![\"Ulster's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/KQOJ5KFT4NOVTKYXQ7WPNUZIFM.jpg\")
Ulster’s Dave McCann is tackled by Reuben Morgan-Williams and Luke Morgan of Ospreys. Photograph: Ben Brady\/Inpho <\/p>\nChallenge Cup Round of 16: Ulster 28 Ospreys 24<\/p>\n
It was tense and badly hit by the appalling weather, but Ulster did enough to book a home Challenge Cup quarter-final against La Rochelle next weekend after holding firm against a determined Ospreys in the Round of 16 in Belfast on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
The northern province overcame a 10-point deficit against the conditions and tries from Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Jacob Stockdale and Nick Timoney allowed them progress, though the Ospreys will feel aggrieved at having Kieran Hardy\u2019s late try ruled out for an apparent forward pass.<\/p>\n
Storm Dave made its presence well and truly felt for this one. Levels of wind and, certainly for a while before kick-off, biblical rain usually reserved for the winter months were back with a vengeance, doing their worst at the Affidea Stadium.<\/p>\n
So, a truly uncomfortable night for supporters and players, though Ulster, playing into the conditions, made light of it all from the off. Izuchukwu scored after three minutes off the back of the home team running a scrum penalty and then putting another to the corner, or rather as close to it as the could manage into the gale.<\/p>\n
Nathan Doak did well to convert and Ulster were seven ahead, though it didn\u2019t last as on nine minutes Ospreys had tied it all up. Reuben Morgan-Williams dived through near the posts after the Ospreys had taken the game to Ulster\u2019s line and tapped the inevitable penalty that came their way.<\/p>\n
Dan Edwards converted the ninth-minute score, and it was all tied at 7-7.<\/p>\n
That became 14-7 to the visitors when they put a penalty downfield, mauled and when Morgan-Williams broke Daniel Kasande was there to step and cross the line.<\/p>\n
Edwards converted and after 20 minutes Ulster were behind. And Edwards called for the tee again on 29 minutes, with a penalty and using the wind, nailed it to put his side 10 points ahead.<\/p>\n
Ulster’s Dave McCann is tackled by Reuben Morgan-Williams and Luke Morgan of Ospreys. Photograph: Ben Brady\/Inpho <\/p>\n
It was time for Ulster to try and close the gap. Jacob Stockdale nearly got clear, though a penalty then came Ulster\u2019s way. Into the conditions they tapped it and secured another penalty after laying siege to the line.<\/p>\n
They went again, Juarno Augustus going close before David McCann made sure. Doak did excellently to convert the 34th-minute effort and Ulster were now just three behind.<\/p>\n
With the weather due to be behind the home team in the second half, trailing by just 17-14 at the break looked a pretty decent return for Ulster. They even wrapped up the first 40 minutes by turning Ospreys over at a maul which led to the sight of Stuart McCloskey haring up field and nearly getting a trademark offload away.<\/p>\n
With the Ospreys in some disarray defensively, Stockdale\u2019s kick through was collected by Edwards and safely cleared which brought an end to the half.<\/p>\n
It took six minutes for Ulster to strike after the break, when lovely hands from James Hume and McCloskey put Stockdale through to score at the posts. Doak obliged with the conversion and Ulster now led 21-17.<\/p>\n
With the rain back, Ospreys then had a series of pick and goes on Ulster\u2019s line but failed to get over the line.<\/p>\n
Three minutes later Ulster had a fourth try, Timoney using his pace to dummy and go after lovely hands from McCloskey. Doak again added the conversion and Jac Morgan was yellow carded for foul play.<\/p>\n
On 68 minutes and with the rain hammering down, Luke Morgan was stopped at the corner by a double hit from Jack Murphy and Ethan McIlroy, though, via the TMO referee, Anthony Woodthorpe awarded a penalty try and yellow-carded Murphy for a high tackle.<\/p>\n
Though Hardy rolled his way to the line with three minutes left, the pass from Owen Watkin was adjudged forward and Ulster made it through.<\/p>\n
SCORING SEQUENCE \u2013 3 mins: Izuchukwu try, Doank con, 7-0; 9: Morgan-Williams try, Edwards con, 7-7; 19: Kasende try, Edwards con, 7-14; 29: Edwards pen, 7-17; 34: McCann try, Doak con, 14-17 (half-time 14-17); 45: Stockdale try, Doak con, 21-17; 55: Timoney try, Doak con, 28-17; 68: Ospreys penalty try, 28-24; <\/p>\n
ULSTER: E McIlroy; W Kok, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Flannery, N Doak: A Bell, R Herring, T O\u2019Toole; I Henderson, C Izuchukwu; D McCann, N Timoney, J Augustus.<\/p>\n
Yellow card: Murphy (68 mins).<\/p>\n
Replacements: S Crean for Bell (13 mins); T Stewart for Herring (22); J Murphy for Flannery (56); C Irvine for Henderson, B Ward for McCann (both 58); Z Ward for Augustus (59); S Wilson for O\u2019Toole (62); C McKee for Doak (67).<\/p>\n
OSPREYS: J Walsh; D Kasende, O Watkin, K Williams, L Morgan; D Edwards, R Morgan-Williams; G Thomas, S Parry, R Henry; R Davies, R Smith; H Sutton, J Morgan (capt), M Morris.<\/p>\n
Replacements: S Thomas for Thomas, T Botha for Henry (both 51 mins); K Hardy for Morgan-Williams (54); I Hopkins for Walsh, E Daniel for Parry, H Deaves for Sutton (all 58); J Fender for Davies (66)<\/p>\n
Not used: E Boshoff.<\/p>\n
Yellow card: Morgan (56 mins).<\/p>\n
Referee: A Woodthorpe (England)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Challenge Cup Round of 16: Ulster 28 Ospreys 24 It was tense and badly hit by the appalling…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382434,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[32729,42,43,40,38,41,39,31398],"class_list":{"0":"post-382433","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-challenge-cup","9":"tag-headlines","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-top-news","12":"tag-top-stories","13":"tag-topnews","14":"tag-topstories","15":"tag-ulster-rugby"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382433"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382433\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}