RaboDirect PRO12
Ospreys end Ulster's unbeaten home run
ESPN Staff
February 9, 2013
Ospreys fly-half Matthew Morgan runs at the Treviso defence. Ospreys v Benetton Treviso, Heineken Cup, Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales, January 12, 2012
Matthew Morgan landed 11 points as the Ospreys ended Ulster's unbeaten home record © PA Photos
Enlarge

The Ospreys inflicted Ulster's first home defeat of the RaboDriect PRO12 season with a 16-12 win in their clash at Ravenhill on Friday night.

In a closely-contested game that was nip and tuck until the later stages, it took a breakaway try by Ospreys prop Ryan Bevington to seal the four points for the visitors who at that stage were reduced to 14 men after Morgan Allen had been sin-binned moments earlier. Fly-half Matthew Morgan scored all the Welsh teams' other points with the conversion and three penalties.

League leaders Ulster had to be content with the losing bonus point from their first PRO12 home defeat since succumbing to Leinster in April 2012 and they may also have to do without star player Ruan Pienaar who was taken off in the second half with a shoulder injury. Pienaar scored three first-half penalties, with Stuart Olding adding a fourth after half-time.

Leinster completed a comfortable double at Cardiff Arms Park to see off Cardiff Blues 26-11 and consolidate their position in the play-off places. The Blues had been enjoying something of a revival at home with three successive wins in three different competitions, but they were outmuscled up front and out-thought at the back in a disastrous first half meaning even a gallant fightback after the break was never going to be enough. The Irish side were 23-6 ahead at half-time thanks to tries from Isaac Boss and Jordi Murphy and while Blues fullback Jason Tovey crossed for the hosts in the second half it wasn't enough to spark a comeback.

Fly-half Owen Williams kicked 20 points as the Scarlets sealed a 25-15 victory over Connacht at Parc y Scarlets. Lock Joe Snyman scored the Scarlets only try - his first try for the region. But the Welsh side found themselves out-scored two tries to one by Connacht who were indebted to scores from wing Daniel Poolman and lock Mike Swift at either end of the contest.

On Saturday, Munster defeated Edinburgh for the fourth time this season with a dominant second-half display carrying them to a 30-3 victory. Man of the match Ian Keatley kicked 20 points, with tries in the final quarter from CJ Stander and Mike Sherry capping off the home win.

Newport Gwent Dragons needed a rally to see off the challenge of a dogged Benetton Treviso 23-14 after trailing at the break. Doppies La Grange and Filippo Giusti scored tries which Alberto Di Bernardo converted in the first half, but scores from Steffan Jones and Tom Prydie sparked the turn around and a brace of conversions and penalties from Prydie allowed the Welsh team to pull away and win.

A dominant second half powered Glasgow Warriors to an away win over Zebre. Having trailed to the winless Parma club 20-17 at half-time, Glasgow scored three unanswered tries through Byron McGuigan - his second of the game - James Eddie and Peter Murchie after the break to secure a 36-20 victory.

Pos Team P W D L F A PD TF TA TBP LBP Pts
1 Ulster 14 12 0 2 376 228 +148 39 20 4 1 53
2 Glasgow 14 10 0 4 303 199 +104 35 20 4 2 46
3 Leinster 14 10 0 4 347 261 +86 38 30 4 0 44
4 Ospreys 14 10 0 4 285 190 +95 26 10 1 2 43
5 Scarlets 14 9 0 5 277 268 +9 28 23 3 3 42
6 Munster 14 9 0 5 296 196 +100 28 17 3 2 41
7 Cardiff Blues 14 6 0 8 216 293 -77 17 31 1 3 28
8 Benetton Treviso 14 6 0 8 223 276 -53 24 26 1 2 27
9 Edinburgh 14 4 0 10 275 348 -73 27 36 1 5 22
10 Connacht 14 4 0 10 211 248 -37 20 27 1 3 20
11 Dragons 14 4 0 10 224 324 -100 18 38 1 1 18
12 Zebre 14 0 0 14 179 381 -202 18 40 1 5 6

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.