Connacht's Stuart Lancaster: I'm more frustrated with us than the referee's decisions

7 December 2025; Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster before the EPCR Challenge Cup match between Ospreys and Connacht at Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend, Wales. Photo by Kian Abdullah/Sportsfile

Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster said he is not going to get bogged down in refereeing decisions which might have cost them victory over Ospreys in the Challenge Cup at the Brewery Field.

Irish tighthead Finlay Bealham went off early in the game after what Lancaster said was a high hit, while there was a suspicion of a forward pass leading to the late try which won it for the Welsh side.

“To a certain extent, I'm not as frustrated with that. I'm more frustrated with us, that we allowed ourselves to be put in that position. So I'm not going to sit here and criticise officials when the things are in our control,” said Lancaster.

“We’re disappointed, 21-0 up away from home, playing really well. And then to lose momentum as we did and to allow Ospreys to get back in the game.

“Credit to Ospreys, but obviously very disappointed that we couldn't get the job done having started so well.”

Lancaster said they will need to respond next week when they take on Black Lion from Georgia but they will need to examine what went wrong at the Brewery Field and how they let a winning hand slip.

“The wind was a factor, but I don't think it was a (major) factor. The factor for me was the fact that Ospreys began to exert set-piece dominance on our pack of forwards.

"And as that momentum swung, we couldn't regain the initiative until we were behind.

“And then we played with a sense of urgency and desperation that we needed to have played with in the middle third.

“Ospreys were slow to start, but we needed to be more ruthless at that point and take the game away from them, and we didn't. You could feel the momentum swing.

"You've got to give credit to Ospreys for the way they came back, a proud team, playing at home."