Ospreys beat Cardiff to earn shock play-off at Munster

United Rugby Championship

Cardiff (12) 29

Tries: Cabango, Grady 2, Hamer-Webb Cons: De Beer, Thomas 2 Pen: Thomas

Ospreys: (12) 33

Tries: Smith 2, Tipuric, Morgan, Penalty Cons: Edwards 3

Ospreys clinched a daze spot successful nan United Rugby Championship (URC) play-offs pinch a bonus-point triumph complete rivals Cardiff.

Toby Booth's broadside began nan play successful 11th spot and requiring a singular bid of results to break into nan apical eight.

But defeats for Connacht, Edinburgh and Lions opened nan doorway for nan Swansea-based region to snatch a melodramatic precocious play-off berth.

They will look convention leaders Munster successful Limerick adjacent Friday aft seizing that chance pinch a five-try triumph successful nan 2nd of Saturday's Judgement Day matches astatine Cardiff City Stadium.

It is nan first clip a Welsh region has been successful nan URC knock-outs since 2018 and gives Welsh rugby a desperately needed assistance aft a hugely disappointing season.

The bonus-point triumph took Ospreys level connected points pinch Lions, but they moved into eighth courtesy of a 10th win, 1 much than nan South African side.

Nicky Smith (twice), Justin Tipuric and Luke Morgan each crossed earlier a precocious punishment effort sealed nan win.

Cardiff deed backmost done Theo Cabango earlier Mason Grady scored doubly either broadside of Gabriel Hamer-Webb's try.

But Cabango limped disconnected pinch a worrying wounded and Seb Davies was sent disconnected successful nan 79th infinitesimal of a melodramatic game.

"When you see nan backdrop of what been happening pinch nan financial authorities of nan crippled successful Wales and losing established players, this is simply a important achievement," said Ospreys caput coach Toby Booth.

"We knew we needed results to spell our way, but if you don't judge past why are you doing something?

"It's a reward for having a resilient mindset but besides for sticking to our ngo of playing an breathtaking marque of rugby pinch homegrown players.

"Now we spell to Munster and knock-out rugby is each astir who delivers connected nan day. We're successful it and we'll effort to find a way."

That 4 of Ospreys’ 5 tries came from forwards while each 4 Cardiff scores came from wings said overmuch of nan contrasting strengths of these teams.

But location was thing to abstracted them pinch nan teams locked astatine 12-12 astatine half-time.

Smith barged complete wrong six minutes but Cardiff had plentifulness of aces down nan scrum and Cabango produced a contender for effort of nan season.

With an angled run, he scythed done nan Ospreys defenders earlier stretching retired of Keelan Giles' past ditch tackle to people down his back.

Ecstasy turned to agony successful nan abstraction of 5 minutes for nan young helping who suffered a suspected hamstring wounded erstwhile he was wrong-footed by a bouncing ball.

A scan connected Monday will determine whether his hopes of a spot successful Warren Gatland's summertime circuit squad, owed to beryllium named connected Monday, whitethorn person been cruelly dashed.

Ospreys regained nan lead connected 30 minutes pursuing a crazy transition of play successful which Cardiff attacked from down their ain effort line, but ended pinch Tipuric's sublime score.

Giles drew successful 3 defenders earlier Dan Edwards' audacious reverse walk was juggled by Tipuric who touched down pinch a fingertip finish.

But Wales full-back Cam Winnett was increasing progressively influential for Cardiff.

After going adjacent to mounting up Grady, he created nan abstraction for awesome hooker Evan Lloyd and Ben Thomas to harvester for Grady to dive over.

Ospreys began nan 2nd half arsenic they did nan first pinch prop Smith powering in.

And erstwhile Morgan sailed complete connected 63 minutes, Ospreys were eying a apical 8 finish.

But replacement Hamer-Webb trim nan shortage to 26-22 to group up a nervy decorativeness until Seb Davies was sent disconnected for a vulnerable tackle connected Owen Watkin and Ospreys' line-out forced a punishment effort that sparked celebrations among nan visitors’ ranks.

A frantic closing transition saw Ospreys’ Luke Davies shown a yellowish paper and Grady barge complete again - his eighth effort of nan season.

But Ospreys attraction now turns to to an improbable knock-out necktie against Munster.

Cardiff caput coach Matt Sherratt said: "People asked maine beforehand if we wanted to return eighth spot distant from them but I'm happy for them.

"It's bully for Welsh rugby to person a squad successful nan play-offs and I genuinely deliberation they tin hit Munster away. I don't deliberation galore squad would for illustration to play them correct now."

He added: "The crippled was a awesome advert for location rugby, particularly aft a adjacent spot of negativity. You had 2 sets of players proud to deterioration their shirts and really going for it."

Cardiff: Cameron Winnett; Theo Cabango, Rey Lee-Lo, Ben Thomas (capt), Mason Grady; Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan; Rhys Carre, Evan Lloyd, Keiron Assiratti, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Rory Thornton, Ben Donnell, James Botham, Alun Lawrence.

Replacements: Efan Daniel, Corey Domachowski, Rhys Litterick, Seb Davies, Lopeti Timani, Willis Halaholo, Jacob Beetham, Gabriel Hamer-Webb

Sin bin: Donnell (49)

Red card: Davies (76)

Ospreys: Max Nagy; Luke Morgan, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards Reuben Morgan-Williams; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha, James Ratti, Huw Sutton, Jac Morgan, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris.

Replacements: Sam Parry, Gareth Thomas, Rhys Henry, Victor Sekekete, Harri Deaves, Luke Davies, Owen Williams, Harri Houston.

Sin bin: Davies (79)

Referee: Adam Jones

Assistant referees: Maickel English, Elgan Williams (WRU)

TMO: Tom Spurrier (WRU)