Magners League
Ospreys return to winning ways
Scrum.com
April 13, 2010
Ospreys centre James Hook looks on, Ospreys v Leicester Tigers, Heineken Cup, Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales, January 23, 2010
Ospreys centre James Hook grabbed two tries at Ravenhill © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Tommy Bowe | James Hook | Shane Williams
Tournaments/Tours: Magners League
Teams: Ospreys | Ulster

The Ospreys bounced back from their heart-breaking exit from the Heineken Cup with a 38-27 bonus point win over Ulster at Ravenhill.

The Welsh region, dumped out of Europe's premier club competition at the hands of Biarritz on Saturday, returned to winning ways thanks to two tries from James Hook and further scores along with 18 points from the boot of Dan Biggar. The win lifts the side up to second place in the Magners League table ahead of Friday's clash at league-leading Leinster.

For Ulster, the defeat saw them slump to their fourth consecutive league defeat and leaves them vulnerable to missing out on next season's Heineken Cup should Connacht overhaul them over the course of the final few games. Ulster's scores came in the first half from Simon Danielli and Andrew Trimble but they were unable to punish Ospreys when Ian Gough was binned late in the second half.

Niall O'Connor made up for an opening penalty miss by nailing his first after 10 minutes but three minutes later Ospreys scored their first try through Shane Williams after a Lee Byrne flick pass. Referee Neil Patterson consulted the TMO and the score was given though Dan Biggar's conversion bounced out off the upright.

Ulster immediately hit back with another O'Connor penalty and then burst through to score, four minutes before the half-hour, as Isaac Boss, Ed O'Donoghue and Rory Best combined to see Danielli charge over the line and run round the behind the posts to narrow the angle for O'Connor, although his kick was adjudged to have missed by the TMO. The Ospreys needed to hit back and when a Biggar chip over the top was collected by Hook, he handed off Wallace to score. Biggar made no mistake with the extras and now the Ospreys led again 12-11.

However, they were unable to build on their lead and, in first-half injury time, Trimble raced clear down the left wing with O'Connor this time adding the conversion to give Ulster the lead 18-12 at the turnaround.

Biggar then narrowed Ulster's lead with an early second-half penalty and levelled the scores with another successful kick after Ulster strayed offside. O'Connor was then wide with a fairly straightforward effort and then gifted Hook his second try after his chip was easily charged down in Ulster's 22, allowing Biggar to add the conversion to put the Ospreys 25-18 to the good.

Again, though, Ulster came back with two penalties from O'Connor, the second coming in the 66th minute after Ian Gough was binned for dragging down a driving maul, and Ulster then snatched the lead back 27-25. But even with 14 men, the Ospreys managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over in their favour and Biggar kicked two more penalties to give his side a 31-27 lead.

Ulster again had a chance to hit back but lost possession on the Ospreys' line just as Gough returned to the action. You sensed it was a turning point and it proved to be with a loose pass from Boss being hacked upfield by Adam Jones, allowing Bowe to touch the ball down as it rolled over the line.

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