The Ospreys suffered a 31-26 defeat to Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup, ending their perfect December record. Despite a spirited comeback led by hooker Lewis Lloyd's double and tries from Owen Watkin and Ross Moriarty, the Welsh side could not hold off the French giants.

Montpellier, powered by tries from Alex Masibaka and Jules Ducros, secured a crucial away win to finish the group stages as top seeds. The result means the Ospreys, who finished fourth in their pool behind Zebre and Connacht, must travel for their last-16 knockout tie in April.

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones made a bold gamble, changing 13 starters from their previous loss. The French side, now set to host Perpignan, will face either Benetton or Ulster in the next round. The Ospreys' away trip will be a stern test of their knockout credentials.