Leinster vs Ospreys match thread

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

First topic message reminder :

Hey all,

Thanks god club rugby is back (from an Irish perspective!) needed this.

Seems to be a lot happening Leinster's side of things, with BOD looking like he will come back into the team and the same being said for Cullen. Huge experience re-entering the team after youth has been keeping us more than just a float for a number of months. Very healthy to see. It will interesting to see where they slot in and (if they are on the bench as I imagine they will) who they will be paired with.

Thorn also looks set to make his Leinster debut giving the 3 players mentioned a run up of this game and the Munster derby in Thomond to the HCup 1/4 final.

From an Ospreys side of things, munster losing to Aironi a week back has given them a huge lifeline and they now have a chance to fight for 2nd place and a home semifinal which would prove invaluable I am sure. Bowe has decided he is leaving and there does seem to be an exodus of sorts coming from the Wlesh clubs who together have created a fantastic Grand slam winning team? Will anyone come back from that squad and play a part on Friday.

What are your score perdictions?
What team would you like to see?
If Ospreys were to win how big an impact could it have on the top 3?
Where can either team win it?

LEINSTER:

15: Isa Nacewa
14: David Kearney
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Fergus McFadden
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Ian Madigan
9: Isaac Boss

1: Heinke van der Merwe
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Nathan White
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Brad Thorn
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Dominic Ryan
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Sean Cronin
17: Jack McGrath
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Damian Browne
20: Kevin McLaughlin
21: John Cooney
22: Eoin O'Malley
23: Fionn Carr

OSPREYS:

15: Richard Fussell
14: Hanno Dirksen
13: Andrew Bishop
12: Ashley Beck
11: Eli Walker
10: Dan Biggar
9: Kahn Fotuali'i

1: Paul James
2: Richard Hibbard
3: Aaron Jarvis
4: Ryan Jones
5: Alun Wyn Jones CAPTAIN
6: Tom Smith
7: Justin Tipuric
8: George Stowers

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Scott Baldwin
17: Ryan Bevington
18: Adam Jones
19: Ian Evans
20: James King
21: Rhys Webb
22: Matthew Morgan
23: Tom Isaacs

As an aside: I have 1 southstand ticket to the game for sale. €22. PM if you're interested.

[eirebilly]

Madigan

"Man, if you had a second brain, it would die of loneliness, man. "

Sorry?

A cheech quote from when they were in the car, with the jar of urine for chong's parole officer...!

Oh man, you through me there LOL

[Golden]

What a kick by McFadden there! Monster

[maestegmafia]

Handy having an Irish ref at home, I noticed the first scrum Leinster went in early and did not get pinged. Shane Byrne thinks the ref is wrong on the scrums.

That's not fare suggesting he's biased, he's always this bad...!

Right cheerios lads enjoy the game...!

[eirebilly]

Wasnt it though, he kick thump the ball

[eirebilly]

Oh thump

[gowales]

Ospreys backs look absolutely clueless in attack, nothing different there then... Forwards are doing pretty well though

[Gibson]

Someone get rid of Fussell sez Cari.

[eirebilly]

That must be some wind out there

[eirebilly]

Someone get rid of Fussell sez Cari.

[gowales]

Another Ospreys handling error... same thing every bloody week

[eirebilly]

Leinster being turned over far too easily

[eirebilly]

Thorn has been petty good so far.

[eirebilly]

Fortune favors the brave. Madigan in

[Gibson]

Fast boy that Madigan.

[eirebilly]

Jaysus, very nearly a charge down on the goal kick

[eirebilly]

The O's need the points here

[eirebilly]

Decent kick sees it 16-6

[Shifty]

Yup luckily we got them Eirebilly.

I have a bad feeling about this though, Ospreys moral looks down the tube and our defense has looked very weak lately.

[eirebilly]

Handling looks difficult out there

[eirebilly]

They have not played badly in fairness Alyn

[gowales]

Ospreys are so predictable in attack

[eirebilly]

Turn over ball again...

[gowales]

Good turnover by Tipuric

[Morgannwg]

Only caught the last 10 mins. Everything about Leinster's play seems good, everything about the Ospreys play seems bad. Same old story for each side then.

[eirebilly]

Only a 10 point lead and 7 of those from a piece of fortune. With the wind at their backs in the 2nd half, the O's may be a different prospect.

[Gibson]

Forwards are playing really well Alyn. Just need the backs to up it. Its close.

Cari is going mad here with the O's kicking too much.

[Golden]

Absolutely love watching madigan play. Great player

[gowales]

The ball's like a bar of soap out there

[Morgannwg]

I always say this but not sure why Biggar or Fussell are playing top flight rugby. Both are terrible players. On the last two trips to the RDS the Ospreys could have won but only to be let down by Biggars missed kicks or interception passes.

Poor Beck, doesn't have a good player inside or outside him.

[gowales]

Need to get some of these players sticky gloves or something...

[eirebilly]

They have kicked a bit away Gibbo/Cari but that was because the wind was with Leinster and field position was important. Might see a different O's side the second half.

[eirebilly]

I think that Biggar has played ok so far Morgan...

[gowales]

Doesn't offer a running threat at all though so Leinster just drift across and cut us down straight away

[gowales]

But i guess when you've got the likes of Bishop, Walker, Fussell in the backline you might as well just kick it away...

[eirebilly]

Must be just me then because i thought that he has offered a bit.

[eirebilly]

Are they playing ínsane in the membrane' ?

[Morgannwg]

Fair point by gowales. Billy it's been the same all season. Ospreys beating teams up front only for the backs to be incapable of scoring tries. Biggar always kicks it and bottles it. He has never been a good or reliable fly-half. The Ospreys have a knack for keeping onto poor players for long periods of time.

[gowales]

And for ruining good players

[gowales]

Forward pass there by Leinster... reff had his back turned though

[Shifty]

The Ospreys only hope is to kick it long and hope for a mistake or a lucky bounce, very depressing

[wales606]

Seriously, why is Walker on the field? - The Ospreys still have 3 very good wingers on the books aswell as Dirksen

[eirebilly]

You guys would be more in the know Morgan

I dont see him that much, i just think that he has had a decent game so far.

[gowales]

No idea 606. I think hes seriously crap to be honest

[gowales]

Phillips, Prydie, Ross Jones at fullback are all twice the player he will ever be IMO

[eirebilly]

Jaysus, that ball moved in the air

[Guest]

I dunno, Walker scored a cracking try against Ulster the other week.

What the O's are lacking the most is confidence, get a bit of that and they'll soon start clicking.

[eirebilly]

Too slow and predictable there from the O's.

[gowales]

I think the pack has given up on giving it out to the backs

[wales606]

I dunno, Walker scored a cracking try against Ulster the other week.

What the O's are lacking the most is confidence, get a bit of that and they'll soon start clicking.

Sure that wasn't Dirksen?

I haven't see Walker score any tries, and ive seen most O's games.

Dirksen scored a great try a few weeks ago (can't remember who)

[eirebilly]

I think the pack has given up on giving it out to the backs

You may be right there.

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