Ulster Rugby vs Cheetahs

LAST TIME OUT OSPREYSvULSTER

Ulster left the Liberty Stadium last Saturday with a losing bonus point against Ospreys, despite leading with five minutes remaining. Dan McFarland’s side had rallied from 23-10 down to lead by a point, but Luke Price’s penalty settled an exciting encounter, played in challenging conditions. Ospreys took the lead on five minutes via a Price penalty, as Ulster were penalised for offside. Ulster hit back four minutes later with the game’s opening try. Robert Baloucoune kept the ball alive cutting in from the touch line. Shanahan fed Stuart McCloskey who broke through three Ospreys tacklers before offloading to Baloucoune to dot down, and out-half Billy Burns added the difficult conversion. Ulster were turned over and punished on fifteen minutes when Owen Watkin used the wet pitch to slide under the posts for a try, following probing carries by Olly Cracknell and Kieran Williams. Price added the extras. The Welsh region got their second try in the 25th minute, created from a kicked penalty to touch. Ulster stopped the initial drive, but Ospreys got momentum from a second surge to propel hooker, Scott Otten, over for an unconverted try. Luke Price extended the Ospreys lead with a penalty in front of the posts four minutes later. Burns reduced the Ospreys half-time lead to 18- 10 with a penalty four minutes before the interval after the home side infringed in front of their own posts. HALF-TIME SCORE: OSPREYS 18 - 10 ULSTER

Otten got his second try seven minutes after the restart. Ulster were guilty of collapsing a maul close to their own line and Ospreys went to the corner. From the lineout, Ulster stopped the first drive but the Ospreys powered over with the hooker touching down. Full-back, Matt Faddes gave Ulster a lifeline with a try on 59 minutes. Ulster kicked a penalty to touch from the lineout and worked the ball through 16 phases to create an overlap before spinning it wide and the Kiwi had an easy run-in, with Bill Johnson adding the conversion. Ulster got their third try on 67 minutes. Ospreys had a five-metre defensive line out, but David O’Connor did well to force a turnover. From the scrum, Ulster worked the ball across the pitch through 11 phases. Bill Johnson spotted space on the left wing and put in a perfectly-weighted cross-field kick for McCloskey to catch and go over unopposed from close range. Johnson landed the conversion from a tight angle to give Ulster a one-point lead. Price’s long-range penalty after Shanahan was penalised for playing the ball off his feet put Ospreys back in front with five minutes remaining. In the final play, Johnson had a chance to snatch victory with the clock in the red zone but his drop goal attempt was charged down. FULL-TIME SCORE: OSPREYS 26 - 24 ULSTER