Pro14: Cheetahs 14-31 Ospreys - visitors boost play-off and Euro hopes
- Published
Ospreys centre Owen Watkin seizes possession at this breakdown
Guinness Pro14: Cheetahs v Ospreys |
|---|
Cheetahs (0)14 |
Tries: Swanepoel Cons: Schoeman Pens: |
Ospreys (14) 31 |
Tries: D Evans, Cracknell, Tipuric, Allen Cons: Price 2, Davies 2 Pens: Davies |
Ospreys kept alive their Pro14 play-off and European Champions Cup qualification hopes with a bonus-point win over Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
Dan Evans and Olly Cracknell scored first-half tries for the visitors.
Dries Swanepoel hit back for Cheetahs before Justin Tipuric's opportunist score stretched Ospreys' lead.
Cory Allen went over for the bonus-point try after Evans went close and between then Luke Price and Sam Davies kicked 11 points.
After their win, however, play-off rivals Connacht went seven points ahead of Ospreys as they stayed third in Conference A with a dour 6-5 win at Zebre.
The Irish team's win was also bad news for Cardiff Blues, who are now four points behind them and three ahead of Ospreys in the battle for the third spot that will earn a play-off spot and automatic entry to Europe's top flight in 2019-20.
Wales flanker Dan Lydiate returned off the bench after the break, the 31-year-old's first game in five months after injuring his elbow against Australia last November.
Lydiate's fellow Wales internationals Alun Wyn Jones, George North and Scott Williams were missing through injuries.
Twice-capped full-back Evans underlined his eye for the line as he scythed through to break the deadlock after 26 minutes with Price converting.
Flanker Cracknell followed Evans' path as more Ospreys pressure paid off, Price again converting.
Cheetahs responded in telling fashion with wing Swanepoel touching down soon after the break for Tian Schoeman to add the extras.
But Tipuric brought his experience and nous to bear with a slick touchdown as he tapped and went from a close-range penalty and Price's replacement Davies added the conversion.
Having had a try ruled out for offside, Allen was relieved to go over after Evans found another gap in the home defence.
Davies slotted the conversion and struck a late penalty to seal the win.
Cheetahs: Jaer; Small-Smith, Janse van Rensburg, Swanepoel, Maxwane; Schoeman, S Venter (capt); Marais, Dweba, de Bruin, Manjezi, W Steenkamp, Olivier, Nonkontwana, H Venter.
Replacements: Van der Merwe, Coetzee, Venter, du Preez, Wiese, Basson, Paige, Fouche
Ospreys: Evans; Dirksen, Allen, Watkin, Giles; Price, A Davies; Smith, Baldwin, Botha, Beard, B Davies, Cracknell, Tipuric (capt), King
Replacements: Otten, Jones, Fia, Lydiate, Cross, Aubrey, S Davies, Morgan.
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Sean Gallagher (IRFU), Ben Crouse (SARU)
TMO: Johan Greeff (SARU)
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