Ulster returned to Magners League action on Sunday night, having last played competitive rugby at the end of January, to face the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium. With both teams missing a number of International players due to the Six Nations it was Ulster that began strong and quickly managed to build up a 13-point lead. However, the Welsh side staged a second-half comeback to snatch a narrow 23-22 victory.
Pressure from Ulster at the kick-off forced the Ospreys onto the back foot straightaway, forcing them to concede an early penalty in their own half. Humphreys opted for the posts and landed his first kick of the night. Ospreys 0 Ulster 3.
Just over the ten minute mark, the home side were penalised again and Humphreys made no mistake with his second kick of the night, stretching his teams’ lead. Ospreys 0 Ulster 6.
A knock-on from the Ospreys on 14 minutes, played into Ulster’s hands perfectly as Humphreys kicked the ball ahead. He looked certain to score only to be taken out before he had a chance to touch down. As a result, the referee awarded a penalty try to the visitors and Humphreys added the extras in front of the posts. Ospreys 0 Ulster 13.
Ulster’s forwards began to struggle in the scrum and it was right at the end of the first quarter when the home side added points to the board, through a Dan Biggar penalty. Ospreys 3 Ulster 13.
With a renewed incentive, the Ospreys turned up the pressure and after strong running from Jerry Collins and Huw Bennet, Ulster conceded a penalty allowing the home side to kick to the corner. A nicely worked set piece from the lineout set up flanker Marty Holah to dive over in the corner. Biggar missed the conversion, bringing the score to Ospreys 8 Ulster 13.
Biggar opted for a penalty on the half-hour mark following another Ulster infringement but his kick was pushed wide of the posts, leaving the score unchanged.
On the stroke of half-time the Ospreys were awarded another penalty after Tim Barker was sin binned for throwing a punch on the ground. Biggar slotted over this third kick of the night, taking the score to Ospreys 11 Ulster 13.
Two penalties to Ruan Pienaar on 44 and 50 minutes gave Ulster an eight-point lead, before an infringement at the breakdown allowed Biggar to reduce the points’ gap once more on 55 minutes.
The fly-half was on target, bringing the score to Ospreys 14 Ulster 19, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Constant infringements from the Ulster side at the breakdown helped their Welsh opponents get back into the game, with Biggar continuing his excellent kicking tally and landing two further penalties on 62 and 65 minutes. Ospreys 20 Ulster 19.
As the final ten minutes got underway, Ulster managed to stage a late comeback and work their way towards the Ospreys 22, before a Welsh infringement allowed Pienaar to add to his points’ tally. Ospreys 20 Ulster 22.
However, a final penalty from Biggar sealed Ulster’s fate, lessening the sides’ chances of a top four finish.
Final score: Ospreys 23 Ulster 22.
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One Response to “Magners League: Ospreys 23 Ulster 22”
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that ref is capable of any decision he can even see who is responsible for dropping a scrum from the other side of the scrum.
But then when I saw who was reffing at the start I went GHU
He penalised Young for placing his hand on the ground before binding a prop will do that to stop the scrum dropping not to drop it he may also do it to stop his opposite number from levering his elbow in on the bind to make him drop the scrum. ie hand to ground is to avoid dropping a scrum not to drop it.
The scrums had been fine until Ulster were awarded the try then the Os decided to muck them up
Of course the usual chorus of we were tom kite is to read on the UAFC board when what was on offer ( ref wise ) was always going to be a game decided by penalties given the backlines on bothsides have hardly played together all season ( Ulster may have less mixed than Os ) but were playing away from home and more than likely a little demoralised before the kick off by the Irish result if they watched it
All in all a scrappy game
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