Ospreys v Leicester

First topic message reminder :

Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Date: Sunday, 13 January
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT

TEAMS

Ospreys:
15 Richard Fussell
14 Ross Jones
13 Tom Isaacs
12 Andrew Bishop
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 Campbell Johnstone
19 Lloyd Peers
20 Sam Lewis/Jonathan Thomas
21 Rhys Webb
22 Matthew Morgan
23 Jonathan Spratt

Leicester Tigers:

15 Mathew Tait
14 Niall Morris
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon (c)
5 Geoff Parling
6 Steve Mafi
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane

Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Logovi'i Mulipola
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Ed Slater
20 Thomas Waldrom
21 Sam Harrison
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)

League as it stands;

1 Leicester 4 3 0 1 95 83 2 14
2 Toulouse 4 3 0 1 92 61 1 13
3 Ospreys 4 2 0 2 91 92 1 9
4 Treviso 4 0 0 4 76 118 1 1

Potentially the game of the weekend. Discuss here any pre match, live match and post match chat. Please don't duplicate any topics already discussed on other threads! You know what I'm talking about.

Teams will be updated when available.

majesticimperialman wrote:A great game both teams gave it 100%. If only Biggar had not missed those kicks at goal it would of been a different out come.

Surely Fussell will be Wales Full back for the 6ns. I thought he had a great game, him and Eli Walker 2 of the best players on the field today.

Dear god!

majesticimperialman wrote:A great game both teams gave it 100%. If only Biggar had not missed those kicks at goal it would of been a different out come.

Surely Fussell will be Wales Full back for the 6ns. I thought he had a great game, him and Eli Walker 2 of the best players on the field today.

Look at Khans gouged eye in the post match interview, looks nasty.

Dont understand the hate Fussell gets, most of the time I watch the Ospreys he has played pretty well.

viewtothegym wrote:Talk about bringing on the Cavalry, a fine bunch of Journey men Tigers brought on to help.

Lol, look who's man of the match. Real welsh sounding name!

viewtothegym wrote:Look at Khans gouged eye in the post match interview, looks nasty.

....... is there a point to being on a rugby forum!

[quote="nathan"][quote="viewtothegym"]Talk about bringing on the Cavalry, a fine bunch of Journey men Tigers brought on to help.

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Look at Khans gouged eye in the post match interview, looks nasty.

....... is there a point to being on a rugby forum!

What next Nathan head measurements and broadness of the nose measurements? what wrong with having a foreign sounding name?

viewtothegym wrote:

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Look at Khans gouged eye in the post match interview, looks nasty.

....... is there a point to being on a rugby forum!

What next Nathan head measurements and broadness of the nose measurements? what wrong with having a foreign sounding name?

Ugh?

I think Biggar did well bar his kicking from the tee. And they weren't easy! I'd be much more worried as an Irish fan to see him than Hook! Always plays well against us!

Morgannwg wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:A great game both teams gave it 100%. If only Biggar had not missed those kicks at goal it would of been a different out come.

Surely Fussell will be Wales Full back for the 6ns. I thought he had a great game, him and Eli Walker 2 of the best players on the field today.

Dear god!

Fussell and walker were standout as the best backs I thought. fussell especially as very good indeed

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Look at Khans gouged eye in the post match interview, looks nasty.

....... is there a point to being on a rugby forum!

What next Nathan head measurements and broadness of the nose measurements? what wrong with having a foreign sounding name?

Ugh?

Sounds like you have a problem with people of a different ethnic back ground

viewtothegym wrote:

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Look at Khans gouged eye in the post match interview, looks nasty.

....... is there a point to being on a rugby forum!

What next Nathan head measurements and broadness of the nose measurements? what wrong with having a foreign sounding name?

Ugh?

Sounds like you have a problem with people of a different ethnic back ground

Lol

Biggar had some difficult kicks, but he hould have nailed some of them, especially the first one that he missed. Cost Ospreys the game.

Morgannwg wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:A great game both teams gave it 100%. If only Biggar had not missed those kicks at goal it would of been a different out come.

Surely Fussell will be Wales Full back for the 6ns. I thought he had a great game, him and Eli Walker 2 of the best players on the field today.

Dear god!

I take it you dont agree with me Morgannwg.

Is that because i am an English man giving praise to a Welsh man.

Kahn was deservedly man of the match. Tigers did well to hang in there.

Eli Walker been capped yet? Surely we'll see him in red during the 6Ns.

Tigers need Geordan at 15. Tait was good but we lacked the brilliance of Murphy at the back today.

TJ wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:A great game both teams gave it 100%. If only Biggar had not missed those kicks at goal it would of been a different out come.

Surely Fussell will be Wales Full back for the 6ns. I thought he had a great game, him and Eli Walker 2 of the best players on the field today.

Dear god!

Fussell and walker were standout as the best backs I thought. fussell especially as very good indeed

Both have been playing fairly well all season. Walker isn't ready for internationals just yet, I would take him to Japan though. There are other regulars in Wales playing better. Fussell won't ever be good enough. His liabilities far outweigh his assets.

maj, no. Read the above. I suppose I'll see you regurgitating my comments next week seeing as that's all you do on this forum, regurgitate because you don't know a thing about rugby.

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Look at Khans gouged eye in the post match interview, looks nasty.

....... is there a point to being on a rugby forum!

What next Nathan head measurements and broadness of the nose measurements? what wrong with having a foreign sounding name?

Ugh?

Sounds like you have a problem with people of a different ethnic back ground

Lol

Innit view. What a racist pig.

Im avoiding Nathan from now on.

Anyways Tupric has ousted Sam for the 7 shirt if you ask me.

viewtothegym wrote:Im avoiding Nathan from now on.

Anyways Tupric has ousted Sam for the 7 shirt if you ask me.

Woooohooo, thanks for the late Christmas present!

Leicester frustrating as always, precision in the first half when we had our few opportunities wasnt there and our kick chase game was poor. Led to the final try and stopped us from relieving pressure in the first half as the Ospreys kept running it back. Still promising though and with a win against Toulouse (hopefully) and a favourable draw we could make some progress in the HC with our annual post christmas surge in performance.

So Ospreys plop out of Europe again?

Congrats Leicester, soaked up the Ospreys pressure and then came back and did a job on them in the second half. Cole can be pretty miffed about two key legal turnovers that he was pinged for too.

Morgannwg wrote:

TJ wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:A great game both teams gave it 100%. If only Biggar had not missed those kicks at goal it would of been a different out come.

Surely Fussell will be Wales Full back for the 6ns. I thought he had a great game, him and Eli Walker 2 of the best players on the field today.

Dear god!

Fussell and walker were standout as the best backs I thought. fussell especially as very good indeed

Both have been playing fairly well all season. Walker isn't ready for internationals just yet, I would take him to Japan though. There are other regulars in Wales playing better. Fussell won't ever be good enough. His liabilities far outweigh his assets.

maj, no. Read the above. I suppose I'll see you regurgitating my comments next week seeing as that's all you do on this forum, regurgitate because you don't know a thing about rugby.

Morgannwg

Why would i regurgitate any thing you have too say.

I was just giving my opinion on the game today. I was not even looking at any threads that you had posted.

Why isn't Walker ready for international game yet? he looked pretty good today in my opinion.And why wont Fussell be good enough? Do you not think he could be a challenge to Halfpenny for the full back slot?

Can't see Tigers beating Toulouse,
Tigers couldn't put away a team with half their wage cap today they are hardly going to beat one with double.

Honestly well done Ospreys, to even come out of that game with 2 points was something, lines men giving wrong decisions ref letting the Tigers trip up the Ospresy players.
Shocking calls at the scrum letting Tigers bore in.

Ospreys did that against all odds

viewtothegym wrote:Can't see Tigers beating Toulouse,
Tigers couldn't put away a team with half their wage cap today they are hardly going to beat one with double.

Honestly well done Ospreys, to even come out of that game with 2 points was something, lines men giving wrong decisions ref letting the Tigers trip up the Ospresy players.
Shocking calls at the scrum letting Tigers bore in.

Ospreys did that against all odds

Lol

majesticimperialman wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:

TJ wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:A great game both teams gave it 100%. If only Biggar had not missed those kicks at goal it would of been a different out come.

Surely Fussell will be Wales Full back for the 6ns. I thought he had a great game, him and Eli Walker 2 of the best players on the field today.

Dear god!

Fussell and walker were standout as the best backs I thought. fussell especially as very good indeed

Both have been playing fairly well all season. Walker isn't ready for internationals just yet, I would take him to Japan though. There are other regulars in Wales playing better. Fussell won't ever be good enough. His liabilities far outweigh his assets.

maj, no. Read the above. I suppose I'll see you regurgitating my comments next week seeing as that's all you do on this forum, regurgitate because you don't know a thing about rugby.

Morgannwg

Why would i regurgitate any thing you have too say.

I was just giving my opinion on the game today. I was not even looking at any threads that you had posted.

Why isn't Walker ready for international game yet? he looked pretty good today in my opinion.And why wont Fussell be good enough? Do you not think he could be a challenge to Halfpenny for the full back slot?

Are you dull? Everything you've asked I answered in the post you quoted. So why ask again? Talk about being on a different planet.

Morgannwg

You do not explain why - you just say they are not good enough not why?

Both looked very good today?

viewtothegym wrote:Can't see Tigers beating Toulouse,
Tigers couldn't put away a team with half their wage cap today they are hardly going to beat one with double.

Honestly well done Ospreys, to even come out of that game with 2 points was something, lines men giving wrong decisions ref letting the Tigers trip up the Ospresy players.
Shocking calls at the scrum letting Tigers bore in.

Ospreys did that against all odds

Ospresy threw away a win today. Poor showing really to lose a game you should have won and won well

viewtothegym wrote:Can't see Tigers beating Toulouse,
Tigers couldn't put away a team with half their wage cap today they are hardly going to beat one with double.

Honestly well done Ospreys, to even come out of that game with 2 points was something, lines men giving wrong decisions ref letting the Tigers trip up the Ospresy players.
Shocking calls at the scrum letting Tigers bore in.

Ospreys did that against all odds

You seem to regurgitate this nonsense for pretty much every game involving a welsh team.. the welsh teams are always the victims.

TJ wrote:Morgannwg

You do not explain why - you just say they are not good enough not why?

Both looked very good today?

Well it's been well documented on here for a long time. But here goes anyway. Fussell lacks the pace and physicality for the top level, he struggles against the big name teams in Europe. Tuilagi was out of sorts today so Ospreys backs may have looked better than they are. Fussell can't really create anything. The only way he can score tries if the ball is given to him with nobody to beat. He was falling down the pecking order at the Dragons and I was confused as to why the Ospreys signed him. He has improved this season, the previous ones he was still gash. He played good today so credit where it is due. I'd be very worried to see him pulling on a Wales jersey. We have better players in Liam Williams, George North, Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Prydie. Ross Jones and Walker at the Ospreys have greater potential. Walker is a gifted attacker but defence, like it was last season, is still suspect. He isn't better than the forementioned yet. When some of those are away on Lions duty his opportunity (against Japan I think) should come.

TJ wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Can't see Tigers beating Toulouse,
Tigers couldn't put away a team with half their wage cap today they are hardly going to beat one with double.

Honestly well done Ospreys, to even come out of that game with 2 points was something, lines men giving wrong decisions ref letting the Tigers trip up the Ospresy players.
Shocking calls at the scrum letting Tigers bore in.

Ospreys did that against all odds

Ospresy threw away a win today. Poor showing really to lose a game you should have won and won well

Yeah, agree with you here TJ. This season just shows that Ospreys need to recruit next in certain areas, and do everything they can to keep Kahn.

All Praise ye Biggar of Nazareth.

Funny how the woodwork influences the Os v Tigers games.

I have to admire O's accuracy in avoiding scrums. A good, tense game for the non-neutral.

And you cannot blame the ref for the fact that the breakdown laws are pick and mix out of a Woolies retro-megamall.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Its a result that does neither team a favour, Tigers could well be out again and Cockerill looking for another job

That isn't true. Tigers would still have to win next week to take top spot even if they had won today. Just puts a few of the unlikely options in Toulouse's favour (draw, 2LBPs). Also, looking at the pools, it is unlikely that a runner up spot would go to this pool.

Still in Tigers' hands to qualify. Home QF was always going to be unlikely with more teams than usual running away with their pools.

Just got back and recirculated some warmth in my toes. Decent game, tense and some good periods of pressure by both sides. Biggars kicking was a dissappiontment but the ones that hit the posts were difficult chances. Walker, fuss both immense. Fuss isn't International standard but has had 3 great seasons with us ( player of the year last time) Shame we didn't capitalise on the chances we had but fair play to the tigers. A bit puzzled on kahns continual high box kicks when in possession? Hey ho...

Morgannwg wrote:

TJ wrote:Morgannwg

You do not explain why - you just say they are not good enough not why?

Both looked very good today?

Well it's been well documented on here for a long time. But here goes anyway. Fussell lacks the pace and physicality for the top level, he struggles against the big name teams in Europe. Tuilagi was out of sorts today so Ospreys backs may have looked better than they are. Fussell can't really create anything. The only way he can score tries if the ball is given to him with nobody to beat. He was falling down the pecking order at the Dragons and I was confused as to why the Ospreys signed him. He has improved this season, the previous ones he was still gash. He played good today so credit where it is due. I'd be very worried to see him pulling on a Wales jersey. We have better players in Liam Williams, George North, Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Prydie. Ross Jones and Walker at the Ospreys have greater potential. Walker is a gifted attacker but defence, like it was last season, is still suspect. He isn't better than the forementioned yet. When some of those are away on Lions duty his opportunity (against Japan I think) should come.

So Fussell struggles against the big name teams in Europe, like Leinster, uh Leicester, Munster, oh yeah, Tolouse etc etc etc etc. Sorry for whatever he did to you when you were kids

[quote="viewtothegym"][quote="nathan"]

viewtothegym wrote:Talk about bringing on the Cavalry, a fine bunch of Journey men Tigers brought on to help.

I feel for you View mate. You've tried so hard but no bites today mate. Hang on in there and just try and be a little more nasty and then, who knows? somebody may take the bait and make your day ;-)

Ps. Byrne or Fussell for Wales, the Halfpenny experiment has failed, he is a winger, end of story.

I thought tigers backline were awful today, flood created nothing just shipped it on badly, youngs bar the try.was poor, Allen did nothing, tuilagi looked disinterested and played like he had the flu....thompsone, tait and niall tried gainfully but had absolutly no room to do anything worthwhile.

sirtidychris wrote:I thought tigers backline were awful today, flood created nothing just shipped it on badly, youngs bar the try.was poor, Allen did nothing, tuilagi looked disinterested and played like he had the flu....thompsone, tait and niall tried gainfully but had absolutly no room to do anything worthwhile.

So, given that, a little motivation for next week should see a manshaming for the French.......if we can be bothered.

Higher_Ground wrote:Ps. Byrne or Fussell for Wales, the Halfpenny experiment has failed, he is a winger, end of story.

Fussell is a winger who can't get a game on the wing for the Ospreys. To put him at fullback at International level would be another painful experiment IMO. Both he and Halfpenny should only be considered for the wings, with Byrne, Prydie, Liam Williams battling it out for fullback. Unfortunately for Fussell be have much better wings. Halfpenny is good enough to compete with the other wings and wing a spot IMO.

[quote="tigerleghorn"][quote="viewtothegym"]

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Talk about bringing on the Cavalry, a fine bunch of Journey men Tigers brought on to help.

I feel for you View mate. You've tried so hard but no bites today mate. Hang on in there and just try and be a little more nasty and then, who knows? somebody may take the bait and make your day ;-)

You just nibbled

[quote="viewtothegym"][quote="tigerleghorn"]

viewtothegym wrote:

nathan wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:Talk about bringing on the Cavalry, a fine bunch of Journey men Tigers brought on to help.

I feel for you View mate. You've tried so hard but no bites today mate. Hang on in there and just try and be a little more nasty and then, who knows? somebody may take the bait and make your day ;-)

You just nibbled

Nah buddy, just brushed past it ;-)

sirtidychris wrote:I thought tigers backline were awful today, flood created nothing just shipped it on badly, youngs bar the try.was poor, Allen did nothing, tuilagi looked disinterested and played like he had the flu....thompsone, tait and niall tried gainfully but had absolutly no room to do anything worthwhile.

and yet still managed to score two tries... Same as the Ospreys.

Higher_Ground wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:

TJ wrote:Morgannwg

You do not explain why - you just say they are not good enough not why?

Both looked very good today?

Well it's been well documented on here for a long time. But here goes anyway. Fussell lacks the pace and physicality for the top level, he struggles against the big name teams in Europe. Tuilagi was out of sorts today so Ospreys backs may have looked better than they are. Fussell can't really create anything. The only way he can score tries if the ball is given to him with nobody to beat. He was falling down the pecking order at the Dragons and I was confused as to why the Ospreys signed him. He has improved this season, the previous ones he was still gash. He played good today so credit where it is due. I'd be very worried to see him pulling on a Wales jersey. We have better players in Liam Williams, George North, Alex Cuthbert, Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Prydie. Ross Jones and Walker at the Ospreys have greater potential. Walker is a gifted attacker but defence, like it was last season, is still suspect. He isn't better than the forementioned yet. When some of those are away on Lions duty his opportunity (against Japan I think) should come.

So Fussell struggles against the big name teams in Europe, like Leinster, uh Leicester, Munster, oh yeah, Tolouse etc etc etc etc. Sorry for whatever he did to you when you were kids

Yes.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I think Manu did alright actually. He made ground in contact and showed some really nice hands. His defence was solid as always. The back three were pretty good, Tait is no Murphybut that's starting to work. Flood and Youngs were inconsistent that's what needs to change before next weekend.

Higher_Ground wrote:Ps. Byrne or Fussell for Wales, the Halfpenny experiment has failed, he is a winger, end of story.

And which team do you support? The Halfpenny experiment? He has always alternated between wing and full back. There is a reason why he is penciled in to most peoples Lions XV at the moment you know.

sirtidychris wrote:I thought tigers backline were awful today, flood created nothing just shipped it on badly, youngs bar the try.was poor, Allen did nothing, tuilagi looked disinterested and played like he had the flu....thompsone, tait and niall tried gainfully but had absolutly no room to do anything worthwhile.

Floods kicking from hand was pretty rubbish!

I thought Manu looked pretty poor. Made little ground and gave up penalties. One nice pass One turnover and 3 pens according to scrum.com

TJ wrote:I thought Manu looked pretty poor. Made little ground and gave up penalties. One nice pass One turnover and 3 pens according to scrum.com

He looked very lethargic to be honest, very heavy footed, maybe he needs a rest.

Flood did not look that much better to be honest, some of his kicks from hand was very poor. I was thinking before this game that the 2 fly halves for the 6ns was Flood and Farrell, but after todays game i am not so sure any more. Any body know how Burns is playing at Gloucester?

majesticimperialman wrote:

TJ wrote:I thought Manu looked pretty poor. Made little ground and gave up penalties. One nice pass One turnover and 3 pens according to scrum.com

He looked very lethargic to be honest, very heavy footed, maybe he needs a rest.

Flood did not look that much better to be honest, some of his kicks from hand was very poor. I was thinking before this game that the 2 fly halves for the 6ns was Flood and Farrell, but after todays game i am not so sure any more. Any body know how Burns is playing at Gloucester?

Can't see flood being dropped but I think its certain that Farrell will start (after this weeks games anyway)