Ospreys secure European knockout spot despite loss to Zebre

Samuele Locatelli’s late try denied Ospreys a third successive European Challenge Cup victory as the Welsh club secured a place in the knockout phase despite a 23-19 defeat at Zebre.

The losing bonus point with which Mark Jones’ men returned from the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi was enough to extend their participation in the competition on a day when they came within seven minutes of maintaining their unblemished record.

Ospreys found themselves up against it before the break and trailed 13-0 courtesy of scrum-half Alessandro Fusco’s 21st-minute try and a conversion and two penalties from the boot of fly-half Giacomo Da Re.

But they dragged themselves back into it within four minutes of the restart when number eight Morgan Morse touched down and Dan Edwards converted, and they were in front when centre Keiran Williams repeated the dose and Edwards made it 13-14.

Da Re’s penalty restored the home side’s advantage, before Edwards’ 68th-minute try put the visitors 19-16 ahead.

However, Zebre were not to be denied and replacement Locatelli scored late on, with Da Re taking his individual tally to 13 points with the conversion to edge his side into third place in the table on nine points, two behind the Welsh team.