Ospreys' Challenge Cup campaign came to a crushing end as they suffered a 31-26 defeat at the hands of Montpellier in Bridgend. The French side, who have won all four of their Challenge Cup games this season, proved too strong for the Welsh region, earning themselves top spot in the group stages.
The match was a nail-biter from start to finish, with Ospreys coming back from 21-7 down at halftime to trail 21-14. However, Montpellier's forwards ultimately told the story, as they scored two crucial tries and kicked four conversions to seal the win.
Replacement flanker Ross Moriarty played a key role in Ospreys' comeback, scoring two tries including the bonus-point effort that gave his team the lead for the first time. However, Hounkpatin's late try sealed the victory for Montpellier.
The defeat is a significant setback for Ospreys, who finished fourth in their pool behind Zebre and Connacht. The Welsh region will now face either Benetton or Ulster away in the last 16, depending on the Italian side's result at Lyon on Sunday.
Head coach Mark Jones made several changes to his starting lineup, with 13 personnel adjustments from the team that lost to Zebre. However, he was unable to prevent a second consecutive defeat for Ospreys.
The match also saw some interesting performances from individual players, including Wales and British & Irish Lions full-back Stuart Hogg, who kicked four conversions for Montpellier.
The match was a nail-biter from start to finish, with Ospreys coming back from 21-7 down at halftime to trail 21-14. However, Montpellier's forwards ultimately told the story, as they scored two crucial tries and kicked four conversions to seal the win.
Replacement flanker Ross Moriarty played a key role in Ospreys' comeback, scoring two tries including the bonus-point effort that gave his team the lead for the first time. However, Hounkpatin's late try sealed the victory for Montpellier.
The defeat is a significant setback for Ospreys, who finished fourth in their pool behind Zebre and Connacht. The Welsh region will now face either Benetton or Ulster away in the last 16, depending on the Italian side's result at Lyon on Sunday.
Head coach Mark Jones made several changes to his starting lineup, with 13 personnel adjustments from the team that lost to Zebre. However, he was unable to prevent a second consecutive defeat for Ospreys.
The match also saw some interesting performances from individual players, including Wales and British & Irish Lions full-back Stuart Hogg, who kicked four conversions for Montpellier.