Lions beat Ospreys with last-gasp try

United Rugby Championship

Lions (12) 29

Tries: Van der Merwe, Visagie 2, Van Wyk, Dobela Cons: Dobela 2

Ospreys (7) 28

Tries: Griffiths, Ratti, Walsh, Parry Cons: Edwards 4

A dramatic 82nd-minute try denied Ospreys only a second league win in South Africa as their United Rugby Championship ended in defeat.

Sam Parry looked to have snatched victory for the visitors with a score two minutes from time.

But a late penalty set up a final chance for Lions from which fly-half Lubabalo Dobela squeezed over in a nail-biting finish.

Four times Ospreys led in Johannesburg following tries by second-row pair Will Griffiths and James Ratti as well as Jack Walsh.

But they had to settle for two bonus points that were not enough to prevent Lions overtaking them in the final league standings.

The empty stands at the 60,000-seater Emirates Airline Park - formerly Ellis Park - reflected how little rested on this season finale for two sides out of play-off contention and with just two wins in their last 10 games between them.

Little wonder then that Jac Morgan was rested as he looks forward to playing with a different set of Lions this summer.

In his place, Harri Deaves spearheaded an impressive defensive effort as the hosts dominated first-half possession that warranted more than a 12-7 lead at the break.

Springbok wing Edwill van der Merwe marked his last game before ing Sharks with the opening try just moments after Dobela's effort was ruled out.

But Griffiths showed wonderful anticipation at the re-start to charge down Richard Kriel's clearance to equalise.

Jaco Visagie responded though Ospreys should have led at the break, but Reuben Morgan-Williams and Keiran Williams failed to convert the scrum-half's burst.

Ratti finally finished a four-minute spell on the Lions try-line with the Ospreys' second only for Visagie to respond for a second time just minutes later.

Walsh raced onto a powerful thrust and offload by Williams but Henco van Wyk stormed through two tired tackles for Lions to lead 24-21 on 70 minutes.

Parry looked to have won it when he powered over late only for a dramatic finish to throw up another final twist.

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones said: "We're very disappointed. I don't think either side deserved to lose that game as there was plenty of quality on show.

"We thought we had done enough to win but we knew we had to control that re-start and Lions had the edge in the area.

"We defended really well in the first half but we knew we had to do more with the ball in the second half and I think we showed we can be a threat in all areas."

Lions: Quan Horn; Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Edwill van der Merwe; Lubabalo Dobela, Nico Steyn; Juan Schoeman, Jaco Visagie (capt), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter, Ruan Delport, JC Pretorius, Renzo du Plessis, Jarod Cairns

Replacements: Morne Brandon, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Izan Esterhuizen, WJ Steenkamp, Layton Horn, Marius Louw, Kelly Mpeku

Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Luke Morgan, Evardi Boshoff, Keiran Williams, Ryan Conbeer; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Steffan Thomas, Dewi Lake (capt), Tom Botha, James Ratti, James Fender, Will Griffiths, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morse

Replacements: Sam Parry, Garyn Phillips, Kian Hire, Lewis Jones, Lewis Lloyd, Kieran Hardy, Owen Williams, Iestyn Hopkins

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Christopher Allison & Dylen November (SARU)

TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)