RaboDirect Pro12 Round 4

[Draggs]

And Draggs ****ed up the vBookie big time.
Nice.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

What's wrong, Draggs?

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Ole ole ole ole, Ospreys, Ospreeeeeeys...

Where would we be without Ryan Jones?

 

[psychic duck]

Will this end people hyping the Scarlets as "European contenders"?

 

[Feicarsinn]

Will this end people hyping the Scarlets as "European contenders"?

Whaaaa? People fancied Scarlet? Pfff, pull the other one.

 

[Tony Manx]

Good crowd at PyS, I hope the match lives up to the hype.
Knowing Pro12, not a chance. 12-9 final, eh?

Moment of silence well respected, good to see.

Agreed about crowd and tribut to Nevin.....................given that this was a derby, a fair degree of leeway must be allowed BUT it was a **** game!! Think this game confirms Biggar over Priestland and Ryan Jones is looking good being the only positive things I can take as a memory from it! Sorry................

 

[Draggs]

Agreed about crowd and tribut to Nevin.....................given that this was a derby, a fair degree of leeway must be allowed BUT it was a **** game!! Think this game confirms Biggar over Priestland and Ryan Jones is looking good being the only positive things I can take as a memory from it! Sorry................

Yeah I agree with you there mate.
Priestland: 4/8 (3 pens, 1 con; 4 pens missed)
Biggar: 5/6 (3 pens, 2 cons; 1 pen missed)

 

[psychic duck]

Yeah I agree with you there mate.
Priestland: 4/8 (3 pens, 1 con; 4 pens missed)
Biggar: 5/6 (3 pens, 2 cons; 1 pen missed)

Considering Halfpenny is currently on great goal kicking form, that doesn't really matter.

Which fly half was better in open play?

 

[Draggs]

Considering Halfpenny is currently on great goal kicking form, that doesn't really matter.

Which fly half was better in open play?

Biggar. Priestland was anonymous.
Priestland needs someone to kick for him at the Scarlets and some time not in the Welsh squad, to allow him to refocus.

Scott Williams is not an inside centre. Seemed to blow a certain try when he had support open. Liam Williams made a few stupid mistakes as well.

 

[TPenn]

Considering Halfpenny is currently on great goal kicking form, that doesn't really matter.

Which fly half was better in open play?

Biggar controlled his team, put them in positions where his forwards could win the game. Priestland strolled around without doing a lot at all.

 

[welshglory]

I still wouldn't trust Biggar in a Welsh jersey. He can't seem to organise a backline at all, they just run around like headless chickens and when he runs out of ideas he kicks it (which is very often).

Duncan, Ianto and Bishop were all fantastic for the O's.
Duncan was strong in the scrums and his aggro gave the team some momentum.
Ianto apart from some silly high tackles defended really well and cleared out the rucks effectively.
Bishop for me really set the tone for the rest of the team. Playing in his preferred position of inside centre had a lot to do with it i reckon. His defence was outstanding and he carried the crash ball well.

Creativity and variety in the backs and attack in general is still a major worry for me. We will not dominate the Leicester or Toulouse packs and that seems to be our go-to game plan.

I fear for the Scarlets when they face that Clermont pack. Matthew Rees needs to start in those game, Owens is much too weak in the scrums and he was quiet last night. Their whole pack was anonymous to be honest, when they face bigger more established packs they seem to really struggle.

I heard someone suggest that maybe they should start Jordan Williams at fullback or on the wing instead of Fenby so that they have another goal kicker on the field.

 

[Tony Manx]

Biggar. Priestland was anonymous.

Touche mom ami!!

 

[SelimNiai]

I could be deciding to come over to CAP for the game tonight. Got no Bristol home game and it's not too different pricewise

 

[Draggs]

I still wouldn't trust Biggar in a Welsh jersey. He can't seem to organise a backline at all, they just run around like headless chickens and when he runs out of ideas he kicks it (which is very often).

Duncan, Ianto and Bishop were all fantastic for the O's.
Duncan was strong in the scrums and his aggro gave the team some momentum.
Ianto apart from some silly high tackles defended really well and cleared out the rucks effectively.
Bishop for me really set the tone for the rest of the team. Playing in his preferred position of inside centre had a lot to do with it i reckon. His defence was outstanding and he carried the crash ball well.

Creativity and variety in the backs and attack in general is still a major worry for me. We will not dominate the Leicester or Toulouse packs and that seems to be our go-to game plan.

I fear for the Scarlets when they face that Clermont pack. Matthew Rees needs to start in those game, Owens is much too weak in the scrums and he was quiet last night. Their whole pack was anonymous to be honest, when they face bigger more established packs they seem to really struggle.

I heard someone suggest that maybe they should start Jordan Williams at fullback or on the wing instead of Fenby so that they have another goal kicker on the field.

OK, you don't trust Biggar... what do we do? Anybody who says Priestland needs their head checked. If I dare to suggest James Hook, the internet explodes. Step- no, sorry, can't even joke about that.
Nicky? Sure, good playmaker.

Turks in Clermont could be ugly. That being said, I thought the same thing ahead of their visit to Franklin's Gardens.

Rhys Priestland is not a goal kicker, he doesn't have the mental strength to pull it off, and perhaps the physical ability. His other skills that made him first choice outside half have also disappeared. What now?

 

[psychic duck]

OK, you don't trust Biggar... what do we do? Anybody who says Priestland needs their head checked. If I dare to suggest James Hook, the internet explodes. Step- no, sorry, can't even joke about that.
Nicky? Sure, good playmaker.

I would give Hook the shirt again for November tbh, maybe not having kicking duties will help him focus on his game.

I do have my reservations for his territorial kicking game though. I really wish he hadn't insisted on playing at 10, he was a great 12 in the 2009/10 season for the Ospreys.

Turks in Clermont could be ugly. That being said, I thought the same thing ahead of their visit to Franklin's Gardens.

Surely they'll improve on their performance the last time they played them in the Heineken Cup in 2007/08. The results were 48-21 away, and 41-0 at home.

Rhys Priestland is not a goal kicker, he doesn't have the mental strength to pull it off, and perhaps the physical ability. His other skills that made him first choice outside half have also disappeared. What now?

Interesting if Jordan Williams can goal kick. I see he has a good sidestep. But then where does Morgan Stoddart fit back in?

One thing for sure, the Scarlets will need an improvement from Priestland to even get a bonus point against Leinster/Clermont in the H Cup. I heard on the TV yesterday his kicking ratio this season was 31% going into the match.

 

[Draggs]

I would give Hook the shirt again for November tbh, maybe not having kicking duties will help him focus on his game.

I do have my reservations for his territorial kicking game though. I really wish he hadn't insisted on playing at 10, he was a great 12 in the 2009/10 season for the Ospreys.

From what I have heard, he has played well in France. We have never played a territorial game, so this wouldn't matter.

Interesting if Jordan Williams can goal kick. I see he has a good sidestep. But then where does Morgan Stoddart fit back in?

If he is better than his rivals, than in the starting XV. You don't pick a player before you pick the team. Williams wing, Stoddart fullback? His defence was improving before his injury.

One thing for sure, the Scarlets will need an improvement from Priestland to even get a bonus point against Leinster/Clermont in the H Cup. I heard on the TV yesterday his kicking ratio this season was 31% going into the match.

Oh yes. The Turk pack will be walking funny for a few days.

 

[Tony Manx]

From what I have heard, he has played well in France.

Not from me.................whilst would not want to explode.......still think it is Biggar rather than Hook for the Welsh and have not seen anything from Hook's play this season to say he should be 10..................nor for that matter Phillips 9!!

 

[Draggs]

Not from me.................whilst would not want to explode.......still think it is Biggar rather than Hook for the Welsh and have not seen anything from Hook's play this season to say he should be 10..................nor for that matter Phillips 9!!

Thanks Tony, good to hear multiple opinions. With regards to Phillips, he has two things going for him: his club form is often unrelated to international form, and he has essentially no credible opposition.

Biggar can't run a backline. It was Beck who was the Ospreys' most dangerous back, and Biggar did little except pass the ball to him.

 

[Tribesmen-ce-123]

Should be handy enough bonus point wins for Leinster and Munster today all things considered. Looking forward to seeing more of that free flowing open Rugby they're on about over in Munster

 

[dullonien]

Biggar can't run a backline. It was Beck who was the Ospreys' most dangerous back, and Biggar did little except pass the ball to him.

That's the problem, Biggar doesn't run a backline at all it seems. The one piece of creative Ospreys back play last night came from Fussell receiving the ball at first receiver and creating the overlap for Disksen to score (Pity the rest of Fussell's game was a bit pants). The only things Biggar did was pass the ball to Bishop who ran some good angles and carried well, and put the ball up in the air. That really doesn't fit in with Wales' style of play at all which revolves around an organised backline going through the phases until space is created out wide or a mismatch is created for the likes of North or Cuthbert to exploit. With Biggar at 10, things would fall apart before try scoring opportunities came available.

I still think Priestland is a better option for Wales than Biggar, with Halfpenny taking the goal kicking duties. Even last night Priestland ran the backline a little better (although unfortunately the Scarlets forwards couldn't compete with the Ospreys'), switching the direction of play nicely on a couple of occasions, and generally distributing the ball to the outside backs a little better. It wasn't a game for backline play though, with the Ospreys strangling the life out of the game with their forwards. For the Scarlets, Priestlands kicking is a major issue, not so much for Wales as long as Halfpenny is on the pitch.

Despite this, it might be good for Priestland to be dropped from the Welsh squad so he bucks up and hopefully improves. Hook is the best option now, despite Tony Manx' worries.

Maybe the Scarlets should experiment with Gareth Owen at 12 (still not totally convinced with Scott Williams), who could maybe take the kicking duties from Priestland.