Pro12: Benetton Treviso v Ospreys (Fri)

Not much to talk about on here these days, so I thought I would do  a match thread for Ospreys on Friday night. Dudley Phillips is reffing so I do not think Ospreys will get much out of this, but there you go, teams to be announces shortly.


Venue: Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso Date: 10 April, 2015 Kick-off: 19:35 BST

Coverage: Live commentary on Scrum V, BBC Two Wales and the BBC Sport website, and updates on BBC Radio Wales


Ospreys: Dan Evans; Tom Grabham, Jonathan Spratt, Josh Matavesi, Eli Walker; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Ryan Bevington, Scott Baldwin. Aaron Jarvis. Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Tyler Ardron, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Dan Baker.

Replacements: Scott Otten, Nicky Smith, Dmitri Arhip, Lloyd Peers, James King, Tom Habberfield, Sam Davies, Ben John.


Benetton Treviso: (TBC)

Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 49th competition game)

Assistant Referees: Marius Mitrea, Simone Boaretto (both FIR)

Citing Commissioner: Marco Cordelli (FIR )

TMO: Carlo Damasco (FIR )

Looks like Ospreys could have their internationals back:-

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/wales/32221235

Strong team, they need the bonus point from this game and it looks like they're not going to take Treviso for granted again.

Would have liked to have seen Nick Smith start, given the state of our scrum without him, and it's a shame not to see Hanno involved again.

Its a strong team with a decent bench, I hope they get the full 5pts.

I'd be happy with a win LD. We might give them a bit of a hammering at the Liberty, but out in Treviso we're no great shakes

Penfro, I am more worried with the fact Dudley Phillips is reffing, another Irish ref for Ospreys.

LordDowlais wrote:Penfro, I am more worried with the fact Dudley Phillips is reffing, another Irish ref for Ospreys.

I don't know why I keep doing this but here we go here we go again, Lord

Ospreys and Irish refs Part 2:

18 games played.

2 Scottish Refs, 3 Italian Refs, 4 Welsh Refs and 9 Irish Refs.

So far so ominous!!!!      

2 Scottish Refs = 2 small margin wins (less than 10 points difference) for Ospreys
3 Italian Refs = 1 big win (more than 10 points difference), 1 small margin win, 1 loss for Ospreys
4 Welsh Refs = 2 small margin wins, 1 big win and 1 loss for Ospreys
9 Irish Refs = 5 big wins, 1 small margin win, 1 draw and 2 Losses for Ospreys.  

So that's 6 wins and a draw for Ospreys under 9 Irish reffed games.  Their three biggest scoring games (+40) were under Irish Refs.

I think with that record I'd be looking forward to Irish refs, Lord, not dreading it

Oh and the Irish Scots Ref let you win too .... against his own Province!

That's 7 wins from 10 for Ospreys with Irish Refs. Good shooting Ospreys! No wonder the categorically request Irish refs at the beginning of each season

Well we are about to find out now SF.

Anyone else on here watching this ?

Ok right call by Dudley Phillips for the crocked feed, now let's see if he is consistent with it.

Bevington is a waste of space in the scrum, he may be good in the loose but costing the team.

glamorganalun wrote:Bevington is a waste of space in the scrum, he may be good in the loose but costing the team.

Looks like Nick Smith is warming up.

Treviso have been spoiling everything in this first half, and they are living off side.

Nicky needs to come on before Bevington gets carded, Paul James can't come soon enough.

Cheers for your replies boys, I was talking to myself for a bit tonight.

Nicky Smith is on.

And now he is off

I'm afraid I've been watching the Glasgow v Blues game because I thought it might be a better battle....Hmmmm not so far.

Well so much for your ref theory Fly, Dudley Phillips is doing all he can for Treviso, two yellows for Ospreys are. Complete joke, Webb has just been yellowed for a tackle underneath the arm pits.

I cannot watch this I am fuming.

This ref is so crap he can't see what is going on relying on the crowd to ref the game.

the ref has been poor, but we'd still be comfortable if we had a decent scrum.

Why waste money on Lydiate and Delve when the front row is struggling?

The Ospreys are falling apart, this ref ignores going in from the side. No yellow for the deliberate knock on, constant sploiling

Walker did well again and needed

Need to bring on Sam Davies to cut the Italians defence.

I had a feeling the scrum would struggle, but not as badly as it sounds (I'm not watching the game). Ospreys do have their eye on a TH so I'm told. Bring one in and they have quite a good squad next season - they could probably do with bringing in 10 and back three cover too.

Tips was taken in the air another wrong call

With Matevasi, Biggar and Davies, we're pretty solid at 10, could do with more fullback cover though.

I actually think Arhip is decent but Jarvis is absolutely gash.

Which is worrying considering he seems to be Wales' second choice..

Great ry for the bonus

Takes Webb to highest tries scored in a season for the ospreys

LordDowlais wrote:I cannot watch this I am fuming.

Notch another one down there Lord.

Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

glamorganalun wrote: Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

Now that IS shocking that Scrum V would have that opinion.

The Blues were shocking again in defence, I can't see them threatening the Ospreys at the MS on the 25th, the Dragons Scarlets could be a good game, looking forward to the double header.

Vital 5 pointer.

glamorganalun wrote:Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

even the most biased commentry team going?

glamorganalun wrote:Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

It is just so irresponsible of supposed rugby guys whinging about the ref. Ross Harries said that they don't like talking about referees and they do it pretty much every week - hypocrite. The Rhys Webb clothesline was lucky not to be a red never mind yellow and the Treviso yellow was deliberate penalty in the red zone so definite yellow. You wonder if these pundits know anything about the how rugby is supposed to respect referees. Whinging like this will just encourage experienced refs to give up the game. Why on earth would refs who are amateur guys doing their best for the game they love, giving up their weekends on a budget in the Pro12, bother when they get such pernickety constant ctiricism.
Are Jones and Holley so stupid to think that by criticising refs and forcing them out of the game. that the replacements will so much better?

TJ wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

even  the most biased commentry team going?

Did you watch the game TJ ?

The Great Aukster wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

It is just so irresponsible of supposed rugby guys whinging about the ref. Ross Harries said that they don't like talking about referees and they do it pretty much every week - hypocrite. The Rhys Webb clothesline was lucky not to be a red never mind yellow and the Treviso yellow was deliberate penalty in the red zone so definite yellow. You wonder if these pundits know anything about the how rugby is supposed to respect referees. Whinging like this will just encourage experienced refs to give up the game. Why on earth would refs who are amateur guys doing their best for the game they love, giving up their weekends on a budget in the Pro12, bother when they get such pernickety constant ctiricism.
Are Jones and Holley so stupid to think that by criticising refs and forcing them out of the game. that the replacements will so much better?

Rhys Webb did not close line anybody, how could you say something like that when he clearly tackled the player beneath the armpits, even Carlo De Flavo said the same. The yellow for Nicky Smith was a joke as well, as soon as he came on Ospreys scrum was in top, but why not yellow him anyway.

The Great Aukster wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

It is just so irresponsible of supposed rugby guys whinging about the ref. Ross Harries said that they don't like talking about referees and they do it pretty much every week - hypocrite. The Rhys Webb clothesline was lucky not to be a red never mind yellow and the Treviso yellow was deliberate penalty in the red zone so definite yellow. You wonder if these pundits know anything about the how rugby is supposed to respect referees. Whinging like this will just encourage experienced refs to give up the game. Why on earth would refs who are amateur guys doing their best for the game they love, giving up their weekends on a budget in the Pro12, bother when they get such pernickety constant ctiricism.
Are Jones and Holley so stupid to think that by criticising refs and forcing them out of the game. that the replacements will so much better?

You've got to be f*cking kidding me Aukster! After the weeks of shoite you and your pundits have given out about Wayne Barnes it is completely out of order to come on here with this sort of double standards. You should feel ashamed!

(P.s. Didn't see the Ospreys game so can't comment on the incidents. Can only comment on you whingeing about ref whingers).

Why bite? Most blatant wind up i've seen in a while.

Yeah, maybe he was being sarcastic. Hope he was.

glamorganalun wrote:The Blues were shocking again in defence, I can't see them threatening the Ospreys at the MS on the 25th, the Dragons Scarlets could be a good game, looking forward to the double header.

Blues are the worst side in the league at the moment, they are even worst than the two Italian sides, unless they buck their ideas up, on the big millennium pitch they are in for a hiding next week, I am going, and I am expecting nothing from Blues, I am looking forward to the second match more than the first.

Recorded the game and only saw the last two tries. Impressed with that tbh. Ospreys of old would've wound the clock down and hung on. Not surprised to read Dudley has had another shocker when we're involved.

Wayne Barnes. I don't think I need to say much more .

Griff wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:Even the scrum V team stated the ref was shocking and could have cost the Ospreys.

It is just so irresponsible of supposed rugby guys whinging about the ref. Ross Harries said that they don't like talking about referees and they do it pretty much every week - hypocrite. The Rhys Webb clothesline was lucky not to be a red never mind yellow and the Treviso yellow was deliberate penalty in the red zone so definite yellow. You wonder if these pundits know anything about the how rugby is supposed to respect referees. Whinging like this will just encourage experienced refs to give up the game. Why on earth would refs who are amateur guys doing their best for the game they love, giving up their weekends on a budget in the Pro12, bother when they get such pernickety constant ctiricism.
Are Jones and Holley so stupid to think that by criticising refs and forcing them out of the game. that the replacements will so much better?

You've got to be f*cking kidding me Aukster! After the weeks of shoite you and your pundits have given out about Wayne Barnes it is completely out of order to come on here with this sort of double standards. You should feel ashamed!

(P.s. Didn't see the Ospreys game so can't comment on the incidents. Can only comment on you whingeing about ref whingers).

The difference is Griff some people actually believe the stuff that is nationally broadcast by supposed rugby guys who should know about rugby. Kids watch such rugby programmes and are influenced by the same. Pat Lam was castigated for bringing the game into disrepute by questioning an official and there should be no double standard here - the media is not above criticism.

Just in case you don't realise I am not a national broadcaster, I don't have any pundits and my opinion is inconsequential.

The general standard of refereeing in the Pro 12 is very poor. If no one says anything about it then it will just go unchanged.