Ulster book European Challenge Cup quarter-final with nervy win over Ospreys
DRIVE: Ulster's Juarno Augustus comes up against Jac Morgan. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho
Ulster booked their place in the European Challenge Cup quarter final with nervy victory over the Ospreys in the gale force wind and driving rain at Ravenhill.
Richie Murphy’s side will face Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle in Belfast on Friday night.
Ulster made the prefect start with a try after just three minutes, the Ospreys were on the back foot from the moment Dan Edwards put the kick off dead.
Ulster from the scrum on halfway ran the ball into the 22 and the forwards forced a penalty, the home side turned down an easy three points and kicked to the corner.
From the lineout the Ulster pack probed at the line before Irish international lock Cormac Izuchukwu squeezed over, scrum half Nathan Doak added the conversion.
The sides were level six minutes later as the Ospreys responded with their first try.
Following the Welsh region’s first sustained period of pressure in the Ulster 22, the home side conceded a penalty, the Ospreys took a quick tap after a couple of pick and goes they spread the ball wide, after another couple of probes at the line Reuben Morgan-Williams sniped over from close range and Edwards converted.
The Ospreys took the lead in the 20th minute, they forced a penalty from a scrum on halfway and kicked deep into Ulster territory.
From the lineout the forwards mauled towards the line before Morgan-Williams broke and made a darting run before popping the ball to winger Daniel Kasende to trot over from close range with Edwards adding the extras.
Edwards increased the Ospreys lead on the half hour mark with a penalty from the Ulster 10 metre line after the home team infringed at the scrum.
Ulster profited from a tap penalty from five metres on 34 minutes, Juarno Augustus made the first surge and was stopped short before flanker David McCann barged over, Doak judged the swirling wind perfectly to knock over the difficult conversion to cut the 0spreys lead to 17-14 at the half time interval.
Ulster carved opened the Ospreys defence six minutes after the restart, out half Jake Flannery fed James Hume he shipped the ball to midfield partner Stuart McCloskey, the Irish centre hit Jacob Stockdale on a crash ball and the winger accelerated away from the covering defenders to go under the posts making Doak’s conversion a formality.
Flanker Nick Timoney crossed for Ulster’s fourth try on 56 minutes, Ulster moved the ball wide quickly to create a two on one overlap, with Stockdale outside him Timoney dummied and raced the gap to slide over in the corner, Doak converted from a tight angle.
Ospreys captain Jack Morgan was yellow carded for high tackle in the build up to Timoney’s try but Ulster were unable to make their numerical advantage count and add to their lead during the 10-minute sin bin period.
The Ospreys were awarded a penalty try on 68 minutes, from a scrum the visitors moved the ball quickly to the wing, Luke Morgan surged for the corner but Jack Murphy bungled him into touch as he grounded the ball however after consultation with the TMO referee Anthony adjudged the Ulster’s replacement out half had made a high tackle preventing the score.
The Ospreys were given seven points and Murphy received a yellow card.
The Welsh region were denied a winning try with only two minutes remaining.
From a break deep in their own half the Ospreys raced into the Ulster 22, centre Owen Watkins offloaded to Kieran Hardy who stumbled but still managed to roll over the line and touch down but the final pass was adjudged to be forward and from the resulting scrum Ulster were able to close the game out.
E McIlroy; W Kok, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Flannery, N Doak, A Bell, R Herring, T O’Toole; I Henderson, C Izuchukwu; D McCann, N Timoney, J Augustus.
T Stewart for Herring (20), S Crean for Bell (12), S Wilson for 0’Toole (60), C Irvine for Henderson (57), B Ward for Augustus (58), C McKee for Doak (87), J Murphy for Flannery (56), Z Ward for Kok (60). O’Toole for Crean (73).
J Walsh; D Kasende, O Watkin, K Williams, L Morgan; D Edwards, R Morgan-Williams; G Thomas, S Parry, R Henry; R Davies, R Smith; H Sutton, J Morgan (capt), M Morris.
E Daniel for Parry (59), S Thomas for G Thomas (51), T Botha for Henry (51), J Fender for Davvies (58), H Deaves for Sutton (56), K Hardy for Morgan-Williams (54), I Hopkins for Walsh (63).
A Woodthorpe (England).
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