Ospreys v Leinster

6 Nations shmations, back to the bread n butter of regional top flight rugby. Woohoo!

Pro12: Ospreys v Glasgow
Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Date: Friday, 27 February Kick-off: 17:35 GMT Coverage: Scrum V BBC 2 Wales and BBC Sport website; updates on BBC Radio Wales.

Ospreys: Dan Evans; Tom Grabham, Jonathan Spratt, Josh Matavesi, Hanno Dirksen; Sam Davies, Martin Roberts; Ryan Bevington, Scott Otten, Dmitri Arhip, Tevita Cavubati, Tyler Ardron (Capt), Joe Bearman, James King, Dan Baker
Replacements: Matthew Dwyer, Marc Thomas, Daniel Suter, Rhodri Hughes, Olly Cracknell, Morgan Allen, Tom Habberfield, Richard Fussell
Leinster : Zane Kirchner; Fergus McFadden, Ben Te'o, Gordon D'Arcy, Dave Kearney; Jimmy Gopperth, Isaac Boss (capt); Michael Bent, Richardt Strauss, Tadhg Furlong; Tom Denton, Kane Douglas; Rhys Ruddock, Josh Van Der Flier, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Aaron Dundon, Peter Dooley, Royce Burke-Flynn, Ben Marshall, Dominic Ryan, Luke McGrath, Noel Reid, Darragh Fanning.
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans, Chris Williams (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)
TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)

Ospreys need to win this one to get their play off campaign back on track.

Ospreys are missing 26 players.

Playing league games on a 6N weekend is just pathetic. (and yes that goes for other leagues too)

I said last week before the Glasgow game I expected us to get nothing out of that game, and was pleasantly surprised to get a LBP, in the same post I said I expected to get 4 points against Leinster, with the added point that if the Dragons can beat them out there, we should be able to do the same at home, I mentioned at the time it was inviting criticism from especially Saint, we then generally select our best possible squad, except for the curious omission of Sam Lewis from the 7 position with King filling in there and Bearman at 6, with Ardron again in the second row, which is a mistake IMO.
Sam Lewis is not even on the bench and is not listed as injured, there are very disturbing rumours about Sam on the forum.
The Leinster team is also quite a bit stronger than they put out against the Drags, it is getting to be squeky bum time around here, and I'm nowhere near as confident as I was, a few players need to improve their performance from last week, especially the half backs.

Wayne,

With regards to Adron given Baker is now back is it a case that they feel Adron has been to good to leave out so are shoe horning him in anywhere so to speak.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Wayne,

With regards to Adron given Baker is now back is it a case that they feel Adron has been to good to leave out so are shoe horning him in anywhere so to speak.

BW, yes I think you are right, his lineout and carrying work especially when in the back row has been outstanding, yet is to the detriment of the scrum and maul play, we have a youngster on the bench, who apparently was very good in the LV match against a decent Bath side, Rhodri Hughes why not start him put Ardron in his natural 6 position and have Bearman on the bench, and as I've said earlier what is happening with Sam Lewis, apparently he is off, the story doing the rounds is that when the Dragons deal fell through he signed a new contract with specific get out clauses, and one has been triggered by Tips signing a new 3 year deal, we'll really miss him in the International Windows.

Looking at the packs I think the Ospreys could edge it. Both sides are depleted but the Ospreys seem to have the experience in the pack

Sam Lewis has left us, I think to join Worcester, he is a good capture for them, he wanted a first team chance and he wouldn't get it with us.
Good luck Sam and thanks for all you've done in the past.

Shame that. Always rated him as a open side. I think lydiate signing is going to be detrimental in the long run...

That's a real loss for the Ospreys. After his brothers forced retirement, I guess Sam knows how short a career can be though, and needs to get first team action.

wayne wrote:Sam Lewis has left us, I think to join Worcester, he is a good capture for them, he wanted a first team chance and he wouldn't get it with us.
Good luck Sam and thanks for all you've done in the past.

He shouldn't have reneged on his deal to go to the Dragons. Whilst we aren't up to the Ospreys level results wise, we would at least give him first team rugby. Plus given how Nic Cudd shines for us with his chances of tackling and jackalling, it would've been a great opportunity for him (I believe he would probably have displaced Cudd).

Dan Evans kicking is really poor so far, the ref making up the 16th man but the set piece not going well.

I know I say this every time I get the chance to watch one of these matches, but it really is bloody lovely to watch good-quality club rugby as a neutral.

Ospreys, Leinster, entertain me.

The feed in the scrum is a joke and is being ignored.

IanBru wrote:I know I say this every time I get the chance to watch one of these matches, but it really is bloody lovely to watch good-quality club rugby as a neutral.

Ospreys, Leinster, entertain me.

Agreed. Not a lot in this one at the moment.

Leinster just ahead 3-0

From a Glasgow point of view: could you contrive a low scoring draw please?

jimbopip wrote:From a Glasgow point of view: could you contrive a low scoring draw please?

ok. Leinster just scoring in threes at the moment. 6-0.

Ulster and Scarlets are 3-3 after 3 penalties being missed.

Jim old pal, from a Glasgow perspective, I was rather hoping for an Ospreys win, but with all-out war breaking out on the pitch (basically the rugby equivalent of the Battle of Dien Ben Phu) resulting in 46 serious season-ending citings.

A boy can dream.

This is a joke of a league, the Ospreys have been pinged about seven times and Leinster being allowed to do what ever they want, why we see Irish refs officiating Irish sides is a complete joke, this is the most biased reffing I have ever seen.

Squint feed coming up

Leinster have only hooked one and that was from an Ospreys feed

LD, I agree completely.

Even if the referee isn't actually biased (and in this case I'm not sure - we're only 30 minutes in), the appearance doesn't look good. You know how I felt when Glasgow played Leinster in the Pro12 semifinal in 2012, in front of a five-man all-Irish refereeing team.

Shocking game. Ospreys players being allowed to pass the ball to each other from one side of the pitch to the other.

And then one of them passes it into touch.

Then they pass it forward when they could have scored a try.

Now Leinster are being allowed to maul the ball up the pitch and the ref gives them a penalty.

Twice Leinster have passed the ball to an Ospreys player, and they end up giving it back to Leinster???

At least Scarlets have managed to score a try in Ravenhill. 13-6 to the men in red.

And the ref gives another penalty to Ospreys even though Leinster mullered them in the scrum.

And another penalty to Ospreys on the Leinster line because Ospreys weren't breaking through.

Easy 3 points for Ospreys. Half-time.

Arhip really is poor, he's struggling against Leinster's 2nd/3rd choice. The decision to kick for goal there really played into Leinster's hands - poor decision.

Ospreys most telling game in minutes in 1 and 40 Spratt suffering white line fever at the end of the half.

Not the first time we've seen that from Te'o.

Jeez - this game is dull.

Ospreys get more whistles from the ref to give them a 9-6 lead.

Meanwhile, having trailed 13-6 at halftime against Scarlets, Ulster finally woke up and put in three tries to lead 25-13 at Ravenhill.

Whiteline fever from Leinster and they stuff it up. Good defence from Ospreys.

Ref awards them a scrum from a Leinster knock-on.

Leinster really are stuffing up their opportunities. They strike against the head and then the ball is scrambled back and end up giving away another knock-on.

Ospreys give another crooked feed, ball squirts out and ref awards another penalty to Ospreys.

Dave Kearney goes stupidly high into a tackle and loses the ball, Ospreys pounce and break upfield.

Good saving tackle and Leinster finally relieve with a kick from Gopperth.

It sounds like they're playing funeral music on the tannoy system - very fitting. This game is deathly.

Oh - and another penalty to Ospreys.

Leinster should get another penalty, kick it and then this game should buried in the darkest recesses of the PRO12 archives never to be viewed again. Matt O'Connor wouldn't know where to start with the litany of errors from Leinster.

Still 9-6 with 6 minutes to go.

I see a 9 all draw on the cards ref evens up the non knock on.

What a surprise

Good kick

Yep - Leinster finally do enough to win a penalty after an Ospreys player doesn't realease tackler.

9-9. And 1 minute left.

Scrum to Ospreys on the halfway for what's likely to be the final play.

Scarlets manage more scores to make it 25-20 in Ravenhill to Ulster. FT.

Leinster, Ospreys, do you remember when I said "entertain me"?

That wasn't what I was looking for. Not at all.

Leinster win it with a 9-9 draw away from home. The 2 points will benefit them more.

Horrible game.

"Leinster win it with a draw" - you sound like a Welshman!

Griff wrote:"Leinster win it with a draw" - you sound like a Welshman!

Nope - I meant it. They shouldn't have been anywhere near getting a result from that game they were so poor. Extracting a draw from such a poor performance is a a good result. Ospreys lost 2 points they should have taken.

Was taking the p*ss out of my fellow Welshmen to be honest.

On your last comment, I'd say the opposite. Ospreys were 6-0 down so to draw 9-9 is a comeback, albeit a small one. At 6-0 up Leinster should have pushed on and won.

Fair result in the end defences were on top all game, Ospreys should have won, ref made a call to ignore the TMO which lead to 3 points (elbow in the face).

Crap.

Just crap.

Jimmy Gopperth is having a great tussle with Ian Humph for worst fly half in Ireland.

But what a terrible game.

another terrible performance from John Lacey - when will the Pro12 start utilising neutral ref's only it is an absolute joke

glamorganalun wrote:Fair result in the end defences were on top all game, Ospreys should have won, ref made a call to ignore the TMO which lead to 3 points (elbow in the face).

Whilst I agree Lacey was again terrible and agree that the standard of refs in the league is poor in general I think he got it right in this instance and didnt see anything wrong with it - individual perception I know.

There was an obvious high challenge he missed though.

What's the rules behind this supposed elbow hand off? Surely it's dangerous play.