The Ospreys produced a dramatic late surge to overcome Ulster 21-10 in the United Rugby Championship at Brewery Field on Saturday. Trailing 10-7 with 13 minutes remaining, the home side scored two tries through James Ratti and Daniel Kasende to secure a thoroughly deserved victory. According to multiple reports, the Ospreys controlled the final 40 minutes and their win was built on a dominant second-half performance. The match was charged with emotion due to the Ospreys' uncertain future, as the week after their victory over the Dragons it was revealed they were the likeliest region to be cut by the Welsh Rugby Union.
Ulster, who had seven Ireland internationals in the Six Nations squad, were weakened by the ongoing tournament, with Stuart McCloskey, Robert Baloucoune, Tom O'Toole and Nick Timoney playing for Ireland. Despite this, Ulster had lost just four matches in all competitions before this game, though two of those previous losses had come in Wales. The defeat continues a worrying trend for Ulster, who have lost five of their past eight URC encounters. Their recent form includes a loss to the Ospreys on 28 February 2026, and the head-to-head record shows a mixed history: Ospreys won 19-17 in February 2024, Ulster won 47-17 in October 2022, Ospreys won 19-13 in December 2021, Ulster won 21-7 in February 2021, and Ospreys won 12-24 in October 2020.
In other URC results, Cardiff beat the Ospreys at the Arms Park for the first time since 2007, with Taulupe Faletau, Jac Morgan, and Elliot Dee returning from injury in Round 13. According to multiple reports, Cardiff improved their play-off hopes with that win and now sit fourth in the URC table. Munster beat Ulster 41-14 at Thomond Park and also defeated the Bulls 34-31 in Pretoria, leapfrogging Ulster in the table. The Scarlets beat Zebre with six tries but remain 14th in the standings, while the Lions beat the Dragons in Johannesburg.
Several disciplinary incidents occurred across the matches. Simone Gesi was sent off for clawing at Stuart McCloskey's eye, while Daniel Kasende received a 20-minute red card for dangerous play. Jac Morgan was yellow carded for a high tackle, and Ruan Nortje was sin-binned for head-on-head contact.
In European competitions, Ulster beat the Ospreys 28-24 in the Challenge Cup round of 16 and now face Exeter in the semi-final. La Rochelle beat Newcastle Red Bulls to reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals. Munster's next match is away to Connacht.
There are some contradictions in the reported results. Ulster beat Zebre 28-12 in Parma according to one source, but another source states the Scarlets beat Zebre with six tries. It is unclear which match is being referenced or if both occurred in different rounds. Similarly, Munster's results against the Bulls and Ulster appear to be from different matches, but the exact timeline is not specified. The Ospreys' victory over Ulster in the URC is distinct from Ulster's Challenge Cup win over the Ospreys, but both involve the same teams in different competitions. The current URC table position for Ulster after Round 13 has not been confirmed, and it is unknown which Wales internationals returned from injury for which specific matches. The status of the Ospreys' potential WRU cuts and how it affects the team remains unclear.