The Ospreys are in something of a rut. The news that Toby Booth was leaving has seemingly had a bigger effect on the squad than many people may have forecasted and their ability to find a way has gone missing. Obviously the injuries have been particularly debilitating but the squad has coped with them before and still produced but something just isn't clicking at the moment. At least for now, attention turns from the URC to the Challenge Cup and this year the Ospreys will be looking to at least match last year's efforts if not better them and first up for them is the visit of the Lions to the .Com stadium.
Start the competition well and it will be something to build on but lose and it will be extremely tough to qualify given our remaining Challenge Cup fixtures. Win the next 6 games and things will feel a whole lot different but....
I predict that we will go as strong as we can with a squad that could look like...
G Thomas G Phillips S Parry D Lake T Botha R Henry/B Warren J Fender J Ratti W Griffiths J Morgan J Tipuric M Morris H Deaves
K Hardy L Davies D Edwards O Williams K Giles O Watkin K Williams D Kasende J Walsh M Nagy
Discuss.
Has anybody on here been able to watch the game back on Premier Sports, as I've been trying since last night without success.
Great performance from the boys, even though the Lions were weakened they were not very weak, as I put pre match they had 11 players from the Munster squad the previous week available, they decided to put a couple of their much better players on the bench yesterday, so more fool them.
To me Fender is carrying on his form from last season very well, he could probably do with a start from the bench next week, especially if 1 or 2 of our injured could come back in for next week.
Rhys Henry is fit if not match fit.
Sutton has arm in sling. Unable to join the Christmas wrapping trio next week. Ratti has done a knee and Rhys Davies a few weeks away. Fender cant play every minute for the next 8 weeks.
Post match press conference with Toby
Booth.
He’s thinking of bringing in a Replacement for Beard?
Top effort after a ropey first 20. By some luck think we have found our 10 12 13. OW lacks pace but he knows how to defend the line and has good hands. Too many silly penalties giving teams driving line out options. Hardy much better especially after his interception try. Hope Gareth Thomas is ok. Steff Thomas not filling me with confidence.
Great result with 5 points. We have to be honest it was a very weakened Lions but it showed some key points. Hardy is a different class to what we have at 9. Kasende is the best chasing aerial winger we have had. Lewis Jones looked more solid than Greatbanks. OW far more effective than KW at 12 who I don’t think is now any more than an impact sub. Badly disciplined efforts from Parry and Deaves. Tristan gave back row balance. Steffan Thomas again very weak
Cracking finish Edwards.
Good chase from Kasende forces a knock on from the re-start and we scrum again. A much better scrum by the Ospreys pack and we attack into the Lions 22. As I type, Dan Edwards beats 2 defenders after a Jac strip and Edwards scores in the corner for the BP try. 30-14 with the conversion to come. Brilliant from Jac and Dan.
Clock goes dead as the conversion falls short. 32-14 to the Ospreys.
Rather well done after what happened in Zebre.
As Jac is announced as MOTM, the Ospreys scrum concedes another penalty and the Lions go to the corner. 5 minutes left.
We get caught short wide and Lions score. 25-12 with the conversion to come - good - 25-14 with 3.5 minutes left to play. Lions looking for a losing BP and Ospreys looking for the try BP.
Lions win a penalty and their 9 taps. Ospreys stand firm and force another knock on. Luke Davies on for Hardy and Hopkins on for Giles.
Lions make a nice break and should do better but a knock on ends their progress. Hardy clears to touch but the Lions will attack again.
The lineout is not straight so it is scrum time. However, this time the penalty goes to the Lions.
Penalty at the scrum to the Ospreys. We go to the corner. 10m lineout.
Ah Hardy knocks on at the ruck just as we were building again. Steffan Thomas on for Gar Thom and Morgan Morris on for Tristan Davies, both of whom went really well.
Back to back penalties conceded by the Ospreys and the Lions have gone from their 22 to the Ospreys' 22 or rather they should have but they miss touch by about 10m and the Ospreys can clear. The Lions let the ball bounce and Jac wins a lovely turnover. O Williams goes to touch on the Lions 22.
A box kick from Hardy is knocked back by Giles and Ospreys attack into the Lions 22 but a knock on results in a scrum to the Lions.
Giles has been on fire this half.
Parry and Botha on for Lake and Warren. From the offside penalty, the Lions go to touch but miss their jumper, and Ospreys attack into the Lions 22. However, another turnover lets the Lions clear.
They are looking at a Gar Thom tackle but it seems okay to me from what I have seen on the TV...now Jac could be offside.
No try - Jac deemed to be offside which looks harsh.
A Dan Edwards kick is touched and Kasende puts the pressure on the Lions fullback just 5m out from their try line. Lions struggle to clear and suddenly Captain Jac is over for a try. However, the ref and TMO are looking at foul play.
Brilliant defence again from Giles. Fresh from making a really key tackle, he forces a knock on and wins the ball on the floor. Ospreys kick and again Giles forces the knock on. Ospreys going through the phases before a good box kick from Hardy is regathered by Kasende and unfortunately his pass to Lake is taken by a Lion. That would have been a simple run in for Lake.
Ospreys concede a penalty for a tackle off the ball. Lions will go for the corner but he misses touch and Dan Edwards clears to the half way line.
Lions ring the changes - a new front row and a change at 10. They are chasing the game now.
Yet again, we make a mess of the re-start and the Lions look to capitalise but as I type, Hardy makes a great interception and he goes from our 22 to the try line TRY Ospreys but the TMO is in... Try is given and O Williams adds the conversion. 25-7.
Just wide with the conversion so 18-7.
We mess up at the maul and the Lions win a turnover, but Deaves wins a penalty and we go to the corner again. Maul again. Under penalty advantage we spin the ball wide and Giles finishes in the corner TRY Ospreys, 18-7 with a very difficult conversion to come.
Ospreys win a penalty at the scrum and then again at the resulting lineout - we go to the corner 7m out.
Two changes at half time for the Ospreys - Keiran Williams is off for Dan Edwards and Lewis Jones is on for Will Greatbanks.
Half time 13-7. Luckily the 2 silly errors from Deaves did not result in any points. We have played some rugby and gotten points from every visit to the Lions' 22.
Hopefully we can step up the intensity in the second half and go on to win the game.
Lions on the back foot and concede a penalty in their own 22 and we go for goal - success 13-7
We need to stop giving away penalties at the re-start.
Another silly penalty given away by Deaves at the re-start and Lions go for goal - missed. 10-7. Deaves with another massive sigh of relief.
10-7
Ospreys go through the phases and it ends with Giles kicking into the corner. We pinch the lineout and the Lions are penalised and yellow carded. Ospreys with the 5m tap. Jac Morgan rides the tackle and dives over - TRY - 8-7 with the conversion to come.
Fortunately, the Lions are pinged for obstruction and we can clear.
A stupid penalty conceded by Deaves from the re-start and now the Lions are in the corner for a 5m lineout.
Lions win a turnover but we go back to the penalty and we go for goal - success - 3-7.
A nice backs move sees us go into the Lions 22, we now attack under penalty advantage.
Yet another penalty conceded and the Lions go for goal - unsuccessful, still 0-7.
Try Lions. After giving away 5 penalties in the opening 11 minutes we concede a maul try. We are playing against the wind which is changing all the time. 0-7
Game moved to Parc Y Shitehole due to wind damage of the Swansea.com.
Ratti and all 3 centres missing next week as well. Morris had a dead leg last week which might explain bench. Booth had a thing about front row cobinations. Wanted Thomas on with Botha ? Worried about WG and a few others if they can’t get picked for a club team this weekend.
Lions have 2 starters from last week against Munster starting Sunday with 5 that were on the bench last week also starting Sunday, there are also 3 starters from last week on the bench with another bencher from last week in the same bracket. So that is 11 from the 23 of last week available to come on on Sunday. This is not going to be easy, especially with IMO some odd permutations in our starters and finishers, but let's get out in full voice and move us onwards
Here is how the Lions line up
These players are listed as unavailable -
Ethan Lewis, Huw Sutton, James Ratti, Adam Beard, Rhys Davies, Will Griffiths, Morgan Morse, Liam Edwards, Justin Tipuric, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Phil Cokanasiga, Tom Florence, Luke Scully, Ryan Conbeer, Evardi Boshoff.
Well, some interesting picks and notable omissions in the 23.
As difficult a watch last week was.
1 2 5 6 hopefully 10 should be returning players who are bigger faster and more experienced. Plus a few more on bench. That’s a big upgrade. It’s 9 and 13 worry me.
I don't think we have enough size , weight or aggression up front no matter whoever we select. I really hope I'm proved wrong.
WoL is reporting that Lions have sent home a dozen players to prepare for their game with Pau on the 13th. If we can get GarTom, Dewi, WillGriff, Ratti and Jac back it would make a huge difference'
Obviously the above squad depends on certain players being fit.