United Rugby Championship: Stephen Myler kicks Ospreys to 19-13 win over Ulster

A dogged defensive display and 14 points from Stephen Myler set up an Ospreys victory over high-flying Ulster in the United Rugby Championship.

Ospreys responded to an early Ulster penalty try with a Morgan Morris try and Myler's boot.

Toby Booth's side moved up to fourth place in the table, while Ulster remain third.

Ospreys back-row duo Morris and Jac Morgan proved outstanding at the breakdown and in defence.

Scrummaging superiority, especially in the second half, also contributed to a fifth victory in seven league games for the home side.

After the chaos of Scarlets, Cardiff, Munster and Zebre being stuck in South Africa this week, it was encouraging to see some URC action in Wales.

Centre Michael Collins returned from a two-month injury as Ospreys made eight starting changes to the side heavily defeated by Connacht, with Wales pair Alex Cuthbert and Tomas Francis returning.

Ospreys had to cope with a late disruption after full-back Dan Evans pulled out with a hip injury and was replaced by Max Nagy.

Ulster arrived in Swansea having won at Leinster for the first time since 2013 and the visitors opened the scoring with a penalty try.

Ospreys wing Luke Morgan was shown a yellow card having been adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball on to deny a certain scoring opportunity.

It was a decision that angered the home crowd and head coach Toby Booth also came down from the Swansea stands to discuss some of the early calls made by Scottish referee Sam Grove-White.

Those observations were made to the fourth official by Ospreys performance director Corin Palmer.

Myler and John Cooney exchanged penalties before Nagy was forced off with a dislocated elbow and replaced by Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe, who slotted in at full-back.

Despite little territory or possession, Ospreys clinically battled back with a charging try for number eight Morris, which Myler converted to level the scores.

New Wales hooker Bradley Roberts was forced off injured for Ulster after an impressive opening 30 minutes, before Myler's second penalty gave Ospreys the lead for the first time just before half-time.

British and Irish Lion prop Jack McGrath came on as a replacement to make his first appearance since November 2020 after undergoing hip surgery in April, before Cooney levelled the scores with his second penalty.

A rare Ospreys foray into Ulster's 22 resulted in Myler restoring the advantage, before scrum dominance resulted in a second successful kick.

Ulster were forced into a major front-row reshuffle with hooker Tom Stewart following Roberts off the field injured, with prop Eric O'Sullivan returning to the field to fill in and continue contested scrums.

The visitors searched for an elusive late score with a knock-on from wing Ethan McIlroy preventing a try scoring opportunity, with the defiant defence of the home side standing firm as Ospreys celebrated a battling victory.

Both teams will turn their attention to the Heineken Champions Cup next weekend, when Ulster travel to face Clermont and Ospreys host Sale.

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth: "From last week to this week, it's chalk and cheese. We took two steps backward last weekend and have taken three steps forward today.

"In defence last week we were ordinary and today we were awesome. That has won the game.

"To deal with the pressure of facing one of the best teams in the competition who beat Leinster last weekend, we knew we had to dig in.

"They threw the kitchen sink at us in the first 30 minutes but we stood together.

"Morgan Morris and Jac Morgan had a massive influence on the game. Often your back-row decide the game and ours was very influential."

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland: "Our performance wasn't as good as it's been in the past. In the first 20 minutes they came out firing as we thought they would and they were aggressive in defence.

"We couldn't get any quick ball going or any proper, repeated gainline going. We couldn't get any momentum.

"We built quite a lot of pressure by holding on to the ball and creating opportunities, but we didn't get the ball over the line and when you're away from home you have to take those opportunities.

"If we had, it might have been a different story."

Ospreys: Nagy; Cuthbert, Collins, Watkin, L Morgan; Myler, Webb (capt); Thomas, Parry, Francis, R Davies, B Davies, Griffiths, J Morgan, Morris.

Replacements: Taione, Smith, Botha, Regan, Roots, Morgan-Williams, Anscombe, Thomas-Wheeler.

Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Curtis, McCloskey, McIlroy; Burns, Cooney; O'Sullivan, Roberts, O'Toole, Treadwell, O'Connor (capt); Reidy, Timoney, McCann.

Replacements: Stewart, McGrath, M Moore, Kearney, Marcus Rea, Doak, S Moore, Gilroy.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Assistant referees: Gwyn Morris & Aaron Parry (WRU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)