Saints vs The Ospreys -HEC Round 2

Kick-off: 12:45 local (11:45 GMT)
Venue: Franklin's Gardens
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffikin (Ireland), Jonathan Peak (Ireland)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)


Northampton: Foden; Elliott, Pisi, Luther Burrell, North; Myler, Dickson; Waller, Hartley (capt), Ma'afu, Lawes, Day, Wood, Dowson, Manoa.

Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Denman, Van Velze, Clark, Fotuali'i, Wilson, Pisi.

Ospreys: Fussell; Hassler, Bishop, Beck, Walker; Biggar, Habberfield; Bevington, Hibbard, Jones, AW Jones (capt), King, R Jones, Tipuric, Bearman.

Replacements: Baldwin, D Jones, Jarvis, Ardron, Allen, Lewis, Tebaldi, Morgan.




 

The most interesting and possibly rewarding selection in this ospreys team is the promotion of Tom Habberfield from bench to the scrum half shirt at the expense of Tebaldi.

Tito has had a great start to the season but looked limited vs Leinster last week. habberfield is an immensely promising talent in my opinion. One who could well be the fulcrum of the Ospreys for years to come.

Habberfield demonstrated in the JWC a few years ago that he has the skills, composure and vision to succeed at the top, this has not translated to Regional progress mainly due to his run of poor injuries and the master class season of Khan Foutali'i last season.

I am surprised that Foutali'i is on the bench this week and Dixon playing. A saints fan may well have to explain that selection, Khan is a measure of consistency, Dixon far too regularly blowss hot and cold.

Solid start by the Saints 3-0

Well well Adam Jones pinged for binding on the arm. May be boobie for tat as one pen each at scrum time

Rolland showing plenty of bias towards home team in the opening stages. There's been some baffling penalties.

Easy as you like for Saints terrible defending by the Sprays

10-0 after 12 mins

Such a soft try there

Awful, awful defending

Yeah that is shocking. Lack of communication. Same story every week for the Spreys. And Rolland only giving the Ospreys front-row a talking to there when Saints were just as guilty. Another pathetic Irish ref for a Welsh team this weekend.

Where you guys getting your pictures from, after about 5 minutes Sky Sports 2 on my UPC shut down completely - ditto SS3 although SS1 and SS4 working. Strange!

Who goes for an up n under from a penalty when Foden and North are standing there waiting? Idiots.

Soft pen for Ospreys gives Os a bit of relief Biggar makes it 10-3 & Sprays haven't been in it.

Great work from Tipuric

Need some phases and composure to get back into this game.

The Saint wrote:Yeah that is shocking. Lack of communication. Same story every week for the Spreys. And Rolland only giving the Ospreys front-row a talking to there when Saints were just as guilty. Another pathetic Irish ref for a Welsh team this weekend.

Give over will ya. Already complaining about the ref

I love how Saints fans whinge if the opposition hooker stands up. They must be totally oblivious to Hartley doing it in every single game. And with that, Rolland awards anothe unknown scrum decision Saints way.

 

I get that Jughead's trying to push, but Manoa is Ryan Jones' man. He can be guilty of that sometimes. I can remember when he did it v France before.

Whilst the centre is maybe stood a bit too far away, you wouldn't want Manoa getting a run at him anyway.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

The Saint wrote:Yeah that is shocking. Lack of communication. Same story every week for the Spreys. And Rolland only giving the Ospreys front-row a talking to there when Saints were just as guilty. Another pathetic Irish ref for a Welsh team this weekend.

Give over will ya. Already complaining about the ref

I'm entitled to my opinion. I mean it's not like you have a history of moaning about the ref's every time Leinster and Ireland lose to Ospreys and Wales . If you don't like it, log out. It's quite simple.

Quality from Saints take it through the hands & another try for Saints

17-6

Tom Wood showing Tips who is boss

BamBam wrote:Tom Wood showing Tips who is boss

Illegally

Ospreys backs are horrendous. How many years does Fussell need to play crap before getting dropped?

Excellent from Wood.

The Saint wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

The Saint wrote:Yeah that is shocking. Lack of communication. Same story every week for the Spreys. And Rolland only giving the Ospreys front-row a talking to there when Saints were just as guilty. Another pathetic Irish ref for a Welsh team this weekend.

Give over will ya. Already complaining about the ref

I'm entitled to my opinion. I mean it's not like you have a history of moaning about the ref's every time Leinster and Ireland lose to Ospreys and Wales . If you don't like it, log out. It's quite simple.

ok.

Ref is screwing the O's at the breakdown

Ridiculous from Rolland. Hartley was straight off his feet in the first instance. So glad he's retiring!

We're screwing ourselves tbh.

wales606 wrote:Ref is screwing the O's at the breakdown

I think Lawes & Wood might have a bit to do with it.

Fuss is quite effective if he uses pace and takes on a player. The stutter and step ruins him tho...

Poor from the Os again...

WTF ref?

Why did the scrum half have to play that at all?

That one must have been due to the ref too  

So Saints can fall over a ruck off their feet and win a penalty for it??
Hell a lot of blocking tacklers going on as well,
what has Wales ever done to Rolland? he seems to hate anything Welsh.

Ospreys need to re-think their strategy at halftime. Too many aspects are not working for them and the referee will not change the way he adjudicates.

It is a do or die second half performance for them. Time to dig very deep.

wales606 wrote:WTF ref?

Why did the scrum half have to play that at all?

Agreed, Ospreys going forward Saints breaking off penalty Ospreys, but when he tried to play it Saint fall over the ball off their feet penalty Ospreys!
But no Rolland don't like the game that way Rolland want what he want, PRAT!

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:Well well Adam Jones pinged for binding on the arm. May be boobie for tat as one pen each at scrum time

Impossible, Adam Jones never cheats!

The sooner Rolland retires and stops spoiling our game the better.

wales606 wrote:WTF ref?

Why did the scrum half have to play that at all?

Yeah, weird how Northampton never have to play it on their's... That's if they haven't took the scrum down. Games involving Rolland over the past season and last season have been a lottery. Retirement planning was long overdue.

Actually, I shouldn't complain because I know how much I'm looking forward to hearing about Clancy's refereeing performance later. Not that it would make much difference

yeah sure it's all the refs fault.

Nothing to do with Saints looking very very much the better team. Playing with more pace, hitting the breakdown much harder and dominating the contact area. Lawes has had a great half. O's are if anything lucky to still be relatively in touch...

You can only have a go at the ref when hos decisions harm your ability to play. When your players are playing poorly it really isn't his fault. The Ospreys have been out muscled and tactically out thought. The Ospreys need to committ more to the breakdown and look after the ball but do so in the right areas of the field.

ChequeredJersey wrote:Actually, I shouldn't complain because I know how much I'm looking forward to hearing about Clancy's refereeing performance later. Not that it would make much difference

Is Clancy refereeing the Quins match?

Ospreys are second best currently. Ref is irrelevant.

maestegmafia wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Actually, I shouldn't complain because I know how much I'm looking forward to hearing about Clancy's refereeing performance later. Not that it would make much difference

Is Clancy refereeing the Quins match?

Regrettably so

Maybe difficult for the football boys who watch some rugby to comprehend what Saints are doing off the ball and getting away with but there is not a lot the Ospreys can do about it if the ref is allowing players to shoulder charge into rucks, block cover tacklers , not hold the scrum steady and flop over the ball at the ruck.

DeludedOptimistorjustDave wrote:Maybe difficult for the football boys who watch some rugby to comprehend what Saints are doing off the ball and getting away with but there is not a lot the Ospreys can do about it if the ref is allowing players to shoulder charge into rucks, block cover tacklers , not hold the scrum steady and flop over the ball at the ruck.

you can still try to tackle someone rather than let him stroll over from an attacking scrum and just looking at each other, no?

still as long as you can get your cheap insults in eh?

Ah, I forgot that saying about rugby "don't play the ref". Famous I think

ChequeredJersey wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Actually, I shouldn't complain because I know how much I'm looking forward to hearing about Clancy's refereeing performance later. Not that it would make much difference

Is Clancy refereeing the Quins match?

Regrettably so

You have our sincerest condolences, the man does for rugby what Genghis Khan did for 12th century international relations.

Rumour is that Adam Jones has made a petition to get back to previous scrum's rule!

Ospreys not looking too good so far in this game.

Courtney Laws is putting in some dig hits, George North is having a good game so far also.

Ospreys really do need to come out in the second half with a different mind set if they are to stay in this game though.

maestegmafia wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:Actually, I shouldn't complain because I know how much I'm looking forward to hearing about Clancy's refereeing performance later. Not that it would make much difference

Is Clancy refereeing the Quins match?

Regrettably so

You have our sincerest condolences, the man does for rugby what Genghis Khan did for 12th century international relations.

Thanks. Hopefully we can use his whistleblwoing propensity to win some penalties and play Clermont like Ulster played Montpellier (not a Quins style, but seems sensible in this case) but that would require Nev, Danny, BB and Brown to bring their kicking A game. Otherwise we'll have to just go for all out attack, hope it clicks and the pack put in the shift of their lives and Clermont get blown away and drop their chins while we get our tails up. If we win, it may be our best result ever