Stormers dealt hammer home playoff race blow as Ospreys stun John Dobson’s charges

The Stormers’ chances of claiming a home URC playoff match were dealt a blow on Saturday as the Ospreys claimed a 27-21 victory in Cape Town.

The inaugural URC champions produced an underwhelming performance and trailed the Welsh region 17-7 at half-time, with Toby Booth’s charges dominating proceedings.

Luke Morgan (2), Sam Parry, and Harri Deaves all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Jack Walsh adding two conversions and a penalty.

Dan du Plessis and Evan Roos scored stunning tries for the Stormers, and Manie Libbok converted both scores, but it was not enough to see them to victory.

A penalty try in the last play of the game did earn them a losing bonus-point, however, which crucially kept the Stormers ahead of the Welsh outfit on the log.

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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. It was an impressive response by Toby Booth’s team, and they scored a third try on the stroke of half-time.

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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.

Once again, though, the Ospreys moved up a gear just when it looked as if their opponents might take charge.

Another spell of 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.

Edinburgh fightback to trash Scarlets

Edinburgh enhanced their URC play-off prospects as they ran in six tries to claim a 43-18 bonus-point victory over Scarlets at Hive Stadium.

The visitors led at the break as they sought a first win outside of Wales for 15 months before Edinburgh moved up through the gears in the second half to win comfortably.

The victory lifts Sean Everitt’s side into eighth place although, with three other sides also on 39 points, still with work to do before a play-off place can be confirmed.

Scarlets, already out of post-season contention, landed the first score of an eventful contest after pinching an Edinburgh line-out.

The forwards took them close to the line before Vaea Fifita made a one-handed pass to Tom Rogers, who scored in the corner, with Sam Costelow adding the extras.

Edinburgh drew level through a piece of magic from Wes Goosen. The full-back was fed by James Lang and sold a perfect dummy before strolling over the line for a try that Ben Healy converted.

Costelow sent Scarlets back in front with a massive penalty from the halfway line before the visitors stretched their lead by capitalising on another Edinburgh error.

Ali Price’s attempted box kick was blocked by Sam Lousi, and Alex Craig’s hack forward fell perfectly for Gareth Davies to scoop up the ball and cross the line as the visitors established a 15-7 half-time lead.

Everitt changed his entire front row at the interval to try to get Edinburgh going, and they soon earned their second try of the contest.

Price atoned for his earlier error by teeing up Duhan van der Merwe with a switch pass, and the winger was able to run unimpeded to the line for a try.

Healy converted then added a further three points from the tee to send Edinburgh in front for the first time in the match.

Scarlets rallied, and another Costelow penalty saw the lead change hands once again.

Some incredible defence on the Scarlets line kept Edinburgh at bay for phase after phase before the ball went wide for Healy to tee up Matt Currie to score under the posts. Healy’s conversion sent the home side six points in front.

Scarlets looked beaten by that point and Pierre Schoeman bulldozed his way over the line for the fourth try that earned Edinburgh the bonus point.

With the visitors wilting, the home side added two more tries, with Matt Bennett benefiting from a fortunate ricochet to dot down before a terrific team move concluded with Bill Mata weaving his way through to score.

Matthew Devine inspires Connacht victory over Zebre

Academy graduate Matthew Devine impressed as Connacht blitzed Zebre 54-16 in the United Rugby Championship at Dexcom Stadium.

The 22-year-old scrum-half marked his maiden start with two first-half tries as Pete Wilkins’ side moved into a 21-11 lead by half-time.

Geronimo Prisciantelli and Simon Gesi both split the posts to sandwich Jacopo Trulla’s 20th-minute try, but JJ Hanrahan created and converted Niall Murray’s score out wide.

Tom Farrell, Sean O’Brien, Bundee Aki and Hanrahan – who finished with 17 points – boosted Connacht’s try haul to seven before a 76th-minute penalty try for an illegally collapsed maul.

Replacement Enrico Lucchin’s breakaway try was the highlight of Zebre’s second half, which petered out with yellow cards for Danilo Fischetti and Andrea Zambonin.

Despite having centre Fetuli Paea sin-binned for a high tackle on John Porch, Zebre took a 13th-minute lead through a Prisciantelli drop goal.

Connacht were first to cross the whitewash, though as Devine sniped over from a tap penalty – despite tackles from Gonzalo Garcia and Zambonin. Hanrahan converted from the right.

Nonetheless, Shane Jennings failed to deal with a Prisciantelli grubber kick, allowing Trulla to nudge the ball on and touch down.

Again it was Devine who provided the spark for the hosts, breaking from a ruck 40 metres out to dart over near the posts.

A Gesi penalty closed the gap to 14-11, but Hanrahan’s well-weighted cross-field kick bounced up invitingly for Murray to raid over from the left.

In the 46th minute, Andrew Smith sliced through and although his pass was almost intercepted by Prisciantelli, it fell for Farrell to run in behind the posts.

Hanrahan converted, and it was his midfield run that led to O’Brien’s 52nd-minute touchdown. Winger Smith was tackled short, but the ball was retained for the young number eight to burrow over.

Zebre went close through Iacopo Bianchi, who was held up before Prisciantelli broke onto Thomas Dominguez’s chip kick and neatly sent Lucchin over from 30 metres out.

That good work was undone by Fischetti’s yellow for a late, no-arms tackle, which led to Aki powering over from a maul. Slick hands from replacement Caolin Blade and Farrell released Hanrahan to grab his try.

On a night when Finlay Bealham made his 200th Connacht appearance, their late penalty try landed Zambonin in the bin. The hosts now sit ninth in the table, level on 39 points with eighth-placed Edinburgh.

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