OSPREYS STAY IN PLAY-OFF FRAME
THE Ospreys kept alive their hopes of an endof-season play-off spot with an impressive 3621 bonus-point win over Emirates Lions in Swansea.
The hard-fought victory saw them move up to seventh and firmly back into the play-off mix, but difficult tasks await them with a trip to Leinster and backto-back games in South Africa.
Tom Botha, Sam Parry, Morgan Morris, Lewis Lloyd and Keiran Williams scored their tries with Owen Williams kicking three conversions and a penalty. Jack Walsh added a conversion.
The Lions could not repeat last week’s notable 38-14 success in Connacht but managed three tries from PJ Botha, Quan Horn and Richard Kriel, all of which Jordan Hendrikse converted.
The Ospreys made a quick start by building up a sustained period of pressure and were rewarded when Botha forced his way over from close range.
Williams missed the conversion but the hosts soon extended their advantage with an excellent second try.
From a ruck 30 metres out, Reuben Morgan-Williams sailed through a huge gap in the visiting defence to send Parry over for the hooker to celebrate his 150th appearance for the region.
Williams converted and the hosts held a 12-0 lead at the end of a competitive first quarter.
The Lions showed their first real attacking intent but resilient defence led by home skipper Justin Tipuric kept the try-line intact.
The South Africans had much the better of the second quarter, aided by the yellow card dished out to Parry for repeated team infringements, but Hendrikse missed the resulting penalty.
However, relentless pressure had to count and it came when Botha finished off a driving lineout.
But the Ospreys soon responded with a penalty from Williams to give them a 15-7 half-time lead.
Seven minutes after the Lions suffered when replacement prop Morgan Naude was sin-binned for a tiptackle on Tipuric and the home side capitalised when Morris crashed over.
Naude returned from the sinbin in time to see Lloyd finish off a driving line-out for the bonuspoint try.
The Lions staged a determined rally and were rewarded with tries from Horn and Kriel, but they finished the game pointless as Williams scored a late try for the hosts to seal victory.
LIONS: