louw, Quan Horn; Gianni Lombard, Sanele Nohamba; Sti Sithole, PJ Botha, Ruan Dreyer, Ruben Schoeman, Reinhard Nothnagel (capt), Sibusiso Sangweni, Emmanuel Tshituka, Francke Horn.
Replacements: Jaco Visagie, JP Smith, Ruan Smith, Pieter Jansen van Vuren, Ruan Venter, Morne van den Berg, Jordan Hendrikse, Sango Xamlashe.
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Rhys Jones & Dai Cambourne (WRU)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU).
