The Ospreys have just 12 days to rest, recover and lick their wounds after their disappointing loss to Saracens in the HCC on Sunday April 2nd.
This is a must win game for the Ospreys and we have to hope that Connacht, who kick off against Cardiff at the same time, can maybe do us a favour.
It will be a tough ask to get the players up for this game but there is the prospect of qualifying for the HCC again next year by retaining the Welsh Shield and we have to beat these and Cardiff to do that.
Hopefully, the injuries we sustained to Tips (** Now confirmed as out for the rest of the season), Owen Watkin and Keelan are just bumps and nothing too serious so I expect the Ospreys to name a virtually unchanged squad for this match* (* this assumes that everyone will be fit)
N Smith G Thomas S Parry D Lake T Francis T Botha AWJ A Beard R Davies H Deaves E Roots M Morris D Lydiate
R Webb RMW O Williams G Anscombe G North K Williams O Watkin K Giles M Collins I Hopkins
**OP edited to show that Tips is out for the remainder of this season.
Possible starting team
G Thomas S Parry T Botha AWJ A Beard E Roots D Lydiate M Morris
R Webb O Williams G North K Williams O Watkin K Giles M Collins
Some of our play, seems like automatons doing just what they are programmed to do. I wonder what it takes to make a Darcy Graham?
I am a glass half full kind of guy and though it looks like tough going next season we won't be alone. Exeter have lost 10 first teamers including Hogg, Ewers, Nowell and Cowan-Dickie. Edinburgh have signed 5 and lost 19 and we are nowhere near First of July contract day.
We have lost 4 so far, Cardiff 7, Scarlets 7 and Dragons 3. One of ours already going is Myler and we all expect Dan Evans, Bradley, Sam Cross and Elvis to retire and Anscombe to sign a pay'n'play deal so there is a fair chunk of unspent wages about.
The players we have deserve a rocket after yesterday but negativity breeds negativity. Let's get Judgement Day out of the way by hammering Cardiff, we might have other worries after that.
Doesn’t seem much incentive to aim for the Welsh Shield as we won’t be competitive next season, no region will. There will just be hammerings every match. We are in a bad moment in history, but things always change so perhaps we just need to hang in there.
So am I right in thinking that we have to get a bp win against Cardiff next week and hope Cardiff don’t get any bps?
I am afraid the selection and the tactics were in conflict. It was the perfect selection had it rained so I can only conclude Booth read the forecast for Saturday rather than Friday. We needed Deaves and Roots not the slowest back five ever fielded.
We can only score through line out drives. I think we need a new attack coach. I have no idea what Fussell is doing. Our attacking gave them two tries and there is no structure to it.
Try Ospreys as Parry drives over. One more try for the BP?
The Ospreys get caught napping and Edinburgh score again. 45-14.
About the only comfort from this evening is that Cardiff are losing to Connacht meaning that a 5 pointer next week with them getting nothing will be enough to retain the Welsh Shield.
However, if we play like we have done tonight then we needn't bother showing up.
6th try for Edinburgh. Awful tackle attempts from 4 Ospreys.
Somehow Morgan Morris is yellow carded despite not knowing what he is supposed to have done.
TRY - Lake with his second try after 47 minutes. Just the 4 more tries needed for the win...
Huge second half needed here.
Abject rom the whole team.
Nothing more to be said
The penalty is kicked to touch and Edinburgh score a fifth try after poor maul defence.
35-7 at the half.
Where the hell is Rhys supposed to go?
That is so poor from the Ospreys. First of all we dilly and dally so much that the yellow card is allowed back on and then we mess the maul up.
Huge team talk needed from Booth at half time.
Missed the start of the game but when I turned on, we are 14-7 down after 13 minutes.
In case anybody doesn't know, the match is free on Viaplay Xtra
Here is the team...
Hopefully Paul will be along soon to tell us the team.
Love what Dewi brings , but have him practicing his arrows