Ospreys face Munster in play-offs

After securing fourth spot in the Guinness PRO12 table across an eight-month season of rugby, the Ospreys now face Munster in the play-off semi-final on Saturday 20th May (6.15pm KO) at Thomond Park.

Despite the final day defeat to the Scarlets, the Ospreys finished a point ahead of Ulster, who needed a bonus point win over Leinster to have any hope of pipping them to the final play-off spot but could only manage a 17-13 victory over their Irish rivals at Kingspan Stadium.

That means the Ospreys must travel to Thomond Park to face Munster, who finished top of the table, while second placed Leinster host the Scarlets in Dublin the night before.

It is the fifth occasion since the play-offs were introduced for the first time in 2009/10 that the Ospreys have finished in the top four to qualify for the knock-out stages, facing Munster in three of their four previous play-off campaigns.

On the first occasion of Ospreys play-off involvement, at the end of the first 09/10 season, Glasgow were defeated 20-5 at the Liberty Stadium with Shane Williams and James Hook scoring tries as Dan Biggar kicked 10 points. Two weeks later, Leinster were defeated in the first ever Grand Final, at the RDS.

Since then, each time the Ospreys have progressed to the play-offs they have faced Munster, twice in Limerick and once at the Liberty.

At the end of 2010/11, Munster came out on top 18-11 at Thomond Park, a late Richard Fussell score scant consolation for the Ospreys. 

A year later saw one of the great Liberty Stadium occasions, Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb among the try scorers as the Ospreys romped to a five-try, 45-10 win, ahead of the famous 31-30 final victory over Leinster. 

There was then a three-year wait until the next time the Ospreys progressed to the last four, in 2015, where there was late, late heartbreak in Limerick as a try from Josh Matavesi with time up was disallowed for a knock-on in the build-up, condemning the visitors to a 21-18 defeat after second half tries from Rhys Webb and Jeff Hassler had set up the grandstand finish.

We will be receiving a ticket allocation for this game from Munster, with details confirmed early in the week.