We visited the Swansea.com stadium in Swansea on Saturday, 21 December 2024, to photograph the United Rugby Championship (URC) Round 8 game between Ospreys and Scarlets.
A dramatic last-minute try from replacement Iestyn Hopkins secured a thrilling victory for Ospreys over Scarlets in the West Wales festive derby at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Despite the upheaval of head coach Toby Booth’s departure in the build-up, the Ospreys, under interim boss Mark Jones, overcame a 19-8 halftime deficit to claim a memorable win and extend their seven-year home dominance over their rivals.
Scarlets had built an early advantage with a try from winger Ellis Mee and 14 points from the boot of Ioan Lloyd.
But the Ospreys, led by an inspirational performance from captain and player-of-the-match Jac Morgan, clawed their way back. Tries from hooker Sam Parry and flanker Justin Tipuric set the stage for Hopkins’ decisive score, ensuring the Ospreys remain unbeaten in their last six meetings with Scarlets.
You can browse the complete Ospreys and Scarlets United Rugby Championship (URC) Round 8 match image gallery our dedicated photography website.
Ospreys: Gareth Thomas, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, Will Spencer, James Fender, Jac Morgan (captain), Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Dan Edwards, Keelan Giles, Keiran Williams, Owen Watkin, Daniel Kasende, Jack Walsh.
Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Garyn Phillips, Rhys Henry, Will Griffiths, Morgan Morse, Kieran Hardy, Evardi Boshoff, Iestyn Hopkins.
Scarlets: EIoan Lloyd; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Eddie James, Ellis Mee; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Kemsley Mathias, Marnus van der Merwe, Henry Thomas, Max Douglas, Sam Lousi, Taine Plumtree, Josh Macleod (captain), Vaea Fifita.
Replacements: Shaun Evans, Alec Hepburn, Archer Holz, Alex Craig, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Joe Roberts, Ioan Nicholas.
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
Assistant referees: Ben Connor and Adam Jones (WRU)
