Ospreys V Saints Sun 12th Jan K.O 1245

Os team;

15 Richard Fussell
14 Jeff Hassler
13 Tom Isaacs
12 Ashley Beck
11 Aisea Natoga
10 Dan Biggar
9 Rhys Webb

1 Ryan Bevington
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Aaron Javis
4 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt)
5 Ian Evans
6 Sam Lewis
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Joe Bearman

REPLACEMENTS

16 Scott Baldwin
17 Duncan Jones
18 Adam Jones
19 James King
20 Morgan Allen
21 Tom Habberfield
22 Sam Davies
23 Jonathan Spratt


Saints team TBC....

Bit of a dead rubber for the Ospreys but a strong team nontheless. Should be a cracker...

You think that's a strong team? I think it's pretty average and quite far from its full potential. It's definitely the worst backline in Wales. I know Adam hasn't really got on with the new laws, but I still would have started with him (and Duncan Jones, as Bevington is going to be eating alive come scrum).

Saints by 10 .

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY OSPREYS
15 Tom COLLINS
14 Jamie ELLIOTT
13 George PISI
12 Luther BURRELL
11 George NORTH
10 Stephen MYLER
9 Kahn FOTUALI’I
1 Alex WALLER
2 Dylan HARTLEY (capt)
3 Salesi MA’AFU
4 Courtney LAWES
5 Christian DAY
6 Calum CLARK
7 Tom WOOD
8 Samu MANOA

Replacements
16 Mike HAYWOOD
17 Ethan WALLER
18 Tom MERCEY
19 Sam DICKINSON
20 Phil DOWSON
21 Lee DICKSON
22 Glenn DICKSON
23 Fa’atoina AUTAGAVAIA

Interesting to see how Wood goes at 7, people were questioning his ability to play OS on the Int. forum.

Collins is getting a baptism of fire at 15, Quins then Ospreys, Saints must have a lot of faith in him as they really need a good win this Sunday to have a real chance of progression.

The packs back 5 is just one massive tackling machine, all of them have terrific tackle stats and the likes of Lawes, Day and Manoa running at a the defence backed up by Burrell and Pisi is going to test the Osprey physicality.

I also rate Alex Waller, he looks like he left school last week, but I yet to see an AP prop get the better of him over a whole game and his covering and tacking are up with the best.

Saints by 10-15 but I don't think they will get a bonus point which they need.

Strong team as we've nothing to play for. Agree the Ospreys have full back issues but not that its the worst back line in Wales. We're not third in the table because of the forwards. Bishop, Walker and Dirksen are injured. Centres look lightweight with John missing tho..

Really looking forward to this. Repeat of the gardens game would be nice but I'm not expecting that. Think Wood will be fine even up against Tipuric. Looking forward to big Samu running hard lines. He is physically right up there with the best. Looking forward to Dylan v Hibbard too. Great game but not going to predict the score. Hoping for a Saints win though obviously.

I see the Castres v Leinster game is on at the same time. Saints will have one eye on that game as they need Castres to do the business at home & keep them in with a shout.

35 point win for saints I reckon

Would love that mckay1402! Can't see it though but hoping at the same time!

I've got a really sneaky feeling that Saints are going to put North on the right wing for this one.  Aisea Natoga is a shockingly bad defender,, he is great with ball in hand, but he often bottles out on tackling.  Normally Natoga favors pushing the player out wide to let them score than actually trying to tackle the player, and North running through him and then at Fussell could be crushing for us.

The Ospreys have a very weak scrum with those players and a small weak back line.  

Worse again we have 2 small open sides and an older slow non ball carrying number 8.  The Ospreys will not be able to get over the gain line and will get smashed backwards all game.  

If anything happens to Hibbard, Alun-Wyn or Beck early on then were totally screwed, because their the only ones who we can use to break through the defense.

Personally Id of gone for Adam Jones instead of Jarvis, because Jarvis is a poor scrumager.
I'd of also had a back row of King, Tipuric, and Morgan Allen, because both King and particularly Allen and strong ball carriers who would of gotten over the gain line.

Easy bonus point Northampton win for me, possibly by 15-20 points.
The Ospreys are too lightweight and small to compete in this match.

If the Ospreys can keep it tight for 60 minuted then bring on King, Adam Jones and Morgan Allen then we might take the game, but I think Northampton will be out of sight by then. Really the Ospreys need to contain Northampton as long as possible and sneak it at the end.

I don't see it happening though, the Ospreys arent playing well at the moment.

Shifty, Ospreys cannot be as bad as you suggest surely? They are third in the Rabo and Saints second in the AP so I imagine they cannot be that bad. However, at the Gardens I wasn't that impressed with the scrum considering the Ospreys have good players in the pack. Waller had an absolute stormer. Still I think it'll be tight as it's at the Liberty.

Not a good start for Ospreys. Dropped the kickoff and then Webb charged down.

Still don't understand how the Ospreys scrum has suffered SO much under the new interpretations.

First scrum is penalty to Saints. 0-3

wales606 wrote:Still don't understand how the Ospreys scrum has suffered SO much under the new interpretations.

Remember Jones isn't playing (although I've read he's suffered a little). Garcia just let Webb feed the ball backwards.

Very quiet stadium!

HammerofThunor wrote:

wales606 wrote:Still don't understand how the Ospreys scrum has suffered SO much under the new interpretations.

Remember Jones isn't playing (although I've read he's suffered a little). Garcia just let Webb feed the ball backwards.

Jones isn't playing because he is doing no better than Jarvis in the Ospreys scrum!

Seeing a front row of Jones Hibbard Jones get destroyed by the Scarlets was certainly a show of the new scrum laws affecting teams

0-6

3-6 Biggar has got all of the Ospreys points this year

Offside Saints force the knock-on.

"The days of the fake bake bunch at the Ospreys are long gone." Love that.

Scrum looking a bit brittle for the Os

3-9 warning to Ospreys already (seems a bit early)

Yellow card for another scrum penalty. Bevington off

The Wales management team are there watching. Surely now they realise Bevington is barely league standard, never mind international.

The Saint wrote:The Wales management team are there watching. Surely now they realise Bevington is barely league standard, never mind international.

Saint who goes LH if Gethin is injured?

The Saint wrote:The Wales management team are there watching. Surely now they realise Bevington is barely league standard, never mind international.

But he an run like the wind and that's what is important in a prop

Paul James possibly.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

The Saint wrote:The Wales management team are there watching. Surely now they realise Bevington is barely league standard, never mind international.

Saint who goes LH if Gethin is injured?

Paul James everytime

I answered on the other thread. Our other LH options are James, Gill and the third could be Scarlet Rob Evans. Alternatively they may have Rh.Jones covering both sides of scrum.

fotuali'i really is a poor passer.

Nice try there for the Ospreys.

Tipuric deja vu

Hands went flat, try for me

No try, forward pass.

If it had been Saints, everyone would be stopping by to tell us it was a try and how lucky the Ospreys are.  

Duncan Jones comes on and shows he's still the better LH.

Looked like the Saints went forward and down at that scrum but Jarvis done for binding on the arm

Saints can do what they want at scrum time now, they've blagged it after their first half dominance (courtesy of Bevington).

Not the best of games so far. Saints a head on the score board. Ospreys a head on penalty count.

I do find it hard to believe that Dan Biggar as scored all the Osprey's points in this compition.

Lets hope the game livens up in the second half.

The Saint wrote:If it had been Saints, everyone would be stopping by to tell us it was a try and how lucky the Ospreys are.  

Duncan Jones comes on and shows he's still the better LH.

Sorry Saint but everyone hates the Saints even more than they hate the Welsh (I know it's hard to believe)   

AWJ you donut! That came from him kicking the ball forward.

Hibbard is going to be a big loss to the O's next season. Can't believe he's settled for Glos when he must have been able to pick from so many top sides.

Try North. Christ he's got speed and ran from his own 22.

HammerofThunor wrote:

The Saint wrote:If it had been Saints, everyone would be stopping by to tell us it was a try and how lucky the Ospreys are.  

Duncan Jones comes on and shows he's still the better LH.

Sorry Saint but everyone hates the Saints even more than they hate the Welsh (I know it's hard to believe)   

That is hard to believe!

If Saints want a chance in the finals they need the TBP. If they're settling for Amlin it's just the win. Depends if Leinster lose or not.

Great turnover by LH Alex Waller the more I see of him the more I am impressed.

Waller looked good coming on for Tonga'uiha but he's really come into his own with Corbisiero injured. Saints will have good competition for loose head (or not if the worst happens with Alex)

I was a little surprised to see Waller left out of the Saxons. Think he may get a look in next season though. Even when Saints had Tonga'uiha Waller was putting in better displays off the bench then him.

yappysnap wrote:I was a little surprised to see Waller left out of the Saxons. Think he may get a look in next season though. Even when Saints had Tonga'uiha Waller was putting in better displays off the bench then him.

Lots of depth there though & Catt & Mullan deserve to be there.

You say that but since his move I can't remember much that Mullan has done. And Catt hasn't exactly torn it up at Bath.