After the great win, it is back home to the Liberty Stadium for the Pro !4 clash against Ulster.
I don't believe that the international players are available so what would your team be?
Here is Brock James
I would look at a Squad of -
1 R Jones 2 S Otten 3 T Botha 4 BBBD 5 AB 6 DL 7 OC 8 MM
9 RMW 10 S Myler 11 L Morgan 12 S Williams 13 K Williams 14 M Protheroe 15 D Evans
16 D Lake 17 G Jones 18 M Fia 19 W Griffiths 20 G Evans 21 H Morgan 22 T Thomas-Wheeler 23 J Thomas
I remember a certain Mr S Williams at the start of his career and his defensive frailties but given the opportunity and more importantly the ball he became quite a good player. I am not comparing Morgan to Williams apart from stature but if you are going to pick attacking players at least give them the ball.
Luke Morgan isn’t a professional quality player. You can’t carry a player who cannot do the basics of defending.
It’s also a mindset thing , if you go on the pitch with a defensive strategy your first thought is to kick rather than run and play safe rather than take a risk.
An alternative view on the game - https://www.ospreyssupporterstrust.co.uk/post/monday-morning-quarterback-woes
This is the Squad that, if everyone was fit, I would like to see without the Internationals...
R Jones H Morgan
S Otten S Myler
T Botha K Giles
BBBD S Williams
A Beard K Williams
D Lydiate M Protheroe
M Morris D Evans
G Evans
Reps - G Jones, D Lake M FIa, W Griffiths, G Volpi, R Morgan-Williams, J Thomas, T Thomas- Wheeler
We were crying out for a dynamic hooker to come off the bench to replace Parry and we got Lake. I am not one who buys into the hype, I am sorry but his throwing is just not good enough.
Therefore the front 5 pretty much picks itself. My backrow might be contentious but I have gone for the three best backrow players I think we have and I think Morris could do a good job at 7. Surely Gareth Evans can carry the ball?
The backs pretty much pick themselves as does the bench although I might even be tempted to bring in Ifan Phillips and give Lake a few weeks off to sort out his throwing.
What does everyone think of this Squad?
What a boring type of rugby you describe. It’s no wonder the Liberty is like a morgue.
Morgans picked for his attacking ability, if your not giving him decent ball and space you may as well put a donkey on the wing and let him defend.
Is Scott Otten fit? Can’t recall him being in the 23 for a few games, hope he’s available for the next game.
I think if we had a dominant pack with big ball carriers in the forwards, the likes of Giles, Morgan and Protheroe could run riot.
In defence of Luke Morgan and our other wings they rarely get any space to run, we continually crab across field and force them into touch.Its our centre play that needs sorting, defensively we are normally sound but as an attacking force we lack flair.
Our bad players are arguably the worst in the league. Our good players are reasonably decent but will be sabotaged by the bad players.
Anyone know if we are actively looking to recruit a replacement 10 and a big carrying 8.
I am utterly convinced that we lose these games mentally before we even go out to the pitch. We seem terrified of the Irish Provinces and I can’t remember the last time we beat any of them home or away. Why are we so scared of them, we have good enough players surely to match them.?
We have had the same problems for the passed few seasons and nothing gets done. I hate to criticise AWJ but he like the rest of our second rows lack any real ball carrying ability and are usually driven backwards. Beard is to static and rarely carries and the same applies to BD. They are all workhorses and give their all but lack the aggression and athleticism combined with a lightweight back row only compounds the problem.
I didn’t want to write in the immediate aftermath, but it’s very very simple, if we don’t recruit people who can actually carry and win the gain line, then it wouldn’t matter if Beaudan Barrett was at 10.
Who is going to be our open side for the majority of the season now Tips is away with TW?
Disappointing after last week but I couldn’t believe the amount of basic handling error. Webb had a shocker... I agree Harri Morgan looked good. Lineout was shocking last night, you can’t lose that amount of ball and expect to compete.
Back to square one. We couldn’t match them physically and did not have guile or inventiveness to ever look threatening. Our lack of urgency and multiple mistakes made for a game to forget.
Unfortunately Webb had one of his patented shockers in the first half and we were lucky to be only 4 points down. They just overpowered us. Their 6 and 8 were power players and we offered a plucky undersized 8 and a leaden footed under sized 6. I don't think Lake can be used again until he learns to throw and surely Giles has to get a run ahead of Luke Morgan who is a defensive disaster.
The only bright spots for me were that the centres Williams and Watkin got some go forward and I thought Rhodri Jones and Harri Morgan played well from the bench.
Hard to see any positives from that. Crushed.
That was a poor half of rugby from the Ospreys and in particular Rhys Webb who has not been his usual self at all. In saying that we are only 4 points down, and it is unlikely we will be as bad in the second half.
Stockdale opened the scoring for Ulster with a try on 7 minutes that Cooney converted to make it 0-7.
Myler replied with a penalty before Cooney also kicked a penalty to make it 3-10. Too many mistakes has cost the Ospreys in the first half but another Myler penalty in the last kick of the game made it 6-10.
This game is there for the winning if the real (last week )Ospreys turn up.
Strong Ulster team - we’re going to have a real battle on our hands.
As predicted the Ospreys go unchanged with the matchday XV but there is a change on the bench...
The Ospreys team to face Ulster at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday 10th October, K.O 5:15pm for round two of the Guinness PRO14 has been named.
Head Coach, Toby Booth has named an unchanged side to the team that claimed the victory over Edinburgh last weekend in the opening round of the season.
Justin Tipuric will lead the side for the 52nd time, where he will move to second place on the most appearances made as skipper. Olly Cracknell and young Morgan Morris join him in the back-row with Adam Beard and Alun Wyn Jones in the second. Nicky Smith, Sam Parry and Tom Botha pack down in the front row with Dewi Lake, Rhodri Jones and Ma'afu Fia providing the cover. Bradley Davies and Dan Lydiate complete the forward contingent off the bench.
In the back line Dan Evans is named at fullback alongside Luke Morgan and last weekend's double try-scorer Mat Protheroe. Owen Watkin and Keiran Williams retain the centre partnership with Stephen Myler and Rhys Webb as the half-backs. Josh Thomas and Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler are named on the bench with Harri Morgan coming into the 23 as the only change from round one.
15. Dan Evans
14. Mat Protheroe
13. Owen Watkin
12. Keiran Williams
11. Luke Morgan
10. Stephen Myler
9. Rhys Webb
1.Nicky Smith
2. Sam Parry
3. Tom Botha
4. Adam Beard
5. Alun Wyn Jones
6. Olly Cracknell
7. Justin Tipuric ©
8. Morgan Morris
16. Dewi Lake
17. Rhodri Jones
18. Ma’afu Fia
19. Bradley Davies
20. Dan Lydiate
21. Harri Morgan
22. Josh Thomas
23. Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler
4 of the 5 Dragons selected in the Wales 38 are selected for their game tomorrow only Wainwright is out injured, so hopefully all our players are available with TW, I should hope all are at least in the 23 for Saturday if the game is played.
Hell of a big bubble.
Think the Team Wales players will play.