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Ospreys stunned the Stormers in Cape Town to underline their United Rugby Championship play-off credentials by recording a 27-21 victory.
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And they did it in bonus-point fashion, with wing Luke Morgan scoring two tries, while hooker Sam Parry and flanker Harri Deaves also touched down.
Jack Walsh kicked two conversions and a penalty, keeping the Ospreys firmly in play-off contention after comfortably the most impressive performance by a Welsh region this season.
Centre Dan du Plessis and number eight Evan Roos crossed for the Stormers, with Manie Libbok converting both tries, and there was also a late penalty try, yet the Stormers could have few complaints after being dominated in key departments.
The Ospreys rocked their opponents by taking a ninth-minute lead when Dan Edwards kicked cleverly into space behind Stormers’ defence and Morgan finished impressively.
Edwards’ conversion attempt drifted narrowly wide but the visitors’ impressive opening was quickly overtaken by a stunning Stormers try that was started and finished by Du Plessis, with telling contributions from Wandisile Simelane and Nama Xaba.
Libbok converted, but the Ospreys continued to relish the challenge ahead of them and went back in front after 26 minutes when Parry went over from close range following sustained pressure.
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It was an impressive response by Toby Booth’s team, and they scored a third try on the stroke of half-time.
Libbok’s cross-field kick was caught by Walsh, who burst clear of Stormers defenders before sending Morgan over for his second try and then converting for a 17-7 interval lead.
The Stormers needed to find a quick response, and it arrived just five minutes into the second half as they conjured a score from deep inside their own 22.
Full-back Warrick Gelant started the move, then Simelane and Libbok combined to devastating effect in midfield and Roos finished majestically, with Libbok’s conversion making it a three-point game.
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Once again, though, the Ospreys moved up a gear just when it looked as if their opponents might take charge.
Another spell of territory and possession deep inside Stormers’ territory reaped its reward through a try for Deaves that Walsh converted, and Ospreys led 24-14 with just 15 minutes left.
The Stormers inevitably threw everything at their opponents during the final moments but they could find no way through, with the 80th-minute penalty try providing nothing more than a losing bonus-point consolation, and Ospreys closed things out amid jubilant scenes in their camp.
Comments on RugbyPass
Kok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
84 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
2 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
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