BELFAST — Ulster defeated Ospreys 28-24 in a European Challenge Cup last-16 tie at Affidea Stadium in Belfast to advance to the quarter-finals. Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Jacob Stockdale and Nick Timoney all scored tries for the home side.

Ospreys led 17-14 at half-time, but Ulster rallied in the second half to overturn the deficit. Kieran Hardy had a potential match-winning try for Ospreys ruled out for a forward pass in the build-up after consultation with the Television Match Official.

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy described the weather conditions during the match as the worst he had witnessed for a game during his tenure, adding that some handling errors were inevitable given the conditions. "A little bit of relief definitely. It never was going to be easy and the conditions obviously made it very difficult," Murphy said. "We created quite a few opportunities in the first half but didn't quite pick the right pass."

Murphy acknowledged his side had been under pressure after failing to convert chances. "That put us under a little bit of pressure and we conceded a couple of early scores to them and defensively we were just a little bit off but we are in the last eight, we've got work to do and we've got a week's prep now to lead into La Rochelle which will be really exciting," he said.

Murphy praised his team's determination to see the result through. "We showed a nice bit of grit, we stuck at it and we got over the line," he said. "Created the opportunities, didn't take them, so next week we've got to work on our skills in training and make sure we take them next time."

Ulster will face French side La Rochelle in a quarter-final in Belfast on Friday. "It's a massive game for us, it's at home. I know they have had a tough enough season but they're one of the top teams in Europe and when they come to town it's really exciting," Murphy said.

Looking ahead to preparations for the quarter-final, Murphy outlined areas for improvement. "We'll brush ourselves down, we'll review really hard on Monday and get back to work and make sure we turn up a little bit more polished, a little bit more tidy in and around our decision making. If we can do that we can cause any team a threat so we're excited about what's ahead," he said.