THE Ospreys were edged out in a see-saw encounter at Ravenhill last night, despite a flawless kicking display from Daniel Biggar.

The Wales international nailed six kicks out of six and also scored a try, but the region gave away too many penalties and couldn't hold on to a lead they held deep into the second half.

It was only the second defeat the Ospreys have suffered on the opening weekend of a season since the Celtic league started in 2003.

Biggar shone, Richard Fussell scored a debut try and Marty Holah was outstanding as he slowed down opposition ball.

But, helped by a landslide of penalties going their way, Ulster were able to claim the spoils, with Niall O'Connor supplying the winning kick.

The Ospreys did have a late chance to steal the game, only for Lee Byrne to knock on a difficult pass from fellow replacement Rhys Webb with Biggar ready to pull the drop-goal trigger.

Jerry Collins skippered an Ospreys side that included debut-making Fussell, the wing hoping to impress after his switch from the Dragons.

Wales tourists Andrew Bishop, Biggar and Jonathan Thomas were all pressed into service as the region sought to cover for the unavailability of 17 players.

Reshuffle

A late reshuffle saw Craig Mitchell cry off with a back spasm, Cai Griffiths coming into the front row and Duncan Jones stepping up to the bench.

Ulster were missing a double-figure haul of players themselves, including Springbok pair Ruan Pienaar and BJ Botha, who were not considered because of Tri-Nations duty.

Making debuts for them were Adam D'Arcy, Tommy Seymour and David McIlwaine, along with South Africans Johann Muller and Pedrie Wannenburg.

The Ospreys were first on the board after home loose-head Bryan Young was penalised for slipping his binding at a scrum. The penalty was 40 metres out and angled, but Biggar hit the target.

Ulster retaliated in kind as O'Connor levelled the scores, and started to crank up their forward effort with their big No. 8 Wannenburg leading the way.

They took the lead in the 19th minute with a soft try from a line-out.

Rory Best's throw in the Ospreys' 22 missed its intended target but Jerry Collins spilled the loose ball, allowing Stephen Ferris to gather and stroll over unopposed for a score that O'Connor converted.

As if the Ospreys didn't have enough to contend with at a packed Ravenhill, they found Scottish referee Peter Allan particularly hard to please, the official awarding a series of decisions against them and O'Connor making them pay with a second successful penalty.

Biggar punished an Ulster transgression, only for the visitors to again incur Allan's displeasure when Nikki Walker was yellow- carded after the officials ruled he had led with a forearm.

The decision was beyond harsh, and Collins argued the point, but Allan was having none of it: Walker was in the bin for 10 minutes.

Against the odds, the Ospreys hit back with an excellent try from Fussell after the region had pinched a line-out on the home 22.

Ryan Bevington sucked in the cover before Holah, Collins and Biggar were involved as the ball went left for the former Dragon to score on his competitive Ospreys debut. Biggar converted to tie the scores at 13-13.

Holah led the way for the visitors in the first period. Ulster were looking to secure quick ball but the former All Black succeeded in slowing possession at almost every breakdown.

But even he could do nothing just past the half-hour mark when Adam D'Arcy, recognising that the region were light on numbers on Walker's wing, moved the ball left for Darren Cave to cross.

Under pressure at the scrums in the first period, Ulster replaced Young with Tom Court at half-time, but the Ospreys continued to hold the upper hand in that phase.

And after conceding another slack penalty which O'Connor slotted over, the region took the lead with a converted try from Dan Biggar.

The score resulted from an Ulster mistake in midfield, which allowed Bishop to hack forward, Biggar doing the same before touching down and adding the extras.

Jonathan Thomas got through a mountain of work, but no-one was more effective than Holah, who helped ease danger with some frantic foraging that resulted in a penalty for his team beneath the shadow of their posts.

But the good work was jeopardised with the concession of another soft penalty that O'Connor nailed to put Ulster into a 27-26 lead.

A frantic finale saw replacement Byrne spill the ball with Biggar ready to take aim with a drop shot. There was no time to correct the mistake.

"It was a game we should have won," said Biggar. "But we gave away 13 or 14 penalties — our discipline was disappointing."