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Lions vs Ospreys · United Rugby Championship

United Rugby Championship · 2026-27Full time
Lions
35–19
Ospreys

Timeline

  1. Kick-off
  2. PenaltyChris William Smith
    10'3–0
    Lions
  3. TryErich Cronje
    27'8–0
    Lions
  4. ConversionChris William Smith
    27'10–0
    Lions
  5. 33'10–5
    TryKeiran Williams
    Ospreys
  6. 34'10–7
    ConversionDaniel Edwards
    Ospreys
  7. 40'
    SubstitutionCameron Jones on for Gareth Thomas
    Ospreys
  8. 41'10–12
    TryEfan Daniel
    Ospreys
  9. TryPJ Botha
    42'15–12
    Lions
  10. Half-time
  11. SubstitutionSJ Kotze on for Boan Venter
    47'
    Lions
  12. SubstitutionMorne Brandon on for PJ Botha
    47'
    Lions
  13. SubstitutionRF Schoeman on for Sebastian Lombard
    47'
    Lions
  14. TryMorne Brandon
    48'20–12
    Lions
  15. 50'
    SubstitutionRhys Davies on for Huw Sutton
    Ospreys
  16. 50'
    SubstitutionBen Warren on for Rhys Henry
    Ospreys
  17. 50'
    SubstitutionLewis Lloyd on for Efan Daniel
    Ospreys
  18. SubstitutionDylan Sjoblom on for Sibabalo Qoma
    54'
    Lions
  19. TryBoeta Chamberlain
    56'25–12
    Lions
  20. SubstitutionMorne van den Berg on for Nico Steyn
    58'
    Lions
  21. 58'
    SubstitutionReuben Morgan-Williams on for Kieran Hardy
    Ospreys
  22. SubstitutionQuan Horn on for Erich Cronje
    60'
    Lions
  23. 60'
    Yellow cardDaniel Edwards
    Ospreys
  24. SubstitutionHyron Andrews on for Ruan Delport
    61'
    Lions
  25. TryKelly Mpeku
    62'30–12
    Lions
  26. 63'
    SubstitutionLuke Morgan on for Iestyn Hopkins
    Ospreys
  27. 63'
    SubstitutionRoss Moriarty on for Ryan Smith
    Ospreys
  28. 64'
    SubstitutionLawson Creighton on for Tom Rogers
    Ospreys
  29. TryKelly Mpeku
    65'35–12
    Lions
  30. SubstitutionSibabalwe Mahashe on for Etienne Oosthuizen
    67'
    Lions
  31. 81'35–17
    TryRoss Moriarty
    Ospreys
  32. 82'35–19
    ConversionDaniel Edwards
    Ospreys

Team stats

LionsOspreys
49%Possession51%
40%Territory60%
6Tries3
90Carries93
354Metres carried288
4Clean breaks3
14Defenders beaten21
11Offloads4
116Passes124
114Tackles104
21Missed tackles14
80%Tackle success76%
7Turnovers won6
12Penalties conceded13
6/11Scrums won4/6
13/16Lineouts won14/16
17Kicks from hand13

Match report

Lions defeated Ospreys 35–19 at Ellis Park Stadium in round 2 of the United Rugby Championship, extending their winning start to the season. The Johannesburg side now sit seventh in the table with four points from two matches, having scored 62 points and conceded 45. Ospreys remain 15th with one point from two games, their losing streak now at two matches after conceding 60 points across both fixtures.

The result continues a closely contested head-to-head record between the sides, with Lions now holding four wins to Ospreys' three in eight meetings, including one draw. The teams had shared the points 24–24 in their most recent encounter in January 2026, whilst Lions had edged a narrow 29–28 victory at home in May 2025. Filippo Russo refereed the match.

Written by AI from the official match data.

Head to head

4
Lions wins (50%)
1
Draws (13%)
3
Ospreys wins (38%)

Last 8 meetings, since March 2022

Biggest Lions win
45–15
25 Mar 2022
Biggest Ospreys win
30–14
8 Dec 2024

Last 5 meetings

  • 3 Oct 2026Lions35–19Ospreys
  • 23 Jan 2026Ospreys24–24Lions
  • 17 May 2025Lions29–28Ospreys
  • 8 Dec 2024Ospreys30–14Lions
  • 30 Mar 2024Ospreys36–21Lions

Lineups

Avg. age
27.1
Avg. age
26.8

Lions

  1. 1Boan Venter(29)
  2. 2PJ Botha(28)
  3. 3Sebastian Lombard(24)
  4. 4Etienne Oosthuizen(33)
  5. 5Ruan Delport(24)
  6. 6JC Pretorius(28)
  7. 7Sibabalo Qoma(29)
  8. 8Francke Horn(27)
  9. 9Nico Steyn(24)
  10. 10Chris William Smith(32)
  11. 11Erich Cronje(25)
  12. 12Richard Kriel(26)
  13. 13Ethan Adams(19)
  14. 14Kelly Mpeku(32)
  15. 15Boeta Chamberlain(27)
Replacements
  1. 16Morne Brandon(25)
  2. 17SJ Kotze(23)
  3. 18RF Schoeman(23)
  4. 19Hyron Andrews(31)
  5. 20Dylan Sjoblom
  6. 21Sibabalwe Mahashe(22)
  7. 22Morne van den Berg(28)
  8. 23Quan Horn(25)

Ospreys

  1. 1Gareth Thomas(33)
  2. 2Efan Daniel(23)
  3. 3Rhys Henry(28)
  4. 4Huw Sutton(26)
  5. 5Ryan Smith(30)
  6. 6Liam Wright(28)
  7. 7Harri Deaves(25)
  8. 8Morgan Morse(21)
  9. 9Kieran Hardy(30)
  10. 10Daniel Edwards(23)
  11. 11Keelan Giles(28)
  12. 12Keiran Williams(28)
  13. 13Evardi Boshoff(28)
  14. 14Tom Rogers(27)
  15. 15Iestyn Hopkins(24)
Replacements
  1. 16Lewis Lloyd(23)
  2. 17Cameron Jones(25)
  3. 18Ben Warren(26)
  4. 19Rhys Davies(27)
  5. 20Ross Moriarty(32)
  6. 21Reuben Morgan-Williams(28)
  7. 22Lawson Creighton(28)
  8. 23Luke Morgan(34)