Ulster vs Ospreys

First topic message reminder :

Game on Friday, another sell-out crowd, but like everyone else we're scrabbling around with the Six Nations and injuries, trying to make ends meet. Declan Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Chris Henry, Iain Henderson, Paddy Jackson and Craig Gilroy are all with the national side. John Afoa and Jared Payne are on leave to ensure they stay fresh on the home straight of the season. And Adam Macklin, Paddy McAllister, Stephen Ferris, Nick Williams, Roger Wilson, Tommy Bowe, Chris Farrell, Peter Nelson and Adam D'Arcy are all still injured.

Selection is further complicated by the news that Darren Cave and Andrew Trimble have been called into the Ireland squad as cover for Earls and D'Arcy- they are included here but aren't likely to be released from tacklebag duty until Thursday.

Forwards (14)

Nigel Brady, Rob Herring, Niall Annett, Callum Black, Ricky Lutton, Andrew Warwick, Tom Court, Lewis Stevenson, Dan Tuohy, Neil McComb, Johann Muller, Mike McComish Robbie Diack, Ali Birch.

Backs (11)

Ruan Pienaar, Paul Marshall, Niall O’Connor, Stuart Olding, Paddy Wallace, Luke Marshall, Darren Cave, Michael Allen, Andrew Trimble, Chris Cochrane, Ricky Andrew.

There is some good news- Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy and Luke Marshall are back and available for selection. But it's a squad with no recognised tighthead, only 3 recognised backrows and only one recognised fullback. Of the props, it is to be hoped Tom Court stays at loosehead- the joke of trying him at 3 is testament to how we will fail to get the best out of him in that position and would further damage his international chances. Of the 4 looseheads in the squad the burden will probably fall on Richard Lutton to wear the 3 shirt with 21 year-old Prop/Hooker Andrew Warwick covering for him on the bench.

I would move the hard-grafting Neil McComb to the blindside flanker as a lineout option and a ball carrier, given how light we are in the backrow. With Jackson missing at 10, it's a good opportunity to look at Stuart Olding outside Ruan Pienaar and Luke Marshall to come off the bench.

Notchs XV;

1. Tom Court
2. Nigel Brady
3. Richard Lutton
4. Johann Muller (c)
5. Dan Tuohy
6. Neil McComb
7. Mike McComish
8. Robbie Diack
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Stuart Olding
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Paddy Wallace
13. Darren Cave
14. Michael Allen
15. Ricky Andrew

16. Rob Herring 17. Andrew Warwick 18. Callum Black 19. Lewis Stevenson 20. Ali Birch 21. Paul Marshall 22. Luke Marshall 23. Chris Cochrane.

O shea is having a great time, singing blue moon, laughing over a bum shot, and going nuts!!!

Ospreys should have the experience in the pack to close this on out now with the 2 Jones' on.

Madigan. 3 pens and 2 convs. Johnny who? We'll be grand.

Rugby racing and beer

O shea is having a great time, singing blue moon, laughing over a bum shot, and going nuts!!!

Can't stand the man.

Pity, because I would have listen to Jed Thion.

thebluesmancometh wrote:O shea is having a great time, singing blue moon, laughing over a bum shot, and going nuts!!!

That sounds funny as feck. I should've put the red button on...this commentator talks through his nose and gets up mine.

Ulster could still snatch this - big four minutes left now.

Hang in there O's...DO NOT let Ulster score.

Just no support there for Ulster now very unlike us to not have that support

ooh forward pass gives us a breather...

Rick O shea;

"Cuthbert made everyone say ooohhh look BOD is magic, but what shouldve happened was people saying BOD made a fe yards before contact before being tackled"

Legend

Bevington for MOTM anyone?

How on earth did AWJ end up with that?

Should have been an Ulster penalty really.

Morgs kick for a DG doesn't matter if it went wide....ooh it's still in play...schitt!

Bearman has been good too, but the tight 5 have allowed him to be good mind.

EPIC!!!!

12-16 FT

Well done both sides. Epic match!

Great try

Matthew Morgan is a pillock

80minutes and he goes for a DG when he is in front, then doesn't even smash it out when he's put under pressure.

AWJ saves Morgan a fair few blushes

Excellent win for the O's

Blues clawing back a bit

Blues 11 - 23 Leinster 60mins

AWJ looked excellent then, get him in the Welsh squad!!!

Bevingto and Bearman were standout, but IMHO any time you can't decide who's been better the lower number the player is wearing wins hands down!!!

Commiserations Ulster. Great match.

I'm watching on the Website

Bevington - 35 metres not 25

What a workrate!!!

The entire tight 5 were excellent

Bevington MOTM for me, outstanding try and was carrying and tackling all over the place.

The rest of the front row were excellent and the second and backrow were very good. Allen, King and Bearman especially

They didn't say who the MOTM was here...I'm assuming it was a local?

Missed the last 20mins.

Did much happen?

Well done the Os.

Scarlets are going to win too 22 - 8 atm

Dragons fighting back to 13 - 14

Now we just need a miracle by the Blues now that Navidi and Andrews are on

Lyn Jones saying Alybong will be back with the Welsh squad for the Italian game. Hope so.

2 week gap for Alun Wyn Jones - I think he should start now.

MrsP wrote:Missed the last 20mins.

Did much happen?

Well done the Os.

Impressive flick out of the back of the hand by Copeland for Tovey's try.

Just showing Leinster what they let go...

No the Ospreys scrumhalve however you spell his name got MOTM

Well played Ospreys btw, making your usual late season charge

Copelands work for the Tovey try was excellent, bosch one offload out the back door!!!

If only we had props, Fillisse was manshamed by a very small Boss!!!

I wish every game in the Rabo was like that.

Great game. The right result. Poor ref.

neilthom7 wrote:No the Ospreys scrumhalve however you spell his name got MOTM

Really?! I thought he was a bit average for much of that game.

It was a forwards win.

neilthom7 wrote:No the Ospreys scrumhalve however you spell his name got MOTM

Fotuali'i...AGAIN?! Good grief...are they trying to bribe him into changing his mind or what?

Kahn kicked very poorly!!!

Yeah Fotuali'i was fairly average, Bevington was easily my motm.

What a great game to watch, and during internatinnals window too.

Well done ospreys.

Probably howley is looking baffled watching this game. Picking players on form is an alien concept to him. Pretty annoyed the likes of bearman, king , bevington etc aren't involved in the national team.

I am not sure who awarded it but it was the BBC NI presenter who gave it to him it was a ball for it. BTW anyone watching RTE the Ireland v England U-20's match is on it must have been a hugely bad tempered match Ireland had 2 in the bin, England have one in the bin and one sent off

No Neilly, but I heard that there was a red card for a spear tackle - is that right?

Very weak Italian ref in that game. Ospreys forwards did well and I liked their use of rucking. It does the job. The backs also did well, too many scrum halves starting though. Apart from that it was a good game of rugby.

Excellant win. Thanks for the updates guys. In work and my stupid freeview box has packed in.

Can Ulster be caught in the PRO12 table? Looked highly unlikely a while back. Looking more likely now. Pressure.

I don't know Cari it was before I switched over from the Ulster match but I presume you could well be right. Ireland now lead that game 17-16 great conversion y young Daily under extraordinary pressure with 3 mins left, Ulster Scholes got the try btw.

Gibson wrote:Can Ulster be caught in the PRO12 table? Looked highly unlikely a while back. Looking more likely now. Pressure.

If the Ospreys hadn't started the season with those 3 loses on the bounce then they would be top now.

Ospreys have Edinburgh and Connacht up next (not really taking advantage of the international window), so it's possible if Ulster continue to ship points.

Great job Ireland Under 20's winning 16-15. Tom Daily man of the match one of the tries from Ulster's very own Ruari Scholes, the flame hgaired assasin will se why so many were binned and sent off now.

The loss of the game os one thing but if we have lost Pienaar...

one irish yellow for not releasing, henshaw yellowed for taking out a player in the air, one yellow for england for coming the side of the maul and the red card was not shown yet.

wales606 wrote:

Gibson wrote:Can Ulster be caught in the PRO12 table? Looked highly unlikely a while back. Looking more likely now. Pressure.

If the Ospreys hadn't started the season with those 3 loses on the bounce then they would be top now.

Ospreys have Edinburgh and Connacht up next (not really taking advantage of the international window), so it's possible if Ulster continue to ship points.

Tidy.

Leinster have Treviso and Scarlets at home, next up. I expect a min 9 pts from those games.

See ye lot from the Top.

Love to win it at the Library. Just because. Basterds. Respect.