Ospreys Vs Leinster

[loratadine]

this could very well decide which way the ***le will be going in, after the ospreys claimed a win at stradey im fairly confident theyll have just enough to overcome leinster at home, however will the short turn around have an effect on the game?

if the ospreys win theyll be right up leinstres arse with a game in hand.

 

[gjohn85]

Here's the teams,

Ospreys: Stefan Terblanche; Nikki Walker, Sonny Parker, Andrew Bishop, Shane Williams; Shaun Connor, Justin Marshall; Paul James (capt), uw Bennett, Adam Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Alun-Wyn Jones, Ryan Jones, Richie Pugh, Filo Tiatia.
Replacements: Richard Hibbard, Duncan Jones, Mike Powell, Lee Beach, Martin Roberts, James Hook/ AN Other, Lee Byrne.

Leinster: G Dempsey, R Kearney, S Horgan, G D'Arcy, D Hickie, L Fitzgerald, F Contepomi, C Whitaker; R Corrigan, B Blaney, W Green, T Horgan, M O'Kelly, S Keogh, K Gleeson, J Heaslip. Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland)

James Hook, Brent Cockbain, Ryan Jones, Alun-Wyn Jones and Mike Powell all face late fitness tests, so the team may differ on the night.

 

[Rugby_Cymru]

Leinster are fielding a strong team and Ospreys won't have that much time to recover after the Scarlets game.
Will this affect them.
Plus, i've seen Leinster play Ospreys off the field before.
They can fall to pieces like an inexperienced team of shcool boys sometimes.
Let's hope they can hold it together.

 

[shtove]

Cockbain and Ryan Jones will be important for Ospreys. If they don't make it, Leinster will be comfortable.

The Leinster wingers are the most interesting ones to watch from an Irish POV.

 

[Rugby_Cymru]

Kick off in just over an hour.
Quite looking forward to this. But i hope the 3 days that it's been since the Scarlets match won't affect the boys and leave them on the wrong end of a hammering.

 

[Rugby_Cymru]

Game and a half!
There were loads of mistakes, both teams made some horrific errors, some really bad first time tackling as well, but all in all it was such an entertaining game.
Justin Marshall was - as ever - all over the shop. There would be some streaks of genius, otherwise the guy doesn't look like he's got more than a couple of season's of rugby experience under his belt.
I can't help but love the genius of Contempomi. Even tho the guy was on the opposing team, there were things he did today that (had i been at the liberty stadium) i would have stood up and applauded in front of everone.
As it is, all i did was stand up on my own in my living room as he scored a try that should never have been allowed by the Ospreys defence.
Tiatia was rightly man of the match. He's proving himself wtih every game that he was a great signing as the guy is one helluva strong ball carrier, break tackles, gets passed advantage lines and always suckers in more than one defender never forgetting that a possible offload could be available.

There's nothing stopping the O's from going on to win the league from here. 3 teams - away from home - but all potentially there to get 5 points from. However, Ospreys don't have a good history of getting 4 tries or more in a game.

 

[loratadine]

i can taste the ***le!!


its tastes lush!!

 

[el_tk]

That ref was awful, actuall worse than the Changlengs.

Before you accuse me of sour grapes (it partially is) that sinbinning of Heaslip was bullshit, the Ospereys last penalty was dodgy and he missed Hook carrying the ball into his own 22.

But mainly, his handling of the contact area was shite. He was always too far away from the ruck at first to see what was going on and his communication with the players was poor.

 

[Rugby_Cymru]

You're right the ref was awful and we only got given one different camera angle of hook allegedly going back into the 22 and it didn't show anything, it was that bad. So i couldn't say if he did or didn't.
I think leinster deserved a yellow card in that game, but definately not when it was given.
But i have more qualms with the players than the referee.
Too many first up tackles being missed; sometimes the players were just everywhere - under no control. Either Marshal or Hook should have been screaming for some form of structure.
However, i still can't get over Contempomi's try. Bloody ace, even if the tackle should definately have been made.

 

[gjohn85]

Didn't watch all of the game, just watched it in parts. Contempomi's try was good, but Walker should of tackled him. Hook seemed to make a difference when he came on, though Connor had a good game too.

 

[Rugby_Cymru]

I really like Connor. He's quite underrated, but he always puts in a solid performance on the field and many a time has he left wtih a man of the match award.
But he's gonna have to be content with the fact that he'll always be in Hook's shadow - which is a shame because he's a solid performer. He's not international standards tho.

 

[gjohn85]

Can't they try Connor at 12? I like Connor too, he's a good attacking player, but sometimes he isn't that good at kicking.

 

[Rugby_Cymru]

Connor could go at 12 but there's already a working relationship at centre wtih Bishop and Parker. Bishop is a heck of a strong lad and makes the necessary tackles but also isn't afriad to take on the ball and make some good angles and runs.
I question whether Connor would be as good (defensively) as Bishop.
But i agree with you on the kicking front: He has a few too many off days, fails to find the posts as often as he should and has been known to miss touch on the occasion.