Ospreys v Connacht
BKT United Rugby Championship
Swansea.com Stadium
22nd March 2025
Six tries and a nail-biting finish! A HUGE game at the Swansea.com Stadium saw Ospreys bag the bonus point win and move up to seventh place in the BKT URC table as the Race to the Eight continues.
Connacht got off to a flyer and were able to score the first try of the game following a breakaway that was eventually finished by Shane Bolton. Ioane converted a tough kick from wide out left to give the away team the lead. Ospreys 0 - 7 Connacht.
The lead didn’t last long though, as Dan Eds slotted a penalty to get our first points on the board. Ospreys 3 - 7 Connacht.
With the 15-minute mark approaching, Connacht were able to score their second try of the game under the posts through Hurley-Langton. Ospreys 3 - 14 Connacht.
TRY OF THE SEASON CONTENDER!? With a penalty advantage from the scrum, Dan Eds whipped the ball out to Kasende, who popped a perfect pass out the backdoor to Jack Walsh. Walshy got the offload away to Keelan who touched it down for the try. Dan Eds converted, Ospreys 10 - 14 Connacht.
Both teams looked increasingly dangerous in attack as the half progressed, with running rugby on the menu.
TRY FOR OSPREYS! From a scrum in the Connacht 22, the backs drifted out left as Dan delayed his pass, which eventually saw Keelan finish with ease. Dan Eds converted another tough kick from out wide. Ospreys 17 - 14 Connacht.
ANOTHER ONE! The boys cut through the Connacht defence like a hot knife through butter straight after their last score and Kieran Hardy finished under the sticks. Ospreys 24 - 14 Connacht.
THREE TRIES IN FOUR MINUTES! Morgan Morse turned it over, Jack Walsh got the ball down the blindside and chipped it over for Dan Kasende to finish it without a defender in sight. Probably the best few minutes of rugby you’ll ever see, and it’s right on our doorstep. Ospreys 31 - 14 Connacht.
HALF TIME: Ospreys 31 - 14 Connacht.
TRY FIVE FOR OSPREYS! With just four minutes played in the second half Evardi recovered a Connacht kick and popped the ball to Jack Walsh down the touchline. Walshy broke through and after a series of offloads he was eventually able to finish the move off. Dan Eds converted. Ospreys 38 - 14 Connacht.
Connacht weren’t going down without a fight: a rolling maul near the Ospreys line saw the away side score their third try of the game. Hanrahan converted. Ospreys 38 - 21 Connacht.
The third try awakened something in Connacht as the Irish outfit were able to score their bonus point soon after O'Conor crossed. Hanrahan converted to bring the scores within 10 with 30 minutes still to play. Breathless stuff! Ospreys 38 - 28 Connacht.
THE POSTMAN DELIVERS TRY NUMBER SIX! With Connacht applying the pressure deep into Ospreys territory, Dan Kasende read the pass, intercepted, and ran the length of the pitch to score his second of the game. Ospreys 43 - 28 Connacht.
Both teams produced an absolute spectacle throughout the game: the diversity in attack was second to none. A treat for the neutral, and a nail-biter for supporters on both sies!
Another special mention had to go out the boot of Dan Eds: his vision and range of kicks were being demonstrated, constantly making Connacht pay for any space left in the backfield.
With just over 10-minutes to go, Connacht scored after a set of consecutive carries by the pack near the Ospreys line. Hanrahan converted. Ospreys 43 - 35 Connacht.
In the final stages of the game, a string of injuries saw the Ospreys backline rearranged as Dan Edwards moved to nine, Jack Walsh to 10 and Iestyn Hopkins to 15. Hooker George McGuigan also came on to make his debut at prop.
It was all hands to the pump, but Connacht pressure saw them score their fifth to close the gap to three points as Hanrahan missed the conversion. Ospreys 43 - 40 Connacht.
Connacht battered at the Ospreys line in the final five, taking both line out and scrum in attacking position to pile on the pressure. But a heroic Ospreys defensive line stood firm, withstanding the attack on the tryline and eventually pushing Connacht backwards in possession. There were several close calls for the turner until, finally, the ball came the Ospreys way as the clock turned red and the ball was booted into touch.
What a game!
FULL TIME: Ospreys 31 - 14 Connacht.
Next up at home: it's back to European action as we welcome Scarlets for a HUGE EPCR knockout clash. Make sure you're there to cheer on your Ospreys team.