A last-gasp try from Aisea Natoga brought Steve Tandy’s team to within a point of their English rivals and Sam Davies’ injury-time, touchline conversion secured a stunning 37-36 success at the Brewery Field.
Natoga’s touchdown was a fitting end to a fantastic evening’s entertainment, with the Fijian crossing for a hat-trick of tries and No8 Dan Barker also scoring for the Ospreys, while Davies kicked 17 points courtesy of four conversions and three penalties.
The Ospreys hadn’t played at the venue for almost exactly a year but their return was worth the wait as they overturned a 36-20 deficit in the final quarter to claim a first win of the Anglo-Welsh campaign.
Tandy’s troops knew they wouldn’t be competing for a semi-final spot after defeats to Leicester, Cardiff Blues and Exeter Chiefs and it didn’t look as though they would be challenging for a win on Friday night, either, as they twice slipped two scores behind against last season’s beaten finalists.
They trailed 28-13 at half-time thanks to a hat-trick of tries from Sale No8 Viliami Fihaki and another from wing Charlie Ingall, plus four conversions from fly-half Joe Ford, and they were even further adrift 14 minutes after the restart as a Michael Haley try and a first penalty from Ford cancelled out Natoga’s second converted score.
Baker gave the Ospreys hope on the hour, though, and their cause gathered greater momentum when Sale were reduced to 13 men for the closing stages after replacement front rowers Ross Harrison and Marc Jones saw yellow after 68 and 72 minutes respectively.
Time looked as though it would deny the Ospreys’ a remarkable win but Natoga struck out wide and Davies kept his cool to land a wonder conversion that had almost every single one of the 3,000-strong crowd on their feet at the final whistle.
The result leaves Sale sweating on the outcome of Exeter’s game at Worcester on Saturday afternoon, with a win of any sorts set to seal a semi-final spot for the Chiefs at the expense of Steve Diamond’s men.
