Ospreys dent Stormers home playoff hopes

20/04/2024 21:35

The DHL Stormers suffered a significant blow to their hopes of securing a home Vodacom URC playoff in a stunning defeat to Ospreys in Cape Town on Saturday night.

Ospreys added another big scalp to their collection this season when they punished an error-prone DHL Stormers in a 27-21 victory, the Welsh side’s first win at Cape Town Stadium.

Defeat to Ospreys, combined with Munster’s bonus-point victory over the Vodacom Bulls earlier on Saturday, deals a blow to the Stormers’ hopes of securing a place in the URC’s top four for the third season in a row.

With four games left to play in the season, including two tricky fixtures on tour against Dragons and Connacht, the Stormers trail the fourth-placed Bulls by six points.

The Stormers made nine changes to the team that faced La Rochelle in the Champions Cup quarter-finals and made a sluggish start, conceding a try inside the opening 10 minutes.

It was a performance marked by ill-discipline from the hosts, both in terms of the penalty count and tactically, as they gifted Ospreys two further tries in the first half, one from a hospital pass inside their own 22 and the other from a crossfield kick excellently gathered by fullback Max Nagy, who sent wing Luke Morgan over for his brace just before half-time.

Ospreys, meanwhile, played an excellent tactical game, forcing the Stormers to attack from deep and more than holding their own at the scrum.

Going into the break 17-7 down, the Stormers needed a fast start to the second half and got just that when Evan Roos ran a good 40 metres to finish a move started by Wandisile Simelane controlling the ball with his foot inside his own 22.

End-to-end PERFECTION from the DHL @THESTORMERS@Vodacom | #URC | #BULvMUN | #RaceToTheEightpic.twitter.com/pKn4Pmnz7b

— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) April 20, 2024

However, the Stormers continued to concede needless penalties and Ospreys took full advantage when flanker Harri Deaves reached over to restore the visitors’ 10-point lead.

The Stormers did salvage a losing bonus point as referee Andrew Brace awarded a penalty try after the hooter, but by then the game was comfortably won, as Ospreys flyhalf Jack Walsh knocked over a penalty in the last five minutes.

Next up for the Stormers is a home game against eight-time champions Leinster, whose youthful side suffered a heavy defeat to the Lions in Johannesburg.

Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images

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