Ospreys have been handed a potential European rugby lifeline ahead of their final European Champions Cup pool match against Sale Sharks at the AJ Bell Stadium on Sunday (1pm kick-off).
The Welsh side are bottom of pool A with a points difference of minus 51.
But they could climb above Northampton Saints after the English club were forced to forfeit their last group match, against Racing 92, amid Covid-related issues. Tournament organisers awarded a 28-0 result to the French giants, meaning Northampton’s points tally has deteriorated to minus 68.
It leaves Ospreys needing to pick up two match points from their game with Sale to secure a place in the last-16 of the Challenge Cup.
A draw or a losing bonus point and four tries would do the trick for the Welsh side.
The top eight teams in each of the Champions Cup pools qualify for the last 16 of the premier European event. Sides placed nine to 11 head into the Challenge Cup, with the bottom-placed team exiting Europe completely. Currently the Ospreys are bottom of their group.
Toby Booth’s side thus have an outside chance of keeping their European hopes alive for the season.
It is going to need a big effort to get the job done, though, with the Ospreys heading for Sale minus a number of frontline players, including Owen Watkin, Tomas Francis, Jac Morgan, Gareth Anscombe, Gareth Thomas and Rhys Webb, plus Dan Lydiate and the long-term injured contingent which includes Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones and George North.
Bath went into the weekend also in the equation at the wrong end of pool A.
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