Well I suppose you are right but I would sooner us lose trying something different out and score a try or two that showed new approach, but I knew 100 % we would lose that game as soon as I saw the team sheet, and that’s my disappointment really.
@daves disco I was actually very optimistic when I saw the Ospreys team. and even more so when I saw the Blues team but I failed to realise that the Blues players were playing for their places in next season's squad/team whereas our players were not.
Can’t help but feel real disappointment at the last two games, I know there was not much to play for, but who believes that statement? Surely you play to win and for the region? New executives , new coach, new players but a false dawn? How can we go on playing such a tepid brand of rugby when we have all these new ideas going into the mix? Surely there must some freshness to our game, but it seems not! I am very disappointed in the Ospreys, and I don’t think that waiting for the new season will bring about any radical change because we have just come out of enforced break in which there was plenty of time to experiment with new concepts and ideas. Where do we go from here?
@daves disco You have to remember that Booth and James have only had a few weeks with the boys and some of those weeks were disrupted by Covid-19 precautions where the whole squad was split into groups of three and they were not together at all during the enforced break as they were not allowed to train. I believe Booth used these two games as a chance to have a proper look at his players to give him the knowledge he needs to move forward.
Booth needs to be given time and funds to properly build his squad/team and it will take more than pandemic-hit summer for him to achieve this. This past season was the worst in Ospreys' history - things can only get better!!!
I think you’re right in that we need to give the coaches time. the only thing is I guess people have got fed up of hearing that over the past 5/6 years. However I know that Pivac took at least a year, maybe a little more before he had the scarlets starting to play in the way that got them their league title in 2016. Some fans I know were starting to get fed up and impatient, and look what happened next. I guess they had already got their off field structures and staff sorted and settled by then, whereas I presume we haven’t.
Although the criticism so far has been warranted I still feel we are all guilty of putting our expectations too high. We had nothing really to play for and with the long lay off motivation must have been low, I don't know about anyone else but trying to cope with external issues let alone not knowing a date of when you will be playing, then to be told there are conditions you need to follow before you get on the field must all have an impact. Yes the argument is that these are paid professional athletes and they should be ready especially as other clubs have looked to have done better. But again I reiterate that the other teams either had something to play for or were not coming off the back of one of the tumultuous and soul destroying seasons ever.
I think we should cut all the players some slack and ease of the individual criticisms and allow them to prove themselves after a few games of the next season when ever that is. To highlight individuals from two games that only acted as warm ups based on what clearly was reduced training and selection is to be being pedantic.
I am not sure you can ever improve issues such of lack of speed or agility or athleticism. This is just pointing out a fact rather than criticising individuals. The criticism is of the people who put such an unbalanced squad together. Nobody should criticise the players efforts.
@Uplands3 I don't know the reasons why he and so many others did not feature in the two matches. I think the most plausible of all the various reasons I have heard advanced is that as a new game plan was being introduced and Covid must have effected training that he decided to use a smaller group of players to get up to speed rather than chop and change from the entire squad. Given how little time he has had he probably picked on reputation and I imagine in reputation terms Botha is seen as first choice and he wanted to see what he had in Nicky Thomas. There may be other reasons. Fia seems to get injured relatively easily
@Fiddler I’ve seen FIA training on his own over the last few weeks just doing long runs etc so it could be he’s just getting back after an injury set back but not sure.
Most worrying was how bad Myler was. I don’t think what Booth and Brock James are trying to coach can survive a statue at 10.
Also, the starting team had no dynamism in it apart from Tipuric and Otten - Gareth Evans very poor, Bradley Davies very poor, Tom Botha offers very little and Cracknell is easily lined up and defended.
Can’t see Cross or Thomas-Wheeler ever making the grade.
@TaI We do need dynamism through the Squad and that is painfully obvious. I think it is a case of needs must for now with certain players as we can't exactly go out and resolve years of poor recruitment and squad imbalance in just one summer...
Sorry for not continuing with match commentary but we had unexpected visitors and the TV had to go off (was that a good thing or a bad thing???). I have only just gotten around to watching the game and writing my match report which is now available on the OST website - https://www.ospreyssupporterstrust.co.uk/post/blues-v-ospreys-at-rodney-parade.
Please join the website and comment on the report if you agree or disagree with it.
Also there will be another Monday Morning Quarterback piece offering a very different Point of View on the game on the website tomorrow late morning.
Again, please join and log in to the OST website and comment on both pieces and how you find them.
You mentioned Gareth Thomas, here lies our problem...players as sub-standard as he are too frequent in our squad. Possibly decent at WP level, but no higher unfortunately.
So disappointing today, again my expectations were too high but there were some glimmers of hope. The biggest problem we have is that the younger players need to out play the old guard and stop being subservient to them, there are a few that are beginning to take the lead. Nikki Smith, Otten, Gareth Thomas, Evans, even Kieran Williams are moving in the right direction. True we have issues with some of their game both in attack and defense but there are touches that show their talent. In the end all the players need to be subservient to the coach and no one else.
Another thing I query, is Tips a captain? I think not but Booth seems confident in that decision...how long has he been skipper? I think it's the 'similar' time we've been effing terrible(I'm not blaming his leadership for our demise!)so is it just a coincidence 🤔 AWJ gets inside the referees mind, seemed to me Tips gets on their nerves...
I felt slightly more upbeat when the second string came on at 60 minutes or so...I'm not as enthusiastic as most reference Kieran Williams as his defence last week was terrible, going forward was great, but today he was a huge difference to what TTW gives. Matt Protheroe did well and looked energetic(kicking needs improving massively!) Dewi Lake is gonna be outstanding imo(Scott Otten the only positive for me with the starting 15) Nicky Thomas, could be really really good, heard about his fitness but from what I saw it doesn't seem terrible 🤔
We need money invested for better players, are the new owners the real deal or not? Time Will tell...
Agree Fiddler but our style of play doesn’t help, we have no dummy runners, lie so flat and with no support runners the off load is not an option. We are being tackled off the park which is leading to pressure penalties being conceded or aimless kicking.
The big worry to me is that we lost the collisions out there. They were far more hungry than us and we got on the wrong side of the referee. I think we know deep down we lack the pace to risk being caught out in the open field and therefore try a very limited game plan. Having to play Tips and AWJ for 80 minutes in two meaningless games must show how little confidence Booth really has in his squad.
I could have used one of my old posts from three years ago, nothing has changed. Our back play is still abysmal in speed and thought and continues to crab across field. If this is what next season has in store a 2nd wave of corona is all that can save us.
I think the essential problem is lack of pace and lack of carrying power. We just cannot get fast go forward ball and until we find a way of doing that you can only ever see lateral back play.
I think there is a danger he stood out in age group rugby because he was a big physically mature guy. He seems to lack the necessary explosion and pace
It's stagnant! The only time we've taken the ball at pace was on 34 minutes(Otten)and we score a try. We seem to lack size, power, speed, energy, dynamism, creativity, the list goes on! Why oh why oh why is Cracknell on a new 2 year contract? I see he tries very hard, but he achieves nothing to warrant a contract imho...he's not very good. Why is Webb kicking so much, with no real chase? Why does Watkin kick aimlessly so much? So disappointed again after the poor showing last week...now for the second half and huge improvements
What a painful brand of rugby to watch...we win a lineout, kick it away...win a scrum, kick it away...no ball carriers, an old 10 who has no idea(from what I've seen so far)how to run a line...a good scrum though, decent lineout and last week a decent driving maul when Lake came on...but so painful to watch 😥
The problem we have looks pretty obvious. Lack of enough players with top end pace and explosion.I think it will be very hard to defend the open field unless we get more pace into the side.
@Fiddler If the new owners don’t wish to invest to address the glaring problems you’ve highlighted, it’s going to be a very painful few years. We really are dire.
Tovey point to the posts. Neither side has gained ad advantage in open play but the Ospreys had the edge in the first scrum. Tovey slots the kick and it is 3-3 after 13 minutes.
Ospreys take the ball at the lineout and go through some phases without making too much ground before Webb chips into the Blues 22 and Adams makes the mark. He kicks long and Dan Evans puts the ball into touch. From the lineout, Ospreys backs are offside and the Blues have a kickable penalty.
Owen Watkin rips possession away from Adams and Webb box kicks. The Blues return the favour before Dan Evans kicks long and Morgan puts it into touch on half way. Ospreys win the lineout and push into the Blues half before a kick into the Blues 22 is cleared to touch for an Ospreys attacking lineout.
A great first scrum from Rhodri Jones who lifts and drives back Arhip. Ospreys win a second penalty a minute later which Myler is set to kick at goal...
Well I suppose you are right but I would sooner us lose trying something different out and score a try or two that showed new approach, but I knew 100 % we would lose that game as soon as I saw the team sheet, and that’s my disappointment really.
Can’t help but feel real disappointment at the last two games, I know there was not much to play for, but who believes that statement? Surely you play to win and for the region? New executives , new coach, new players but a false dawn? How can we go on playing such a tepid brand of rugby when we have all these new ideas going into the mix? Surely there must some freshness to our game, but it seems not! I am very disappointed in the Ospreys, and I don’t think that waiting for the new season will bring about any radical change because we have just come out of enforced break in which there was plenty of time to experiment with new concepts and ideas. Where do we go from here?
Although the criticism so far has been warranted I still feel we are all guilty of putting our expectations too high. We had nothing really to play for and with the long lay off motivation must have been low, I don't know about anyone else but trying to cope with external issues let alone not knowing a date of when you will be playing, then to be told there are conditions you need to follow before you get on the field must all have an impact. Yes the argument is that these are paid professional athletes and they should be ready especially as other clubs have looked to have done better. But again I reiterate that the other teams either had something to play for or were not coming off the back of one of the tumultuous and soul destroying seasons ever.
I think we should cut all the players some slack and ease of the individual criticisms and allow them to prove themselves after a few games of the next season when ever that is. To highlight individuals from two games that only acted as warm ups based on what clearly was reduced training and selection is to be being pedantic.
Nicky Thomas looks as if he is carrying triplets. He has a lot of work to do to get fit; again!!
Most worrying was how bad Myler was. I don’t think what Booth and Brock James are trying to coach can survive a statue at 10.
Also, the starting team had no dynamism in it apart from Tipuric and Otten - Gareth Evans very poor, Bradley Davies very poor, Tom Botha offers very little and Cracknell is easily lined up and defended.
Can’t see Cross or Thomas-Wheeler ever making the grade.
Sorry for not continuing with match commentary but we had unexpected visitors and the TV had to go off (was that a good thing or a bad thing???). I have only just gotten around to watching the game and writing my match report which is now available on the OST website - https://www.ospreyssupporterstrust.co.uk/post/blues-v-ospreys-at-rodney-parade.
Please join the website and comment on the report if you agree or disagree with it.
Also there will be another Monday Morning Quarterback piece offering a very different Point of View on the game on the website tomorrow late morning.
Again, please join and log in to the OST website and comment on both pieces and how you find them.
You mentioned Gareth Thomas, here lies our problem...players as sub-standard as he are too frequent in our squad. Possibly decent at WP level, but no higher unfortunately.
So disappointing today, again my expectations were too high but there were some glimmers of hope. The biggest problem we have is that the younger players need to out play the old guard and stop being subservient to them, there are a few that are beginning to take the lead. Nikki Smith, Otten, Gareth Thomas, Evans, even Kieran Williams are moving in the right direction. True we have issues with some of their game both in attack and defense but there are touches that show their talent. In the end all the players need to be subservient to the coach and no one else.
Another thing I query, is Tips a captain? I think not but Booth seems confident in that decision...how long has he been skipper? I think it's the 'similar' time we've been effing terrible(I'm not blaming his leadership for our demise!)so is it just a coincidence 🤔 AWJ gets inside the referees mind, seemed to me Tips gets on their nerves...
I felt slightly more upbeat when the second string came on at 60 minutes or so...I'm not as enthusiastic as most reference Kieran Williams as his defence last week was terrible, going forward was great, but today he was a huge difference to what TTW gives. Matt Protheroe did well and looked energetic(kicking needs improving massively!) Dewi Lake is gonna be outstanding imo(Scott Otten the only positive for me with the starting 15) Nicky Thomas, could be really really good, heard about his fitness but from what I saw it doesn't seem terrible 🤔
We need money invested for better players, are the new owners the real deal or not? Time Will tell...
Agree Fiddler but our style of play doesn’t help, we have no dummy runners, lie so flat and with no support runners the off load is not an option. We are being tackled off the park which is leading to pressure penalties being conceded or aimless kicking.
I could have used one of my old posts from three years ago, nothing has changed. Our back play is still abysmal in speed and thought and continues to crab across field. If this is what next season has in store a 2nd wave of corona is all that can save us.
Could someone please tell me, what is TTW about?
It's stagnant! The only time we've taken the ball at pace was on 34 minutes(Otten)and we score a try. We seem to lack size, power, speed, energy, dynamism, creativity, the list goes on! Why oh why oh why is Cracknell on a new 2 year contract? I see he tries very hard, but he achieves nothing to warrant a contract imho...he's not very good. Why is Webb kicking so much, with no real chase? Why does Watkin kick aimlessly so much? So disappointed again after the poor showing last week...now for the second half and huge improvements
What a painful brand of rugby to watch...we win a lineout, kick it away...win a scrum, kick it away...no ball carriers, an old 10 who has no idea(from what I've seen so far)how to run a line...a good scrum though, decent lineout and last week a decent driving maul when Lake came on...but so painful to watch 😥
Tovey point to the posts. Neither side has gained ad advantage in open play but the Ospreys had the edge in the first scrum. Tovey slots the kick and it is 3-3 after 13 minutes.
Ospreys take the ball at the lineout and go through some phases without making too much ground before Webb chips into the Blues 22 and Adams makes the mark. He kicks long and Dan Evans puts the ball into touch. From the lineout, Ospreys backs are offside and the Blues have a kickable penalty.
Owen Watkin rips possession away from Adams and Webb box kicks. The Blues return the favour before Dan Evans kicks long and Morgan puts it into touch on half way. Ospreys win the lineout and push into the Blues half before a kick into the Blues 22 is cleared to touch for an Ospreys attacking lineout.
0-3 to Ospreys after 5 minutes.
A great first scrum from Rhodri Jones who lifts and drives back Arhip. Ospreys win a second penalty a minute later which Myler is set to kick at goal...
I just hope we play with the same positivity as last week. Yes I want a win but really hoping to see a bit more of the booth/James philosophy.