After a brilliant win against Perpignan, the Ospreys must now begin preparation for their visit to South Africa to face the Lions in the 4th and final pool round of the Challenge Cup.
With progress to the knockout stages already confirmed, a victory would almost certainly give us a home quarterfinal tie but given the injury list, this could be a case of struggling to field a 23 man squad.
Here is a potential squad of who is fit -
G Thomas Cam Jones S Parry E Lewis T Botha B Warren A Beard L Jones A Ashton J Ratti M Morse W Hickey L Llloyd
L Davies C Jones D Edwards J Walsh K Giles O Watkin K Williams M Protheroe I Hopkins G North
Discuss.
Who was the official man of the match? I thought that Owen Watkin had a great game as did Kieran Williams when he came on. Back row were also very good.
I never thought we would win this one, I think I underestimate the never give in attitude of these young players which is awesome. Da iawn Bois da iawn.😃
Interesting presser from Booth. Character beat talent today. Said we were inaccurate during the game but the will not to be beaten is just so strong. I thought Tristan Davies had a huge impact and Walsh is a good 10 to have when chasing the game.
So after Bayonne beat Exeter, we play Sale.
Bayonne 26-7 up at half so looking like Sale
Fantastic performance, I didn't think we were capable of that, with the squads that were selected by both teams' but pleased to be proved wrong, the tactical nous of our Coaches was spot on, roll on round of 16.
Immense win. There's a great spirit in the squad and it's been a really enjoyable season so far.
A great win against all the odds what we lacked in physicality we made up for in fitness and determination.
Hang on guys got that wrong Racing have qualified for champions cup so at moment drop out are Sale 1 Connacht 2 Ulster 3 Bayonne 4 but Bayonne could go to 1 tonight so at moment it is Connacht but could be Sale if Bayonne win. Apologies
Just checked the Swans fixtures and they are away on the 6th of April so the Swansea.com stadium is free.
Bugger it.
I give up with the calculator.
Whoever we face won't fancy coming to Swansea.
If and it is a rather large if, Sale finish on 6 points with a better points differential than Connacht who also have 6 points so Sale would be ranked 9 and Connacht 10.
Well I didn't expect that. What a game. We found a way. Some well deserved celebrations tonight I'm sure!
I think it will be Connacht at home.
Truly incredible. Stuck at it and blew them away with our fitness in final 10. Thought Tristan Davies made huge impact and thanks to a really decent TMO
By my reckoning we will be the 7th ranked team with a home knock out tie against one of the Champions Cup dropouts
Brilliant. Well done boys, and that includes Booth and the coaches!
OLE OLE OLE
28-36 with the conversion to come.
There will be a restart.
28-38
Home knockout tie here we come.
MORSE AGAIN< INTERCEPTION and he goes in from 50m
Lions have a lineout on halfway.
3 minutes to go. My heart is beating so fast right now.
Cam Jones 1 with the break. He offloads to Walsh who offloads to Watkin who pops the ball to Cam Jones 9 and we score a superb try.
Walsh converts and we lead 28-31
Ospreys in possession, Walsh with the half break. Ospreys TRY
Can we somehow sneak the win???
Cam Jones 9 on for RMW
Brilliant play from Watkin and Protheroe and Morse before we retain possession and K Williams makes the break before he offloads to Giles who forces his way over for the try.
Walsh with the conversion 28-24 with some 6 minutes left
We push into their 22.
TRY Giles
Brilliant from Deaves as the Lions look to finish the game off.
Walsh goes to touch.
We have to pull out the best move we have.
No TRY.
Goal line drop out.
We have just 10 minutes to score a try
Ref wants to give the try but the TMO is saying no
Doesn't look like a try to me but the TMO will decide.
TRY Lions and it looks like we are going to the TMO.
We give away a silly penalty and they go to the corner. Make or break here.
We get turned over at the lineout and they kick long. Hopkins returns but gets done for holding on. We go from 5m out from their line to into our 22 in 3 plays.
We need to execute better.
We make a half break and the Lions 7 plays the ball on the floor. We get the penalty and they get another yellow card. We have to make this count. We go to the corner.
Turnover at the lineout and Ospreys attack again. Lewis on for Parry
We need at least one score as the Lions get a scrum penalty and an easy exit
Some amazing interplay from the Ospreys but a Lions player forces the knockon as Protheroe looked certain to score. Scrum Lions with 17 minutes to play and two scores needed for that all important home knockout game.
Walsh on for Edwards
Watkin knocks on a yard from the tryline. Lions look to go from deep and Ospreys ragain possession.
Warren on for Botha and Jones on for Ratti
Attacking lineout 5m out
Another Ospreys penalty and the Lions are now on a yellow card warning.
We go to the corner again.
Ospreys going through the phases and we win a penalty 5m out.
We get a penalty from the restart as they are in front of the kicker. Edwards goes to the corner.
Lions break after we miss a couple of tackles. We don't get a penalty when Protheroe is over the ball and then they get the offside penalty.
We get caught napping as the 9 goes quickly TRY Lions.
Conversion is good.
28-17 after 57.
Mountain to climb now.
We clear to touch and the Lions have a lineout. Finely poised game.
Dan Edwards slots the penalty 21-17 after 53.
We need to exit better.
Lions steal the ball so we go back for the penalty. We go for the posts somewhat surprisingly.
9 phases and an Ospreys penalty.
A nice kick through from Dan Edwards and we get an attacking lineout some 10m out. Cam Jone and Tristan Davies on for Henry and Hickey
21-14 after 50.
Lions maul is stopped but we give away another penalty. Lions go for the posts.
Lions get the scrum penalty. Botha penalised. Lions kick to touch.
We knock on, they kick to touch but it is out on the full. Ref goes back for no advantage. Dan Edwards in a spot of bother but seems OK.
Off the top and Keelan kicks through before Protheroe tackles the ball carrier into touch. Big net gain.
We go early and the Lions get a free kick, they kick to touch and we have the lineout.
Scrum is fortunately a reset and not a Lions penalty
Poor at the maul and we knock the ball on. Scrum Lions.
Ospreys penalty. Yellow card for Lions for a shoulder charge . We go to the corner. Attacking lineout to come.
Second half is about to start with Dan Edwards.
If we get 2 points from today we could end up away at Clermont but it will need a calculator to work it all out.
0 points we would likely play the Sharks.
1 point we would likely play Gloucester
We need another one of those massive half time teamtalks from Toby Booth.
Lions get a penalty for holding on. They go to the corner and go off the top and score again. TRY Lions 18-14 with the conversion to come. We get caught out by an inside pass at the lineout.
Conversion is the last kick of the half. The conversion hits the post. 18-14 at half time.
Conversion is wide - 13-14 after 36 minutes.
Lions have now missed 2 conversions.
Lions tap and go and score. TRY Lions 13-14 with the conversion to come.
TMO says no try.
We go back for the penalty
Lions under advantage. 2m out from the try line. TRY Lions 13-14 with the conversion to come.
That leads to a maul penalty and the Lions are on the 5m line
Scrum penalty Lions.
North is off for Kieran Williams
Potential Lions try but the ref says held up
8-14 as the conversion is good.
8-12 with the conversion to come. 25 minutes gone.
The ball goes off the top and the old George North appears and runs in from 25 metres.
Ospreys get the lineout.
TRY Ospreys
Brilliant turnover from Sam Parry and Hopkins kicks deep into the Lions 22. 24 minutes gone
Scrum holds well and RMW clears to touch.
Lions almost in again but a try saving tackle from Protheroe forces a forward pass and the chnace is gone. Scrum Ospreys. The Lions look really dangerous with their offloading game.
Conversion is somehow missed from almost in front. It remains 8-7 after 18 minutes.
Try Lions. We fail to exit and under advantage the Lions score. 8-7 with the conversion to come.
Most of the starting 23 will have to go deep in this match.
Dab Edwards converts 3-7.
The Lions try a speculative kick pass that Protheroe takes and kicks deep. The Lions regather and try to clear but Owen Watkin charges down the kick and scores.
TRY Ospreys
Our lineout is under pressure.
Shot at goal Lions 3-0
Nope. Still 0-0
Shot at goal for Dan Edwards
Yellow card for the Lions
And we are underway...
So basically we have to beat the Lions tomorrow and get a 3rd place spot, the best 2 3rd place spots will be ranked 7th and 8th to have a home draw in the round of 16, after Bennetton beat Montpellier this afternoon, but even after this I believe we'll be away in any future rounds.
This will be tough tomorrow.
Well, it is practically a case of if you're fit you are in for this game. Glad to see a couple of players back from the injury list.
We can do this (well hopefully, maybe)
Is says Fender on the long term injury, gutted for him he has been one of our stand out players this season.
Anyone know what kind of squad we are taking to SA, any injured players back for this match?
Does anyone know if the 4 boys selected for the 6 Nations squad will be allowed to play in this game or do they have to go into Camp immediately?