Ospreys v Dragons 22nd March

Liberty Stadium
7.05 KO
Live on BBC.

Teams announced as below.

Ospreys.

15 Richard Fussell
14 Tom Habberfield
13 Jonathan Spratt
12 Ashley Beck
11 Tom Isaacs
10 Dan Biggar
9 Kahn Fotuali'i
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones (Capt)
5 Ian Evans
6 James King
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Jonathan Thomas

REPLACEMENTS
16 Scott Baldwin
17 Duncan Jones
18 Dmitri Arhip
19 Lloyd Peers
20 George Stowers
21 Rhys Webb
22 Matthew Morgan
23 Ben John

Dragons:

Dan Evans, Adam Hughes, Pat Leach, Jack Dixon, Ross Wardle, Steffan Jones, Wayne Evans; Owen Evans, Sam Parry, Nathan Buck, Andrew Coombs, Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate, Nic Cudd, Lewis Evans (c).

Replacements:
Hugh Gustafson, Phil Price, Dan Way, Ian Nimmo, Toby Faletau, Jonathan Evans, Will Harries, Hallam Amos.

Ospreys are going all out for 5 points i think. Good to see Lydiate back, what a pack to come back against!

No rest for some then! Gutted to be missing this, however the weather doesn't look great.

Breadvan, If you can't watch it live, you can always record it -- scrumv live, KO 7.05, BBC2W tomorrow.

You're right, it doesn't. Mind you the liberty performs well under bad conditions so could still be a good game.

They snuck Lydiate in under the radar. He wasn't named in the initial squad, then Darren changed it to the bench at best. Hope he's ready. Interesting to see Lewis Evans at 8. Bit of a weird bench, but then I guess we have enough centres starting, but I can't stand it when we don't have ten cover (Dan Evs is not a ten).

What's your hopes for the game Risca?

Ospreydragon wrote:Breadvan, If you can't watch it live, you can always record it -- scrumv live, KO 7.05, BBC2W tomorrow.

I'll watch it live on the telly (at work tho)

Watching the Dragons who have one of the worst pack in the league (although i have been fairly impressed by Owen Evans) against what is almost Wales' front 5 isn't going to be pretty. How many penalty try in this one?

georgestowersbiceps wrote:What's your hopes for the game Risca?

Not to pick up any injuries. For Danny to get a good run out. To not lose by a BP would be nice, but I do think we will get a bit outgunned.

This could be carnage.Ospreys by 20 at least

Should be parity in the scrums IMO

Really the O's front 5 should destroy us and they should put 60 on us.
They won't though. I'd expect a 15 point margin.

Agree risca Evans isn't a 10!!!!

Great to have Lydaite back, I hope he hasn't been rushed. No I jones in the squad? Probably our best player of late.

Be nice to see a good crowd!

youngguns6 wrote:Really the O's front 5 should destroy us and they should put 60 on us.
They won't though. I'd expect a 15 point margin.

Agree risca Evans isn't a 10!!!!

Great to have Lydaite back, I hope he hasn't been rushed. No I jones in the squad? Probably our best player of late.

I was being sarcastic! Of course they're going to destroy us!

youngguns6 wrote:Really the O's front 5 should destroy us and they should put 60 on us.
They won't though. I'd expect a 15 point margin.

Agree risca Evans isn't a 10!!!!

Great to have Lydaite back, I hope he hasn't been rushed. No I jones in the squad? Probably our best player of late.

That's what I don't understand. When I heard Toby was on the bench, I assumed it was because we were sticking with Ieuan.

I'm not too hopeful about this match, but on balance I'd rather lose this one and do ourselves proud by beating the Scarlets in the double-header. It's a 'home' game, after all.

Weather forecast looks horrific. Bet the Ospreys are very happy to have so many top players back.

Dragons are never easy mind...!

Sorry griff I did realise it was a joke, just making the point that they should destroy us but I doubt it will be that one sided.

Any news on I Jones, has he got a knock?

Totally agree, we really need to front up next week and win. No one expects us to do anything tonight and we probably won't. If steffan keeps the score board ticking over and we're up for it we could make a game of it.

Try for the Ospreys within five minutes, this is going to be a long night for the Dragons.

Woooooop!

7-0 at four and a half minutes. O's need a BP win...

The Ospreys are really going to miss Fotuali.

Very quick thinking, the O's are looking for tries tonight.

Finish the game in 50 minutes then get the internationals off?

They might take the internationals off sooner if this carries on...

Habberfield in with try number 2!

12-0 at 7:09.

Ospreys in possibilty of bonus point shocker?

wales606 wrote:The Ospreys are really going to miss Fotuali.

Very quick thinking, the O's are looking for tries tonight.

Finish the game in 50 minutes then get the internationals off?

Why do people keep saying this, yes he is good on the front foot, but when things do not go right he is all crap box kicking, with him gone perhaps Webb will get a chance to shine.

Good to see Beck back and playing well - the Ospreys lacked a bit in the backs in his absence

Fotuali - Biggar - Beck

is a lot better.


This isn't going to be pretty for Dragons supporters

12 - 0

Men against boys.

Breadvan wrote:Ospreys in possibilty of bonus point shocker?

I hope so!

14-0 at 08:05.

Yes we'll miss Fotuali'i, but it won't be the end of the world. Webb will hopefully get the chance to settle into the role and mature a little bit.

LordDowlais wrote:

wales606 wrote:The Ospreys are really going to miss Fotuali.

Very quick thinking, the O's are looking for tries tonight.

Finish the game in 50 minutes then get the internationals off?

Why do people keep saying this, yes he is good on the front foot, but when things do not go right he is all crap box kicking, with him gone perhaps Webb will get a chance to shine.

Rubbish, Fotuali was cr*p for a season, but this year he is the best SH in Europe.

Just as Fotuali puts in a perfectly placed box kick

Cari wrote:

Breadvan wrote:Ospreys in possibilty of bonus point shocker?

I hope so!

14-0 at 08:05.

Yes we'll miss Fotuali'i, but it won't be the end of the world. Webb will hopefully get the chance to settle into the role and mature a little bit.

How many games has he cost us with his constant box kicking Cari ?

Crap under Johnson but given freedom and confidence by Tandy. We'll def miss him but Webb has to seriously step up.

Cari wrote:

Breadvan wrote:Ospreys in possibilty of bonus point shocker?

I hope so!

14-0 at 08:05.

Yes we'll miss Fotuali'i, but it won't be the end of the world. Webb will hopefully get the chance to settle into the role and mature a little bit.

Webb was excellent last year, but really looked poor in his games this season - hopefully he will improve with more gametime.

First it was Knoyle, then Williams, then Webb then back to Williams - seriously, where is Mike Phillips heir?

wales606 wrote:

Cari wrote:

Breadvan wrote:Ospreys in possibilty of bonus point shocker?

I hope so!

14-0 at 08:05.

Yes we'll miss Fotuali'i, but it won't be the end of the world. Webb will hopefully get the chance to settle into the role and mature a little bit.

Webb was excellent last year, but really looked poor in his games this season - hopefully he will improve with more gametime.

First it was Knoyle, then Williams, then Webb then back to Williams - seriously, where is Mike Phillips heir?

He's been playing with the U20's

The O's missed a good opportunity to develop a suitable heir way back when Phillips was laid off for a while with injury. They got Ricky Januarie in (who was excellent) and we had the waste of space Nutbrown as a replacement.

Anyway Dragons get some pointage.

14-3 at 14:01.

LordDowlais wrote:

wales606 wrote:

Cari wrote:

Breadvan wrote:Ospreys in possibilty of bonus point shocker?

I hope so!

14-0 at 08:05.

Yes we'll miss Fotuali'i, but it won't be the end of the world. Webb will hopefully get the chance to settle into the role and mature a little bit.

Webb was excellent last year, but really looked poor in his games this season - hopefully he will improve with more gametime.

First it was Knoyle, then Williams, then Webb then back to Williams - seriously, where is Mike Phillips heir?

He's been playing with the U20's

Rhodri Williams - he is very flaky, excellent in the Scarlets away TBP win in Franklins gardens but then so poor he got dropped into the Preimership.

Habberfield was an exciting player in the U20, but the Ospreys have decided that all SHs should be played on the wing now.

Alywyn could be coming off soon...I don't want him getting an injury.

How come there's no rain in Swansea? It's wazzing down here....

Dragons going for another penalty which just goes wide.

AWJ might play the 80, since Evans played the entire 6Ns

They could take both locks off and move King to the second row - but then Tipuric would have to stay on.

No doubt they will all stay on the pitch if the O's don't get 2 more tries.

Beck in for try number 3!!!

19-3 at 21:11

Beautiful by both Fotuali and Beck - the O's two most creative players.

Dragons, are you England in disguise ?

Easy intercept for Parry.

I like Beck. I hope we get to see him play for Wales more.

Hopefully we build a decent lead then take some players off. Big game next week at the MS.

Btw...£99 to renew season tickets. Another good deal by the O's.

Breadvan wrote:Hopefully we build a decent lead then take some players off. Big game next week at the MS.

It will be easier than this week if the Blues injury list stays the same (or even gets worse )

I wish Hibbard would get his haircut, he looks like a gay hairdresser.

Cari wrote:Easy intercept for Parry.

I like Beck. I hope we get to see him play for Wales more.

He'll be back for the summer tour to Japan I guess.

Beck - Williams partneship I guess.

Not sure what other centres will go? Adam Hughes? Adam Warren?

Faletau on already

I've been calling Hibbard The Fat Hairdresser for ages. Not to his face mind.

Neither would I Cari, he would tackle me into next week.

Biggar kicking for some extra penalty points. Odd decision...still, more points...

24-3 at 30:44

HT Ospreys 24 - 6 Dragons.

Ospreys should have scored then

Ref not really penalising the Dragons getting blitzed at the scrum

Ospreys are always a different animal every time their players come back from Wales duty. Once again they effectively have an all international team. They should get the try bonus point on this occasion. They needed TBP's a lot earlier in the season though.