Ospreys v Scarlets

First topic message reminder :

Venue: Liberty Stadium
Date: Wednesday, 26 December
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT

Coverage: Live on S4C, BBC Radio Wales, online & Radio Cymru

TEAMS

Ospreys:
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 Adam Jones
4 Ian Gough
5 James King
6 Ryan Jones
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Joe Bearman

REPLACEMENTS
16 Scott Baldwin
17 Duncan Jones
18 Cai Griffiths
19 Lloyd Peers
20 Morgan Allen
21 Rhys Webb
22 Matthew Morgan
23 Tom Isaacs

Scarlets:
15 Liam Williams
14 George North
13 Jonathan Davies (capt)
12 Scott Williams
11 Kristian Phillips
10 Aled Thomas
9 Aled Davies
1 Phil John
2 Matthew Rees
3 Samson Lee
4 Jake Ball
5 George Earle
6 Josh Turnbull
7 Aaron Shingler
8 Kieran Murphy

Replacements:
16 Emyr Phillips
17 Shaun Hopkins
18 Jacobie Adriaanse
19 Sione Timani
20 Rob McCusker
21 Tavis Knoyle
22 Gareth Owen
23 Gareth Maule

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
Assistant referees: Gwyn Morris, Jon Mason (WRU)
Citing commissioner: Ray Wilton (WRU)
TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)

Here's the place for all the pre match, during match and post match chat. Will update thread with teams and relevant info. Going to be the biggest derby attendance for 2 years, fair to say the the home side will start as favourites but if the conditions are better good then the explosive Scarlets backline may have something to say about that! How does everyone see it going?

The Scarlets were SO poor. They played better in the 60 point game 2 years ago imo. The opening 2mins set the tone and the O's just completely dominated the game from then. Jd2,both Williams's and North....nothing from them all game. watched the game agin on tv later aand agree with the yellows but both red were harsh. Great game from our perspective tho. Khan and Biggar are on fire at the moment.

I read on the O's website that Rhys Webb is in for a bollocking:

http://www.ospreysrugby.com/news/5945.php#.UN3uHaxKROA

I remember the commentator saying something about him stamping at the time. Stupid boy.

Who have we got as back up?

Is this going to be Habberfields chance. Can't remember if he is fit yet?

Webb has been off form for a while now. Maybe this will see Tandy give him some time at the whites and habberfield come in as Kf back up?

Hope so, Habberfield has got a hell of a lot of talent. Will be good to see him get more experience at regional level.

I thought Webb was really bad and should be back at Bridgend, he looks around when the ball is out,does not put the ball in etc., he turned over the ball 4 times in the short time he was on and prevented any chance of a bonus point.

I thought the Scarlets half backs were OK but got worse when Knoyle came on, the Ospreys 8 were just too good both in attack and defence, there were simply no gaps to go through.

Ospreys need to recruit in the backs too. There doesn't seem to be any decent back-up, and Bishop looks terrible. Why don't they try and pinch someone off the Scarlets who have quality backs in abundance.

I actually thought bishop looked good against the Scarlets! I'm usually a bit critical of him as he's reluctant to make breaks or pass, but he made a number of clean breaks the other night.

Griff wrote:I actually thought bishop looked good against the Scarlets! I'm usually a bit critical of him as he's reluctant to make breaks or pass, but he made a number of clean breaks the other night.

Like you I thought Bishop played well, only once I thought he should have passed. The Ospreys backs seemed to have more space than the Scarlets backs due to the hard work of the Ospreys forwards, they were everywhere.

glamorganalun wrote:

Griff wrote:I actually thought bishop looked good against the Scarlets! I'm usually a bit critical of him as he's reluctant to make breaks or pass, but he made a number of clean breaks the other night.

Like you I thought Bishop played well, only once I thought he should have passed. The Ospreys backs seemed to have more space than the Scarlets backs due to the hard work of the Ospreys forwards, they were everywhere.

Bishop played really well, he is one of the most consistent performers in Wales. Not the most creatively inspiring player I have ever seen but he is very good at what he does.

Disagree regarding Knoyle as well, he seriously improved Scarlets, Aled Davies kicked away too much, far too aimlessly. Knoyle is the better option at nine for them. They just need a flyhalf to cover for Priestland as Aled Thomas is not up to it.

Who is picked at half back is irrelevant if your front five is as rubbish as the Scarlets front five.

Glas a du wrote:Who is picked at half back is irrelevant if your front five is as rubbish as the Scarlets front five.

Or the opposition front five is as good as the Ospreys.

They're alright, I suppose...

Rhys Webb's received a one week ban:

http://www.ospreysrugby.com/news/5949.php#.UOBqu6xKROA

Can't argue with that at all, and neither did Webb to be fair. The Scarlets players will have their hearing on the 2nd January.

Oh great, just in time to be banned for the Ulster game!

Glas a du wrote:Oh great, just in time to be banned for the Ulster game!

To be fair if they recieved their ban yestrerday then that would have meant they could theoretically have been banned for a week but not missed any games at all, and that would have lead to a world of whining.

I am not too sure Owen will be banned, after all during the match when it happened, Biggar sped up to Nigel Owens to protest that it was an accident, and seeing as he was the oppostition in a rather heated game that must go in Gareth Owen's favour.

And if McKusker gets banned then half the Ospreys will be Poopie themselves as they were stamping all match.