The team's announced!

OK folks here's the OSPREYS team, this LOOKS a strong side, what do you think?

Ospreys team to face Munster
The Ospreys team to play Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday 14th May 2011, kick off at 6.30pm will be as follows:
15 Richard Fussell

14 Tommy Bowe

13 Andrew Bishop

12 James Hook

11 Nikki Walker

10 Dan Biggar

9 Rhys Webb

1 Paul James

2 Huw Bennett

3 Adam Jones

4 Ian Gough

5 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt)

6 Ryan Jones

7 Justin Tipuric

8 Jonathan Thomas

Replacements

16 Richard Hibbard

17 Ryan Bevington

18 Cai Griffiths

19 Jerry Collins

20 Tom Smith

21 Marty Holah

22 Tom Isaacs

23 Ashley Beck

This could be where Shane William's injury hurts you. The back line just doesn't look as dangerous without him. It's hard to see looking at the line-up where they can hurt Munster badly enough to cause them too many problems.

I really feel Ashley Beck is the form center and should be starting. He won the best try of the season so someone must rate him!

It's a bit late in the season to be "playing" Bishop back into form ( I rate him highly by the way).

Cat - just not a proper Ospreys side without Shane. If the supporters feel it I'm sure the players do to, can't be good for team moral.

Can't wait for the match though!

Ps Opreylian, good work getting the team sheet up so fast!

Thanks Loki.
I feel like you do that Beck is the form centre for the O's right now, but to me the O's have probably rightly, gone for their strongest lineup and that means Hook and Bish.
Your take on Shane is interesting, yes he does give the team a lift at times, but we HAVE to be more than one man.
Finally, to me besides the strongest, they feel that with Hook and Beck the defence would be too lightweight, with the seeming signing of one more SH player of note then next season will have plenty of promise.

For comparison here's the Munster team.

Munster:
F Jones;
D Howlett,
D Barnes,
L Mafi,
K Earls;
R O'Gara,
C Murray;
M Horan,
D Varley,
J Hayes;
D O'Callaghan,
P O'Connell capt;
D Ryan,
D Wallace,
J Coughlan.
Replacements: M Sherry, W du Preez, S Archer, D Leamy, N Ronan, P Stringer, P Warwick, S Zebo.

AWJ says we need to take our foot "off" the gas in order to claim a scalp at Thomond.

Cant say I really agree on that front...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/13386442.stm

(not sure if that link will work)

Sorry to double post.

Ospreylian - on paper Hook and Bish are definitely the best center parternship.

Interesting point about a Hook and Beck partnership being lightweight, I certainly thought it would be but i just checked the squad stats:

Bishop - 6'0" 94Kg
Beck - 6'2" 99Kg

So Beck is 2 inches and 5Kg taller/heavier than Bishop.

I think Bishop's defensive talent and commmitment mask the fact that he's a fairly lightweight center.

What would you make of a Beck and Bishop axis? Controversial I know!

Thats a strong Munster team, does O'Gara ever get injured! He seems to be made of rubber!

<<What would you make of a Beck and Bishop axis? Controversial I know! >>

Unless the Ospreys do get the rumoured big signing from the SH, that's precisely the centre partnership I see for next season.

By the way Beck may be bigger but bishop tackles his weight.

The Munster guys think that's not a strong lineup, they think we'll crucify them at the scrum..................will too.

I suspect it has been a long time since the Ospreys start a match with no Kiwi's!

Interesting a complete back row on the bench and no second row therefore I assume Ryan or JT will more there as Gough is unlikey to last the game.

The Ospreys biggest wealness is 10 in getting the backs moving and in defence (and kicking the ball away). I hope the Ospreys adopt switching Hook and Bigger as they did last year.

With Bennett in the side the Ospreys will be under pressure in the line out as Munster look like targeting the Line out.

The Ospreys I feel must target the scrum and rolling mauls, shame Phillips is not an option to add to the beef.

I rather Ryan and JT switch positions but that may happen during the game anyway, I suspect Ryan playing 6 is to apply scrum pressure on his siide.

I feel Munster have the edge but if the Ospreys keep it tight it could go either way.

Come on Ospreys go for it!

Like all Munster games it wil be decided at the breakdown.
Unfortunately we have Nigel Owens reffing, indeed this is why Hola and Jerry are on the bench. He has a preconceived notion that every All Black cheats at the break down, as such he will ping both of them repeatedly.

Nigel also believes that we achieve scrum dominance illegally, Mark my words Paul James will see yellow in the morrow.

Glamorganalun - I think Biggar will be fine, but if we insist on Johnson's vision of small forward pods taking the ball into contact we will get slaughtered.

This is NH rugby, Munster will flood the breakdown and turn us over at will.

Anyway, rant over.

We can still win this boys!!!

The problem with Nigel reffing he will want to be whiter than white so the Ospreys could be in for a hard time.

Loki: I pretty much agree with you, the boys can win but it needs to be a big effort and take all points available.

Munster to win with some to spare.

Owens is one of the better referees in the league, so I don't there can be too many complaints about him.

Cat - it's all opinion with refs but he's really not popular with the Ospreys fans!

The one area of dominance this season has been our scrum, but he will invariably yellow card Paul James today Mark my words.

Nothing worse than someone complaining about the ref so I shall leave it there!

LCDPete - you betting on an Osprey capitulation? I really hope not, but wouldn't be too shocked. Sadly.

To be honest I think ospreys have a good chance after munster losing to quins, as long as they can dominate the breakdown.

Nigel Owens will have a big influence on this game, and Loki is quite right when he says that Owens is very likely to sinbin James for 10, he does have a history of it.
He may even lecture Adam, done it before when we were on attack and in the 22, the scrum collapsed and Owens gave them the penalty and lectured Adam for taking the scrum down. Next collapse, on halfway he lectured their loosie!!

I have to say that my forecast of an Ulster win was just about as far off as it could be, congrats to Leinster, but I still feel that Munster will win the final.

They are so much better than the O's at sealing off, slowing down and pinching lineouts and if it's a close match getting ROG into position for the drop.

Finally, if we are in front with 20 to go I will dread the appearance of Cai

Cai isn't on the bench is he? Duncan and Bevington is what JB had. With that, I don't see the point in two looseheads as cover. I know Paul James can switch, but there's still little point. I also think the Ospreys management are cutting their nose odd to spite their face with regards to Phillips. Webb's form has dropped and I don't think Tom Isaacs is the answer should you need a change at 9.

I'd say Nigel is more likely to yellow Horan or particularly Hayes. We shall see though. I really hope Ospreys win, though my old man will be chirping on about it for the next fortnight.

can anyone please tell me in such a big game why oh why oh why is bennent starting in front of hibbard, hibs is by far the better hooker

there is no point having great impact players if we are 20 points down when they come on, we always seem to do this bum backwards surely we should field the best 15 and when we are enough ahead and the game is won bring on the subs to give the guys a early finish after doing the bizzo

grizly hairbear wrote:can anyone please tell me in such a big game why oh why oh why is bennent starting in front of hibbard, hibs is by far the better

It does beggar belief. I knew there was something else I meant to mention.

I see that it is Cai on the bench and not Bevington then.

Rev, afraid you're getting confused both Cai and Bev ARE on the bench, check out my OP. That team is taken from the O's website.

The Os should win this game.This Munster pack is quite weak and while our backs are decent,we will win little ball with these forwards.

Ah right, so JB was wrong on Duncan Jones then. Glad that's cleared up.

Loki - why is he so unpopular? If it's just the scrum, well plenty of referees struggle with that. I would have said he is one of the most consistent referees in the northern hemisphere.

It throws up an interesting question though: why should the referees be impartial in the ML? After all Ospreys fans are worried about having a Welsh referee and Munster fans are happy enough with him. With so many Irish and Welsh teams it would really alleviate the problems of referee assignment if that didn't need to be factored in.

would like to see the scrum half's made to put the ball in straight at the scrums, no point having a great scrummaging props ectra if the ball goes in at the 2nd rows feet,

think owens is pretty good but can more often than not fall on the side that isn't welsh on the 50/50 calls maybe fearing that he will be judge as showing favouritism so edges the other way, but in the end we will win ;-)
come on !!!!!!!!!!! haha