Keelan Giles’ 80th minute try saw Ospreys win their Welsh derby with Dragons at the death, as Scarlets earnt a 20-20 draw in the Treviso fog.

Elsewhere, there were defeats for Cardiff and Gwalia Lightning in Ireland, while Brython Thunder picked up a first win of the season against Edinburgh in the Celtic Challenge.

Let’s get into the action!

Ospreys battle through off-field chaos to clinch late victory

After a dramatic 19-13 victory at the Brewery Field, Ospreys are now unbeaten in four URC matches and have climbed to eighth in the table in what is shaping up to be a tight battle for the final two play-off places.

The under-threat side scored twice in the final six minutes, with Lewis Lloyd dotting down from a maul, before Keelan Giles darted through a gap in the Dragons’ defence to seal the victory for Ospreys.

For Dragons, the wait for an away victory in the league goes on, with losing bonus points the only consolation for Filo Tiatia’s side after late defeats to Ospreys and Munster.

The early loss of injured props Wyn Jones and Rob Hunt proved to crucial at the Brewery Field, despite an impressive effort by novice loose-head Jordan Morris.

A yellow card for tight-head Cebo Dlamini and uncontested scrums meant they finished with 13 men, creating space for Keelan Giles’ winner. But Dragons are undoubtedly improving under Tiatia after just one win all last season.

“We are heading in the right direction and we are a team that is scrapping for each other with a tougher edge,” said the Dragons boss.

For Ospreys, they have taken 17 points from their last four games and are in a position to push for the run-in with the bonus of not having to travel to South Africa – a daunting prospect for the likes of Cardiff and Dragons.

Scarlets battle Italian players and weather for creditable draw

There was a powerful sense of deja vu hanging over Scarlets’ 20-20 draw with Benetton in Treviso on Friday night.

It was the same scoreline as this fixture season – also a 20-20 draw – with Scarlets back Macs Page also on the scoresheet. On that night last season, Benetton also missed a late shot at goal to win the contest.

In another twist, the weather was terrible on both occasions too. Last season, the rain made any attempt at enterprising rugby near impossible, while the fog at the Stade Monigo made watching the match on television a difficult endeavour.

Scarlets’ comeback from 13-3 down at halftime to draw will have been pleasing, as would the performance of 18-year-old flyhalf Carwyn Leggatt-Jones on full debut.

The novice playmaker showed signs of his promise ahead of the Under-20 Six Nations with a delightful pass for wing Tomi Lewis’ try and neat work to put Macs Page over.

“It’s a difficult place to come for a first full game,” said interim director of rugby Davies, who was without Wales internationals Sam Costelow and Joe Hawkins.

“That was a real test for him and he will learn a tremendous amount from that.”

Cardiff continue to accumulate points

Despite a 21-14 defeat, Cardiff continued to pick up the points in the URC this season, earning a losing bonus point in Northern Ireland against Ulster.

The result extends Cardiff’s run of picking up points in all 11 league fixtures this season, with seven wins putting them fifth in the table and well on course for a play-off spot.

“The boys just wanted to fight for the jersey. Ultimately though just a few small things puts us on the wrong side of the scoreboard,” said Van Zyl, whose team are 12 points ahead of ninth-placed Sharks.

“In the bigger picture of it, the losing bonus point is definitely going to make a difference.

“It’s a tough place to come, they’re playing very well, but the boys gave it a good shot.”

Brython pick up first win as Gwalia’s winning run ends in Ireland

Brython Thunder edged out Edinburgh 14-7 at Hive Stadium in a battle of the Celtic Challenge’s two worst-performing teams.

Stella Orrin and Seren Singleton scored tries for the Welsh outfit either side of half-time as they earned their first victory of this year’s competition.

Brython remain bottom of the table, but can still qualify for the play-offs with four games remaining.

Gwalia Lightning were comprehensively beaten by reigning champions Wolfhounds, downed 44-10 in Cork. Wolfhounds become the first side to qualify for the Challenge play-offs, running in eight tries.

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