Magners League Final

[munster2010]

i hope ospreys stuff them

 

[SelimNiai]

A tough game to predict, you'd think that by being at home Leinster would will and win easily. But the Ospreys have a knack to pull a result out of the bag and it's games like these that they can do so.

Ospreys by 9

What TV channel is this on, BBC, S4C or both?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Just checked: S4c and Setanta Ireland

 

[coonor]

This is going to be a great game. Ospreys are going to have to be clinical and take every point avialable espiecally with the tough Leinster defence. Leinster need to be brutal in the fowards. They will also have to set up quite a few backs moves and take the risk by playing a passing game.

 

[dullonien]

Can't wait for this now. Leinster start as favourites, being at home, but the Ospreys can do it. I feel they've managed to proove alot of critics wrong since their loss in San Sebastian. Munster loosing to Biarritz in the Semi's also showed that Ospreys loosing the Quarter wasn't so bad aswell. A decent amount of the ospreys squad is in fine form, with Hollah, Collins, Hook and Bowe in blistering form at the moment.

There won't be much between the two sides up front, but the Ospreys must keep Heaslip quiet.

Looking forward to the battle of the backs though. It all starts at 10, with two hugely talented 'newcomers' going head to head (Sexton has got decent experience now though). The 6 Nations showed that nerves can get to Sexton, whilst Biggar has also had some off days, but both are normally very calm. Who will control things the best? The centre battle will also be very interesting. This is probably where the game will be decided (unless one team bombs up front). O'Driscoll isn't in the form he was showing last year, whilst Hook is in the form of his life.

A honestly can't decide. I'd probably go for the Ospreys on a neutral park, but in the RDS I'm not sure if the O's quite have what it takes, yet!

 

[Bluemoon]

It would be nice for the Ospreys to pull this one out of the bag. It would give the welsh team that extra boost of confidence for the coming games.

The way I look at it is that again the Ospreys have put themselves in great a position, but more often than not, this is the type of stage where they seem to fall at the important hurdles. Sooner or later they are going to win one of these games and once the monkey is off the back, they will go on to win the big one.

It'll be emotional down at RDS, Cheika leaving and Leinster will want to give him a silver send off. On this occasion I am going to go for Ospreys to win by four.

I've just got a sneaky feeling a turning point is coming for the Ospreys. If it doesn't, with the resources they have, you have to question what the hell is going on down there!

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

LEINSTER:
15: Rob Kearney
14: Shane Horgan
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Isa Nacewa
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan
1: Stan Wright
2: John Fogarty
3: CJ van der Linde
4: Nathan Hines
5: Malcolm O'Kelly
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Jamie Heaslip
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Richardt Strauss
17: Cian Healy / Mike Ross
18: Trevor Hogan
19: Stephen Keogh
20: Paul O'Donohoe
21: Fergus McFadden
22: Girvan Dempsey

 

[lynam1104]

good team gone for the better scum with this one

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Ospreys
15 Lee Byrne
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Andrew Bishop
12 James Hook
11 Shane Williams
10 Dan Biggar
9 Mike Phillips

1 Paul James
2 Huw Bennett
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones
5 Jonathan Thomas
6 Jerry Collins
7 Marty Holah
8 Ryan Jones (Capt)

Replacements:
16 Ed Shervington
17 Ryan Bevington
18 Ian Gough
19 Filo Tiatia
20 Jamie Nutbrown
21 Gareth Owen
22 Nikki Walker

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I don't get where this "Ospreys have no bottle" train of thought comes from. They've won two Magners/Celtic League crowns, an Anglo-Welsh Cup and have made three successive Heineken Cup quarter finals. It's lazy journalism to say they've achieved nothing.

 

[MunsterMan]

OK, achieved nowhere near their potential so

 

[Conal]

is there anyway of seeing this online
is s4c a free channel?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

S4C does stream on their website, not sure if it works outside of the UK though

 

[Conal]

good ah tis fine im up in yorkshire at the moment its annoying as setanta ireland have most of the games i want to watch and i cant get it here

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ah right,
It's on most freeviews as well (it's Welsh channel 4, pretty much)

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

OK, achieved nowhere near their potential so

Are we basing this on Heineken Cup wins? If so, I don't think Ospreys are as talented as the last 4 winners - Munster x2, Toulouse and Leinster. They're probably behind Toulouse, Clermont and Leinster right now and with Toulon and Racing Metro paying crazy money for players, they could fall behind those sides too. Northampton and Leicester are a couple of teams on a similar level to the Ospreys in my opinion. They should have beaten Biarritz in the quarter final this year but I doubt they would have lifted the trophy even had they beaten the Basques.

In short, they get a hard time despite having achieved quite a bit.

 

[Conal]

i think he means that a team which at most in there matchday 22 have like 2 un capped players
is full of welsh and international stars arnt in the h cup semis or winning the magners more regularly like when ulster one it they had a handfull of ireland regulars while the ospreys now have like 10 wales regulars never besides the on the fringes and nwq stars eg jerry collins

 

[dullonien]

I'd stay away from trying to watch S4C from the live stream offered on their website. It usually stutters along on a normal Magner's game, let alone the final. I'd suggest using a program called Zattoo to watch S4C online, as it's much better quality and lag free. They also use the English language option, which is good for you non Welshies.

Disagree slightly with you there snoop. Player wise, very few teams have a better squad than the Ospreys. Tolouse and Clermont are probably two. I feel we have an all round more talented squad than both Leinster and Munster, but haven't played as a team in the past, and come unstuck at points. I feel we have underachieved as a whole, because we should have at least reached a HC final by now. Loosing to Saracens a couple of seasons ago was the biggest choke, especially with the semi and final set to be played in Wales. The last two seasons we've come up against two very good teams at home.

If we win tomorrow, I also think it could be the turning point the Ospreys have been waiting for.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

That's true but Toulouse are loaded with French internationals and have about 10 international players who miss out on their matchday 22/23 regularly. Munster and Ulster are full of Ireland internationals and top NIQ players. Clermont Auvergne are filled with internationals from all corners of the planet and could easily put a couple of 22's on the field capable of making it to the last 8 in Europe. When compared with that, Ospreys aren't on the same level.

As far as I'm aware, a lot of the talent in their ranks has only emerged since Ulster won the ML - Byrne, Biggar, Hook, Bowe, Phillips, Holah, Wyn Jones and others wouldn't have been involved in that campaign. Perhaps they could have made it to the last 4 in Europe by now but I think that's the limit of their capability.

EDIT - they did choke in the Saracens game but they wouldn't have gotten past Munster in the semi final. I do accept that Ospreys are now better than Munster but I don't think they're on Leinster's level. Ospreys are good but they don't have Leinster's depth in the front row, class in the 2nd row nor do they possess players of the calibre of Heaslip and O'Driscoll. That's simply my opinion though.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Let's do the match-ups, shall we?

15: Rob Kearney vs Lee Byrne. A very marginal one. Neither have shown their 2009 form yet both have improved as the season has gone on. I'm going to call this one a tie.

14: Shane Horgan vs Tommy Bowe No question here, Ospreys

13: Brian O'Driscoll vs Andrew Bishop Bishop will have to play exceedingly well to get one up on the maestro. Leinster

12: Gordon D'Arcy vs James Hook Two international centres, neither at their best. I know who'd I'd rather have in my team though. Leinster, barely

11: Isa Nacewa vs Shane Williams Isa Brings the better kicking game and might be a little stringer in defence, but there's only one ickle Shane. give him the ball and he'll score. Ospreys

10: Jonathan Sexton vs Dan Biggar The two most promising 10's in the British Isles. Sexton has proven himself at the highest level, Biggar hasn't. Leinster

9: Eoin Reddan vs Mike Philips Despite beind the standout performer in Ireland's 2007 WC disaster, Reddan hasn't featured much on the international scene as of late. We all know what Mike Philips is capable of. Ospreys

1: Stan Wright vs Paul James One of the most underrated props in the game versus erm... Paul James. Leinster

2: John Fogarty vs Huw Bennett While neither are world beaters, the Welshman is a far more capable player than his enthusiastic but lacking opposite number. Ospreys

3: CJ van der Linde vs Adam Jones CJ is the better prop, but I can't see him lasting the full 80 minutes if Leinster need him. For that reason, I'm calling it a tie.

4: Nathan Hines vs Alun Wyn Jones The second row is certainly going to be a battleground on the weekend. I believe Hines has more fighting qualities than Jones and is a tougher operator overall. He may be liable to pick up a yellow though. Leinster

5: Malcolm O'Kelly vs Jonathan Thomas Two experianced players, Thomas however is still in his 20's. Ospreys.

6: Kevin McLaughlin vs Jerry Collins Rocky who? The Leinsterman has really filled the pretty gaping void left by Elsom this season. That said, Collins is one of the best 6's of the modern era and will prove a good test for a man hoping to prove himself down under this summer. Ospreys

7: Shane Jennings vs Marty Holah I'd rather have Jennings in my XV. Leinster

8: Jamie Heaslip vs Ryan Jones A man who hasn't fired on all cylinders since 2008 comes up against possibly the best 8 in the world at the moment. No contest here. Leinster

The Benches
Neither is particularly impressive. I'll call it a tie.

The Coaches Cheika has revolutionised everything about Leinster rugby. We're on of the lowest scorers in the league yet we have the most solid defence, unthinkable a few years back. Leinster

In total that'a 6 Ospreys, 8 Leinster and 3 ties. Should be close enough if the game was solely based on my valuation of the squads.
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