Ospreys faced a tough outing in Italy, narrowly losing to Zebre 23-19, but still made it to the European Challenge Cup knockout stages. Despite falling behind 13-0 in the first half, the Ospreys fought back with tries from Morgan Morse, Keiran Williams, and Dan Edwards, only to be edged out by Zebre’s late-game comeback led by Samuele Locatelli.
The team headed to Italy off the back of a successful festive run, maintaining a perfect record after two matches. While qualification was essentially secured, they aimed for a high seeding and home advantage in the upcoming rounds. However, a challenging first half saw them struggle with referee Griffin Colby’s decisions and they couldn’t quite string their play together.
Giacomo da Re and Alessandro Fusco put Zebre ahead early, but the Ospreys clawed back after halftime. Morse crossed over shortly after the break, finding his rhythm and opening the scoreline for the visitors. Keiran Williams’s burst through the Zebre defence briefly pushed the Ospreys ahead, and Dan Edwards added another try with just minutes to go. Yet, Zebre’s resilience showed as Locatelli’s driving maul try sealed the match for his team.
The Ospreys now trail group leaders Montpellier by four points, with a crucial face-off next weekend. Despite the loss, the stage is set for an exciting continuation in Europe’s elite rugby challenge, and the Ospreys are determined to make their mark.