Ospreys vs Toulouse Round two...!

First topic message reminder :

Ospreys v Toulouse
KO 13:35 at The Liberty Stadium

December 15, 2012 1:00pm

Live on Sky Sports 1 from 13:00


Ospreys Team

15 Richard Fussell, 14 Ross Jones, 13 Andrew Bishop, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Eli Walker, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i (Capt)
1 Ryan Bevington, 2 Richard Hibbard, 3 Campbell Johnstone, 4 Ian Gough, 5 James King, 6 Ryan Jones, 7 Justin Tipuric, 8 Joe Bearman

REPLACEMENTs
16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Duncan Jones, 18 Adam Jones, 19 Lloyd Peers, 20 George Stowers, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Matthew Morgan, 23 Tom Isaacs


Toulouse Team

15 Maxime Médard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yann David, 12 Gael Fickou, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Jean-Marc Doussain, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Jean Bouilhou, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Yoann Maestri, 3 Cencus Johnston, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Vasil Kakovin.

Replacements
16 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 17 Yohan Montes, 18 Roman Millo-Chluski, 19 Yannick Nyanga, 20 Gregory Lamboley, 21 Sébastian Bézy, 22 Yannick Jauzion, 23 Christopher Tolofua

The O's arent doing that badly though. I mean its been no means a walkover...

Aye but another try for St as Census wobbles over in the corner for the TBP.

That will do it then

Picamoles is an amazing player, had a corker.

Picamoles is insanely good with ball in hand, on the ground at the set piece.. Great game by him.

He is the best number 8 in the world. Better than Read in my opinion.

God only knows what happened but ST butchered that pressure again...

We are now on the attack

Matt Morgan on for Biggar...!

Loads of pressure by ST... Ends with houget diving over...!

What's the score lads?

27- 7 77 mins

Try Ospreys. Tips back hand pass Bevington in the corner..

Morgan converts

27 - 14

Tipuric. What a player. How he played so small a part in the Autumn , Howley only knows.

Really feel for Campbell Johnstone, hes not upto this level and has had a torrid time.

Dimitri came on.. big lad

Artful_Dodger wrote:Really feel for Campbell Johnstone, hes not upto this level and has had a torrid time.

He was fine vs Steenkamp but Poux destroyed him... Looks lacking fitness.

Game over

30 - 14

well done toulouse...

Higher_Ground wrote:Tipuric. What a player. How he played so small a part in the Autumn , Howley only knows.

He's below Warburton in the pecking order unfortunately.

Scarlets 16 - 22 Exeter not over yet.

Good win for Toulouse but they left a LOT of points on the field there. Should really have put a very big score on the Ospreys today.

Just turned the TV on, was thinking O's were going to get smashed, did they?

thebluesmancometh wrote:Just turned the TV on, was thinking O's were going to get smashed, did they?

No they played very well considering. Caused plenty of problems for ST.

Fair play to them, scoreline wasn't as bad as I was worrying it may be.

I heard from mates Tipuric was just incredible... again!!

Five tries for Toulouse but one conversion.
Definitely lacking in half backs to be up there with the best for me.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:Five tries for Toulouse but one conversion.
Definitely lacking in half backs to be up there with the best for me.

Yeah, they butchered plenty of tries too. The scoreline doesn't reflect the match really although the O's defended pretty well at times.

maestegmafia wrote:

Will greenwood on Sky Sports wrote:Definitely lacking in half backs to be up there with the best.

Perceptive is William.

Toulouse battered the brave Ospreys into submission to claim a bonus point win in Pool 2 of the Heineken Cup.

The Welsh region offered brave resistance in the first half, but crumbled after the break.

Number eight Louis Picamoles inspired Toulouse, with Florian Fritz, Yanick Nyanga, Vincent Clerc, Census Johnstone and Yoann Huget scoring tries. Kahn Fotouali'i and Ryan Bevington crossed for the Ospreys, who face Toulouse again next week.

Ospreys went into the match shorn of five international front five forwards through injury and were rocked onto their heels as Toulouse started at a terrific pace.

Toulouse pinned the Ospreys back from the start, with powerful interplay among the forwards asking serious questions of the Welsh region's defence.

The Ospreys appeared to have repelled one assault as Biggar just missed an attempted interception. But as they looked on, centre Florian Fritz scooped up the loose ball and ran through some weak tackles from 30 metres to score between the posts. Luke McCallister converted.

Another comedy of errors in the 15th minute saw led to Toulouse's second try, this time captain Yannick Nayanga grabbed a loose tap back from a lineout and run over unopposed in the corner.

Ospreys finally managed to exert some pressure after enduring a tough opening
quarter, but wing Eli Walker slipped and was forced into touch.

They were rewarded, however, when a powerful drive by centre Andrew Bishop into the Toulouse 22 resulted in a penalty.

Scrum half Kahn Fotuali'i took a quick tap and nipped in for the try past a static defence. Andrew Biggar converted from in front of the posts.

The first half finished with the Ospreys rampant and the hosts defending desperately, having to force Andrew Bishop into touch at the corner.

Toulouse stepped up the pressure from the restart and put pressure on a creaking Ospreys scrum near the Welsh team's tryline.

The breakthrough finally came in the 56th minute when the impressive Louis Picamoles made ground and fed Luke Burgess who worked Vincent Clerc over at the right corner.

Then Toulouse claimed the bonus point when Picamoles was again the provider for Census Johnson.

Yoann Huget rounded off another sweeping move for the Toulouse fifth try as the Ospreys finally wilted under pressure.

Ryan Bevington crashed over in the corner for a consolation try which Matthew Morgan converted.

But Toulouse had the final word when Jean Marc Doussain slotted a penalty with the last kick of the game.

Walkers defence has improved a lot from last year, im not saying ita good mind. I thought we would lose by 50, thought they did well to get in tolouse faces. For people to say they left points on the field is a joke. If and buts. If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. Good experience for the younger players

Damn it,I had the O's with the 16 point handicap,last kick of the game is a crappy way to lose a bet

The first half made me think how great it would be to make Gough a couple of years younger. Really threw himself about. Will always be one of my favourites

thebluesmancometh wrote:Fair play to them, scoreline wasn't as bad as I was worrying it may be.

I heard from mates Tipuric was just incredible... again!!

The first two ST tries were fortunate. The first saw fritz collect a bouncing pass step inside the defenders, the second Rolland missed two ST kO's from a line out as well as Nyanga being offside, Rolland didn't know what was happening and held his hands in the air. When it went to the TMO all the TMO looked at was the grounding.

ST were a fantastic team, considering the list of lads we are missing, two days training, one day travelling and TH who had been with us since Wednesday last week, like you i thought we would get a pasting. But I think the lads did well.

We can only just compete with teams like ST when we have our first choice team out, but today a lot of players upped their game.

King and Peers did well, as did Baldwin. Walker and Jones looked good out wide. Fussell again proved he is not a fullback.

Good game.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

Will greenwood on Sky Sports wrote:Definitely lacking in half backs to be up there with the best.

Perceptive is William.

Hmmmmm...!!!

I think he said it before you wrote it.

I thought the O's tackling was weak for the first and last ST tries. The second was plain bad luck. Plus they left a couple of tries out there themselves.

ST just had control of the ball for most of the 2nd half and they closed the game out.

Toulouse don't seem to have the same flair or creativity or ruthless streak as they have had in the past, but what a magnificent pack of forwards.

Toulouse cemented top place in Heineken Cup Pool Two with a routine 30-14 victory over Ospreys at Stade Ernest-Wallon.

The French giants were too strong for their Welsh visitors, with France No 8 Luis Picamoles particularly prominent as he laid on two of his side's five tries.

The hosts were out of the blocks quickly and claimed the game's first try as early as the eighth minute, when experienced centre Florian Fritz cruised through a gaping hole in the defence and trotted in under the posts.

In the 16th minute they were over again - although this time in slightly fortuitous circumstances when Ryan Jones attempted to flick a wayward Toulouse lineout towards his defence, only to provide Lewis Nyatanga with the easiest of finishes.

The Ospreys rallied before the interval, however, and livewire scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i seized the initiative and hustled over having taken a quick tap-penalty from close range to leave it 12-7 at the break.

The high Ospreys tackle count began to tell in the second period, and the strength of Picamoles was crucial in holding three tacklers at bay and off-loading to allow Vincent Clerc to finish in the corner with typical gusto; Luke McAlister's conversion striking the near post.

Just after the hour-mark, Picamoles again shrugged off three challenges - his back-door offload this time providing burly prop Census Johnston with a try in the same corner for the bonus point.

Toulouse were taking full advantage of some lacklustre Ospreys tackling heading into the final 10, and Yoann Huget bagged a five-pointer from a Maxime Medard break six minutes from time - although Jean-Marc Doussain was inaccurate with the conversion.

There was a consolation try for the visitors soon after when Justin Tipuric's excellent offload from the floor saw Ryan Bevington barge home, but Doussain's penalty at the death ensured Toulouse had the last word.

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

Will greenwood on Sky Sports wrote:Definitely lacking in half backs to be up there with the best.

Perceptive is William.

Hmmmmm...!!!

I think he said it before you wrote it.

Your right & I agree with him half backs aren't as good as the rest of the team.

Notch wrote:Toulouse don't seem to have the same flair or creativity or ruthless streak as they have had in the past, but what a magnificent pack of forwards.

I think that is the difference between Ulster and Toulouse. Though to be fair to the Ospreys they have to be congratulated on holding out Toulouse attacks for long periods. Closing down the french teams halfbacks, reducing their options massively.

sheephead wrote:The first half made me think how great it would be to make Gough a couple of years younger. Really threw himself about. Will always be one of my favourites

Gough is a cracking player mate, one of the hardest tackler in world rugby, had a crackin tackle on Picamoles early on. One of my favourite player too.


Campbell Johnstone did ok by all accounts but i would have replaced him around the 55' mark, maybe not much faith on Arhip?

VinceWLB wrote:

sheephead wrote:The first half made me think how great it would be to make Gough a couple of years younger. Really threw himself about. Will always be one of my favourites

Gough is a cracking player mate, one of the hardest tackler in world rugby, had a crackin tackle on Picamoles early on. One of my favourite player too.


Campbell Johnstone did ok by all accounts but i would have replaced him around the 55' mark, maybe not much faith on Arhip?

Two new THs in one day. They both got a run out in the shirt for the first time. Ill give them a few games before I judge their contribution. Like you said Johnstone did ok, considering he only joined the club a few days ago, well done him.

Notch wrote:Toulouse don't seem to have the same flair or creativity or ruthless streak as they have had in the past, but what a magnificent pack of forwards.

Their gameplan is a bit dated compared to that of many of the top teams that are grabbing people's imagination (not so surprising given Noves has been in charge for 20 years), it's often by the numbers and rumbling, without the dash that players like Michalak & Elissalde used to bring. With the personnel they've got at their disposal, nine times out of ten it's pretty effective though, but they can also definitely be caught out by teams that can really turn it on.

Ospreys spirit and effort makes Humphreys proud

8 December 2012 20:48pm

By Ospreys Rugby


After watching his team put in a valiant fight despite going down to defeat at the hands of four-times European champions Toulouse on Saturday afternoon, Forwards Coach Jonathan Humphreys remained upbeat, emphasising his pride in the effort and commitment shown by a youthful and inexperienced Ospreys group.

After a torrid opening quarter the region dominated the second, before putting in an incredible defensive effort to keep Toulouse at bay at the start of the second half, sustained pressure finally telling as the hosts pulled away. However, rather than throw in the towel the Ospreys kept going and Humphreys couldn't hide his delight at the spirit in the group.
"I'm really proud of the effort, extremely proud" he said.

"We can improve on a few things tactically, exiting correctly so that we don't put ourselves under continued pressure. They had 14 set pieces inside our half in the second half and that told in the end, it allowed them to create a lot of pressure.

"One thing we can't improve though is the effort. The effort was unbelievable. We are disappointed though because coming in at 12-7 we felt that we should have come in in front. We managed to get a lot of set pieces in their half during the second quarter, we put them under a lot of pressure and they looked very ragged.

"Second half we wanted to get back down there, we wanted to increase that pressure, but we couldn't do it because we spent so much time in our own half. With that amount of attacking set piece in our half though you'd expect the scoreline to be pretty heavy and although we avoided that I don't think the final score truly reflects the effort we've put in. We came here today and had a crack, and at half-time you would have said that the game could've gone anywhere."

The Ospreys preparations had been far from ideal with a lengthy injury list and a lack of time together for the group following the fourth autumn international last weekend compounded by a horrendous journey to France that saw the team delayed at Bristol Airport for seven hours yesterday.

Asked by the press what impact the problems had on the performance, Humphreys refused to offer up any excuses:

"The injuries we've had, the airport delay, are not and cannot be used as excuses" he insisted.

"We were never going to do that. We are never going to offer an excuse up about why we didn't come here and win. It wasn't about just coming here and competing, we wanted to come and have a real crack. Half time came a little bit too early for us and if we'd exited correctly and got out of our half to create some pressure in the second half then it could have been a different story.

"Today has been such a positive experience for Ospreys Rugby in terms of the boys coming through. We have to develop from within because we don't have the money of Toulouse, because we don't have that big budget. There were six guys making their Heineken Cup debuts and I thought they were outstanding.

"It was such a positive thing to see Lloyd Peers, James King who have come through our system, Sam Lewis, Ross Jones and Eli Walker. People forget that Ashley Beck, Dan Biggar and Ryan Bevington are still young men learning the game, boys that we've developed to represent their region.

"They were all outstanding today. There isn't one player I would say didn't play well. Like I said, there was a couple of execution problems, a few errors, but do I think we played well? Yes we did."

With the return game at the Liberty Stadium next weekend, Humphreys says the team will not throw the towel in after two defeats from three games, as he insisted the Ospreys will benefit in the long term from their current position:

"We've still got a big say in this tournament, we have. We've got Toulouse still to come to the Liberty, and Leicester, so it's important for us that we do ourselves justice.

"That's our team, that you've seen out there today, there's nothing more to come in. For us, this week is about recovery, hopefully getting back without any delays, so that we can try and do ourselves justice next weekend. Will we get the benefits of these experiences this year? Maybe not, but we will in the longer term.

"It's definitely great for our future, seeing how these young men performed today under pressure, supported by some senior old heads who did their bit. The youngsters we've got have no fear and they wanted to get out there and give it a go.

"It's tough to come here at the best of times. Off the back of the preparation we've had maybe it's nigh on impossible with the differences between the two budgets, they have quadruple the income we have and it showed. We had defended excellently to hold them out at the start of the second half, our scrum with Campbell having only arrived this week and had just one and a half sessions with us held up very well until they called for the reinforcements off the bench and that was the big difference.

"I'm very proud today though. As I said, we can improve on a few things but we can't improve on the effort."

Also here is a good piece on last weeks game in Toulouse...

Toulouse 30 Ospreys 14

STRANGELY, the water on offer in the post-match reception didn't turn to wine, and the Garonne river didn't part.

​
Toulouse

Miracles were off the agenda in South West France on Saturday afternoon.

The Ospreys had travelled to the Pink City to take on Toulouse after just one-and-a-half training sessions; they were ravaged by injuries after the autumn internationals and had a tight-head prop who had met up with his fellow front rowers only five days earlier.

Oh, and they endured a seven-hour delay at Bristol airport on the eve of the game, which meant they didn't arrive at their hotel in Toulouse until 9pm on Friday.

"The Welsh are badly prepared," said L'Equipe on the morning of the game. As understatements go, it was on a par with saying one or two French drivers occasionally break the speed limit.

"Not ideal," Jonathan Humphreys had said in the pre-game press conference.

No doubt those who took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade, the 600 or so British cavalrymen who famously hurtled into Russian gunfire during the Crimean War, would have said much the same before setting off to meet their doom at Balaclava.

Yet, against the odds, this wasn't a massacre.

The Ospreys showed their courage by fighting until the end and even managed to have the last word on the try sheet when Ryan Bevington crossed in the corner with minutes left.

There have no doubt been better displays from the region in their 10-season history.

But it is doubtful that there have been many braver efforts.

They displayed immense character from start to finish, and Toulouse supporters making their way out of the main stand after the final whistle even stopped to applaud Steve Tandy's players, just as they had cheered Bevington's late try.

They enjoy their rugby with a touch of inspiration in these parts.

But they also put a high price on perspiration and the home crowd knew that Tandy's players had delivered on that front at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Toulouse didn't so much field a pack as a tank formation, spearheaded by Gurthro Steenkamp, Gary Botha and Census Johnston in the front row.

They were up against a veteran in Duncan Jones, a youngster making his Heineken Cup debut in Scott Baldwin and a New Zealander, Campbell Johnstone, who had been "enjoying a bit of quality time" in Spain when the opportunity came to oppose the 6ft 2in, 19st 3lb Steenkamp, who would not look out of place as an extra in a Hammer horror movie.

Johnstone had to endure 21 scrums, with Steenkamp being replaced by France international Jean-Baptiste Poux in the second half. It must have been like going ten rounds with George Foreman in his pomp, then seeing Mike Tyson climb into the ring for the final five.

By the end of the game, Johnstone looked as exhausted as it is possible for a man to look without being given oxygen.

In the centre of Toulouse on Saturday night they were drinking glasses of Jean-Baptiste Poux 2007, a white wine named after the prop. No doubt it leaves all who drink it with severe pains in the neck and the tendency to jerk violently up in the air. And no doubt Johnstone resisted the temptation to have a taste.

And yet the Kiwi gave everything for his new side and deserved the tribute Jonathan Humphreys paid him after the game.

"I thought he was outstanding," said Humphreys.

"He had just one-and-a-half rugby sessions before facing a side like Toulouse.

"This guy was playing against students in Spain last week, and he comes out here and plays like that against Toulouse. On another day we could have got some of those decisions going for us.

"We had 12 scrums inside our 22. That's a hell of a thing for Campbell to go through.

"But he really stuck at it."

The Ospreys finished the game with a side that would not have looked out of place in the LV= Cup, youngsters and Heineken Cup debutants all over the place.

Humphreys called James King and Lloyd Peers "unbelievable", while Scott Baldwin also came of age at hooker, putting his hand up for regular carrying work and hitting his targets at the line-out.

There were also valiant shows in defeat from Ryan Jones and Justin Tipuric, plus Andrew Bishop and half-backs Kahn Fotuali'i and Dan Biggar.

Yannick Nyanga acclaimed Tipuric later for snaffling "three or four turnovers", and alongside him Jones produced his best display of the season, one that had Lions quality stamped all over it.

But the Ospreys still lost.

Toulouse blew hot and cold but they still had the power up front to squeeze the Ospreys and the visitors were denied possession and territory for long periods in the second half.

Would the situation have been any different with a better preparation? It is difficult to say, but what is certain is that Welsh rugby can't go on sending the regions into these double headers with many of their main strike weapons missing.

There has to be another way.

However the Ospreys had performed out here, there has to be a better way of doing things than returning players to their regions, battered, bruised and, in some cases, broken, just days before an important round of Heineken Cup games.

It makes Welsh rugby look amateurish.

It wouldn't be deemed good enough for the national team to head into a vital game on the back of such pitiful preparation, and it shouldn't be seen as good enough for a region.

Can you imagine Wales taking on the All Blacks after just one-and-a-half sessions?

No, well why should the Ospreys confront Toulouse under such circumstances?

Heck, when Swansea played Toulouse in the Heineken Cup semi-final in 1995, in the early pro-era days of evening training and players trying to secure the odd hour or two off work, Mike Ruddock would have presided over more than one-and-a-half training sessions beforehand.

Are we really saying preparations should be inferior 17 years on? Anyone who believes that should either leave his post immediately or swap positions with Steve Tandy.

Let's hope the new Professional Regional Game Board can ensure such a shambles doesn't unfold next season.

But no-one should hold their breath.

The Ospreys made the best of a difficult situation on Saturday, but they shouldn't have been in that position in the first place.

The fiasco that unfolded beforehand should never, ever happen again, no matter how lucrative a fourth autumn international is.

The Heineken Cup is a great tournament, up there with the Six Nations, and the regions have to be given a fair chance to perform.

Sick Note list

Alun Wyn Jones - Shoulder

Hanno Dirksen - Knee

Joe Rees - Neck

Jonathan Thomas - Groin

Adam Jones - Knee

Tom Smith - Groin

Aaron Jarvis - Knee

Richard Hibbard - Shoulder

Owen Williams - Hamstring

Ian Evans - Knee

Tom Grabham - Hip

Adam Jones and Hibbard are back in training and could feature this weekend,if not then def against the Scarlets on Boxing Day.

Well, I'll be there and looking forward to it tbh. if ppl aren't coming because they think it'll be a cricket score then go support the turks...

Well said Breadvan,i think we will win and we may even get a bp,and we,ll def beat leicester,so come on lets get behind the boys.

thespreys wrote:Adam Jones and Hibbard are back in training and could feature this weekend,if not then def against the Scarlets on Boxing Day.

Thats great news..!

maestegmafia wrote:Also here is a good piece on last weeks game in Toulouse...

Very good piece, good reading.

Finally i think Campbell Johnstone was great given the circumstances and i genuinely believe he made the difference between the Ospreys shipping 30 or 50 points.

To have him on saturday with Adam coming in at around 50' would be just great.