Ospreys dent Stormers home playoff hopes

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The DHL Stormers suffered a significant blow to their hopes of securing a home Vodacom URC playoff in a stunning defeat to Ospreys in Cape Town on Saturday night.

Ospreys added another big scalp to their collection this season when they punished an error-prone DHL Stormers in a 27-21 victory, the Welsh side’s first win at Cape Town Stadium.

Defeat to Ospreys, combined with Munster’s bonus-point victory over the Vodacom Bulls earlier on Saturday, deals a blow to the Stormers’ hopes of securing a place in the URC’s top four for the third season in a row.

With four games left to play in the season, including two tricky fixtures on tour against Dragons and Connacht, the Stormers trail the fourth-placed Bulls by six points.

The Stormers made nine changes to the team that faced La Rochelle in the Champions Cup quarter-finals and made a sluggish start, conceding a try inside the opening 10 minutes.

It was a performance marked by ill-discipline from the hosts, both in terms of the penalty count and tactically, as they gifted Ospreys two further tries in the first half, one from a hospital pass inside their own 22 and the other from a crossfield kick excellently gathered by fullback Max Nagy, who sent wing Luke Morgan over for his brace just before half-time.

Ospreys, meanwhile, played an excellent tactical game, forcing the Stormers to attack from deep and more than holding their own at the scrum.

Going into the break 17-7 down, the Stormers needed a fast start to the second half and got just that when Evan Roos ran a good 40 metres to finish a move started by Wandisile Simelane controlling the ball with his foot inside his own 22.

However, the Stormers continued to concede needless penalties and Ospreys took full advantage when flanker Harri Deaves reached over to restore the visitors’ 10-point lead.

The Stormers did salvage a losing bonus point as referee Andrew Brace awarded a penalty try after the hooter, but by then the game was comfortably won, as Ospreys flyhalf Jack Walsh knocked over a penalty in the last five minutes.

Next up for the Stormers is a home game against eight-time champions Leinster, whose youthful side suffered a heavy defeat to the Lions in Johannesburg.

Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images

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