Ospreys v Dragons 22nd March

First topic message reminder :

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!

I'm a wee bit worried that they'll bottle the BP try...they should've gone for a try instead of kicking for points earlier. Ah well...hopefully they'll just go hell for leather and get a BP win.

R-Jo being interviewed He's still my O's hero.

Hahaha, Ryan Jones is great

Lydiate off already and replaced by Groves. Hope he's OK and it's just precautionary.

Lydaite off already

Oh dear :/

BONUS POINT TRY!!!!!

Excellent try from Issacs - superbly supported by Fussell and Fotuali'i.

31-6 at 42:37

And that is 4 tries

Time to take the big boys off soon.

Tipuric with the turnover, typical

Lydiate is ok

wales606 wrote:Lydiate is ok

That's a relief. I suppose they just wanted to warm him up a bit. He hadn't played since September.

Dan Evans over for the Dragons try.

31-11 at 46:35

I hope the O's aren't going to get complacent now...

Meanwhile it's 6-0 in Edinburgh...

Adam Jones and Ian Evans getting a rest

I hope we don't regret that! Dragons on the attack now...

Cari wrote:I hope we don't regret that! Dragons on the attack now...

Don't think so with a 20pt lead - that would take a fairly big implosion

Dragons opt for penalty points. Sensible decision.

31-14 at 54:30.

Fotuali excellent pick up off his toes.

Pity he couldn't release Tipuric for a run

It's heartbreaking that the ospreys couldn't hold on to Fotuali'i.

The heavens have opened there now. That'll make things awkward...

The O's have signed an Italian scrumhalf. I forgot about that.

Who would bet against the Ospreys not loosing a game for the rest of the season, including playoffs and a final ?

mikey_philVIII wrote:It's heartbreaking that the ospreys couldn't hold on to Fotuali'i.

Your looking at him through misty eyes, I have seen him cost the Ospreys in big games like in the HC.

LordDowlais wrote:Who would bet against the Ospreys not loosing a game for the rest of the season, including playoffs and a final ?

Me. They've got some fierce competition at the top of the table...

Ha! I like the band playing Singing in the Rain. Dragons miss the penalty. Why don't they just go for the corner...?

Some lovely sidesteps from Beck, but he can't quite get there...

Woop! Biggar over for try number 5!

36-14 at 62:34

Beck had no right to make that much ground.

O's have the try, despite Fussell and Spratt's inabilty to make try scoring passes

Baldwin on for Hibbard and Webb on for Fotuali'i.

Biggar's kicking has been excellent - didn't miss any for Wales last week either - a serious backup for Halfpenny and the O's would have been in BIG trouble if they lost him.

Seems like a good atmosphere there tonight, rugby must be cool again in Wales, I wonder why.

Biggar with a bad foot

wales606 wrote:Biggar's kicking has been excellent - didn't miss any for Wales last week either - a serious backup for Halfpenny and the O's would have been in BIG trouble if they lost him.

Oh I don't know...Morgs isn't a too shabby replacement. Just not as experienced...yet.

Faletau with a surprise try.

38-19 at 68:25.

Cari wrote:

wales606 wrote:Biggar's kicking has been excellent - didn't miss any for Wales last week either - a serious backup for Halfpenny and the O's would have been in BIG trouble if they lost him.

Oh I don't know...Morgs isn't a too shabby replacement. Just not as experienced...yet.

Still inconvinced. He is a poor defender and doesn't have half the kicking game of Biggar.

Faletau try

LordDowlais wrote:

mikey_philVIII wrote:It's heartbreaking that the ospreys couldn't hold on to Fotuali'i.

Your looking at him through misty eyes, I have seen him cost the Ospreys in big games like in the HC.

Then I think it's just you. He was the only one trying up in Leicester and down in Toulouse. His leadership has been nothing short of immaculate. Best scrum half in the world in my opinion.

It'll come though.

Alywyn and Bevington off replaced by Stowers and Jones.

Looks like Tips drew the short straw

mikey_philVIII wrote:. Best scrum half in the world in my opinion.

That's got to be a WUM!

Biggar off. Could be try number six coming...

Cari wrote:

mikey_philVIII wrote:. Best scrum half in the world in my opinion.

That's got to be a WUM!

Biggar off. Could be try number six coming...

He is not far off IMO, Genia is better as is Parra, Phillips and Pienaar, but he is probably no5

Arhip gets his first O's try

First order of business for the O's next season...

Replace Fussell!!!

thebluesmancometh wrote:First order of business for the O's next season...

Replace Fussell!!!

VERY harsh, despite being moronic for several years, he does do his job pretty well for the O's

45-19 at 74:38

Well done Arhip (or whatever well done is in Moldovan).

TIPS IN WITH TRY NUMBER 7!!!!

Matthew Morgan butchers a try by falling over his own feet.

But it is ok, Tipuric is playing on the wing

52-19 at 76:09.

wales606 wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:First order of business for the O's next season...

Replace Fussell!!!

VERY harsh, despite being moronic for several years, he does do his job pretty well for the O's

If his job is to keep the shirt on his back then yes. Don't get me wrong he'll cover in the Rabo decent enough, but he is so below HC level!!!

thebluesmancometh wrote:

wales606 wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:First order of business for the O's next season...

Replace Fussell!!!

VERY harsh, despite being moronic for several years, he does do his job pretty well for the O's

If his job is to keep the shirt on his back then yes. Don't get me wrong he'll cover in the Rabo decent enough, but he is so below HC level!!!

He was, but this season he has looked decent. Cuts some good attacking lines from FB, which is what is needed when the O's lack creativity out wide

Arhip in the bin now

Arhip YC

Dragons should score here...O's defence is loose. Stowers illegally turns it over.

52-19 at FT

MOTM is Ashley Beck

FT

52 - 19

Beck was good, but the forwards won that game - I think Tips should have got it