Viadana vs. Ospreys

[cyRil]

0-34 at h/t with the try bonus point wrapped up already. Haven't been able to watch it as I don't have interactive back at my parents' house, but with such a depleted side this doesn't seem to be a bad performance so far.

 

[dullonien]

They are playing very well in this game. A couple of their tries have been length of the field stuff, playing a bit like Wales in 05. Johnson's influence obviously apparent. Biggar, Walker, Hibbard and Jonathan Thomas have been very good.

it's 0-41 now. Almost a point a minute at 44mins.

 

[bristol-iain]

Good showing from the Sprays, especially seeing a its away from the Liberty.

 

[dullonien]

It's now 7-62 to the O's. Biggar keeping up a 100% kicking rate. 70mins on the clock.

 

[cyRil]

Cheers for the PM Dull, but my laptop is buggered and flash is playing up so the link doesn't work for me. BBC update tells me Gavin Quinnell scored their try and kicked the conversion, is that right??!

 

[dullonien]

No! Gavin Quniell scored the try, but he didn't kick the conversion. Well I don't think so anyway...

 

[Ozzay]

13 kicked it. Lawes isit?

Great game, easy win as expected.

Biggar nailed some cracking kicks 2!

Ospreys gave a debut to a boy in school too, that highly rated fullback

 

[cyRil]

Tom Prydie from Bridgend I think, 17 year-old. Gonna be amazing.

 

[RC]

When the hell is Jonathan Spratt gonna step up to the plate?
He played for waikato(?) and was awesome for them. I recall seeing a brief documentary on him where a new zealand newspaper wrote an article on him, it started like this (and i paraphrase slightly) : -

"Great news! Waikato's found an amazing new centre! Bad news? He's Welsh"

So if he can play so well in the NPC why doesn't he get given the chance more with us. He certainly wasn't special against viadana in the time he was on the field.
I'm also looking forward to seeing Gareth Owen stepping up to the big league.
He shows adequate performances whenever i see him, but he's not as great as the commentators were making out, that's for sure. But, hopefully, give him time and we'll have a cracking player. It's just a shame he's so versatile...another james hook on our hands maybe. So much potential, doesn't live up to much.

 

[dullonien]

Yeah, Spratt hasn't lived up to the hype he was getting in NZ. But to be fair to the lad, he isn't getting all that much opportunities, and untill recently the Ospreys have been dire!

Gareth Owen will become a great player, but he needs to be allowed to settle in one position. He's been looking good at full-back in Lee Burnes absense, and has been improving all the time with regular gametime. I still think his best position is 12, in the same way Henson's best position was always 12. He's a similar type of player to Henson, but posesses more pace. Problem is, with Bggar now looking like he's cemented the 10 shirt, Hook's gonna be accommodated at 12 more than likely, so along with Bishop and Spratt, is there room for Owen? Hopefully room is made, as he's potentially their best option at 12.

 

[cyRil]

They're at the Ospreys and they're young. Of course they're not getting any opportunities! Hell, can you imagine if Halfpenny had stayed with us? He'd be rotting away playing for Swansea or Aberavon; instead of being an Lion and one of the brightest prospects in the world game. I've been hearing for about 2 years how amazing Ashley Beck is going to be... But where is he?
Our management really need to sort out how and when to play our big and youth players.

 

[dullonien]

Beck has looked a class act when I've seen him play in the Premiership. He's had a couple of run-outs for the Ospreys, but he's still very young.

Not sure if I quite agree Cyril. The Ospreys have brought through plenty of young players, including Hook, Biggar, Alun-Wyn, Ian Evans etc. etc. The Blues aren't particularily doing much more. They've signed over the hill players like Gareth Thomas and Dafydd James instead of developing some of the youngsters they have. And overlooking Flannagan for Norton-Knight is just plain wrong! Both regions lag behind the Dragons and Scarlets in giving gametime to young Welsh players, but it's also taken them a few years to get competative. Wouldn't exactly be great if all four regions were in the rebuilding faze.

I'm quitehappy with how the Ospreys are bringing through the youngsters. Although I'd prefer to see more gametime for Spratt, Beck, Ben Lewis and Gareth Owen instead of Parker and Tandy etc. etc.