Ulster Edged Out By The Ospreys

Ulster battled their way into a 13-6 lead against the Ospreys, with Simon Danielli collecting Niall O’Connor’s cross-field kick and darting through for a converted try, but Ravenhill was rocked when a late effort from Filo Tiatia wrestled back the match points for the title-chasing Ospreys.

Ulster slipped to their fourth defeat in five Magners League games as the Ospreys, despite missing a number of their first choice players including rested Ireland winger Tommy Bowe, took the spoils at a wet Ravenhill.

In a final quarter that ebbed one way and then the other, the sides scored a try apiece with Filo Tiatia’s close range effort proving to be the match winner for the visitors.

Two early James Hook penalties had the Ospreys 6-0 ahead but Ulster drew level through the boot of full-back Clinton Schifcofske before in-form Scotland winger Simon Danielli blazed through for a converted try.

Danielli’s 67th-minute score had echoes of Bowe’s recent try against Wales as young Ulster out-half Niall O’Connor played the role of Ronan O’Gara in putting an inch-perfect cross-field kick over for Danielli to gather and slice his way past two Ospreys defenders.

However, that good work was undone six minutes later when Tiatia stretched over to score from metres out with television match official Peter Ferguson confirming the grounding.

There was little between the sides in the opening quarter. World Cup winner BJ Botha helped Ulster take an advantage in the scrum but that was the only facet of play the home side really excelled in.

The Ospreys did some early damage on the scoreboard, with Hook landing his brace of penalties but there was little in the way of try-scoring opportunities and handling errors saw most moves break down.

Bowe, operating as a water carrier, must have been itching for a run-out to try and add some excitement to the encounter but, in saying that, his Ospreys side did look the more likely to break the try deadlock.

Danielli, continuing the form he showed for Scotland in the recent RBS 6 Nations, looked threatening from deep but the Ospreys defence held him in check.

Indeed, Danielli had to be on his toes to deny the visitors a certain try with an interception in midfield just as Tiatia looked set to put Steve Tandy into space.

That came just before Hook’s second successful penalty, which was a fine hit from the halfway line.

As the half wore on, both sides probed through the midfield and tried to grind down their opponents in the worsening weather. Ulster’s scrum gave them the platform for their opening points.

They launched Andrew Trimble down the right wing, he was stopped metres short of the line and a penalty was duly called, allowing Schifcofske a simple kick at the posts.

The Ospreys got close to the try-line, minutes later, when full-back Gareth Owen slipped past Robbie Diack but the attack was halted in the left corner and Ulster held firm.

Both Hook and O’Connor missed drop goal attempts as the half ended with the Ospreys leading 6-3.

There was real drama, right from the off, in the second half. Isaac Boss had a clearance kick charged down by Tom Smith but frustratingly for the Ospreys, they failed to grasp the loose ball as it bobbled dangerously close to the Ulster whitewash.

Ulster survived and went on to have the better of the third quarter.

A quick turnover and kick through from Paddy Wallace saw the defending David Bishop pinged for a ruck offence. However, Schifcofske did not catch the penalty kick cleanly and it dropped short.

The Australian missed another chance from a similar range before he redeemed himself on 64 minutes, setting up an exciting finale with the sides now level.

The game looked to be going Ulster’s way when Diack broke off the back of a scrum and off the next phase, O’Connor hung up a beautiful kick for Danielli to take on the bounce and blast his way over from the left for a superb try.

Schifcofske added the extras but knock-ons and missed tackles from the hosts helped the Ospreys gain territory and a Hook penalty cut the gap to four points (13-9).

Eager for their first league win outside of Wales since September, Sean Holley’s side pressed and probed and almost worked themselves a try out of nothing.

They played the whistle, after the home crowd called for a knock-on, and winger Jonny Vaughton was just inches away from touching down after chasing down his own kick. Man-of-the-match Danielli was again Ulster’s saviour.

Nonetheless, the Ospreys’ experience of winning tight games shone through when they worked through the phases, during a sustained bout of pressure, and the wily Tiatia spotted a gap to plung over and dot the ball down under two Ulster bodies.

Hook added the conversion and there was no way back for Ulster as they fell to their fifth successive defeat to the Ospreys in all competitions.