The Ospreys travel to Allianz Park next week to take on the reigning RCC Champions in their own backyard. Both sides were soundly beaten this weekend and will be looking for better fortunes next time out. Incidentally, Saracens fielded a what can be described as an experimental side giving three players tournament debuts and a further two making their first ever start.
This may look like Saracens have decided not to attempt to defend their RCC title this year and put everything into rescuing their Premiership season, but they still have quality all over the park and could still call on several England RWC stars if they want to.
For the Ospreys, Allen Clarke has alluded to the fact that two more of the Wales boys might be back next week and who that is, is anyone's guess.
I think we will see a starting team of:
N Smith
S Otten
T Botha (if he is fit as he was not down as injured for Saturday)
M Orie
BBB Davies (this could be A Beard if he returns)
D Lydiate
O Cracknell
M Morris (if no other 8 is deemed fit enough)
S Venter
L Price (unless a miracle happens)
T Williams
S Williams (not playing well, possibly injured after his sternum problem. TWW otherwise)
K Williams (could be O Watkin if he returns)
H Dirksen
C Evans
Replacements
R Jones, I Phillips, M Fia, A Beard or BBBD, S Cross, A Davies, J Hook, O Watkin
Discuss...
"This is why we need a Supporters Trust. Again, nothing against the OSC but talking to the Ospreys management who are clearly at fault here, will not achieve anything when it is the Board we need to speak to."
This implies that the Os have a competent management, which they have proved since Tandy came in they there is zero competence in our management/Board of Directors.
We just carry on regardless with zero direction, leadership or investment. We keep trying to buy/employ Welsh players who are not available for 12 weeks a season; better to employ NWQ players and very good squad players who are good, but under the national team radar. We need players who are available all season, and high quality coaches not the jokes we have employed since 2003.
Andy Howell in the Fail wrote that the Ospreys "are almost certainly just a defeat any from exiting the Heineken Champions Cup". No mate , we are already out. We have become an embarrassment and are now ranked lower than the much maligned Dragons. I recall someone posting a comment when it was announced Clarke was coming, that a source in Ulster said your welcome to him. Last time we played Sarries away we suffered injuries right before the game but came away with two points (came close to winning) and drew with them at home. There is something radically wrong at the moment. dare I use the word "toxic"?
My player ratings -
Starting XV
15. Cai Evans - hardly seen 3/10
14. Hanno Dirksen - defended well 5/10
13. Owen Watkin - defended well 5/10
12. Kieran Williams - 2 big carries but then disappeared 4/10
11. Tom Williams - shocking in defence 1/10 (sorry, not sorry)
10. James Hook - kicked ok but never got the backs going 4/10
9. Aled Davies - our best back 6/10
1.Nicky Smith - did ok 5/10
2.Scott Otten - did ok 5/10
3. Ma’afu Fia - had hard time up against Mako/ 10
4.Adam Beard - did ok 5/10
5. Bradley Davies - hardly seen 3/10
6. Marvin Orie- hardly seen 2/10
7.Olly Cracknell © - hardly seen 4/10
8. Morgan Morris - our best forward 6/10
Replacements
16. Ifan Phillips - hardly seen 3/10
17. Gareth Thomas - hardly seen 3/10
18. Tom Botha - hardly seen 3/10
19. Lloyd Ashley - hardly seen 3/10
20. Sam Cross - hardly seen 3/10
21.Shaun Venter - decent interception but no platform 4/10
22. Luke Price - one decent kick 3/10
23. Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler - hardly seen 3/10
A Sarries knock on when the seventh try was beckoning ends the game and puts the Ospreys out of their misery 44-3.
Ospreys get close to the line but a knock on halts our progress but the scrum is ours. Can we finally score a try? The answer is a resounding maybe as we attempt to bully our way over the line but we lose yards and turnover possession allowing Sarries to clear. Just blow the whistle and end this now, please...
I’m beginning to have major doubts about our coaching team of which Clarke is the chief.
its looking more and more like Shaun Edwards carried us on his own last season.
our only play is kick, then kick then kick again. very very poor.
Hook kicks for the corner, it is a good looking kick but the bounce is not kind and goes out touch and goal giving Sarries a scrum on the half way line. Ospreys have only pride left to play for - what do they have to offer. Saracens break with ease into our 22 and score again. 44-3 after 65.
Is there a mercy rule if the score gets to 50?
Ospreys have a lineout but we mess it up and Sarries win a penalty (again contentious) and they go for touch to set up a maul but they knock the ball on.
Ospreys get a penalty on the half way line and Hook slams the ball into touch, Ospreys need to score here but we lose the lineout and Sarries clear. We are not going though the phases because we cannot hold the ball and we are kicking pretty much all of our ball away via the box kick. Sarries have an attacking line out and build through the phases but we finally defend a wide pass and force Segun into touch. Sarries have the lineout but it is not straight and Ospreys will attempt to clear from the scrum. Instead we get a free kick and Davies slams the ball down the pitch but Daly returns the kick back to our 22. The TV shows Sanjay next to Anscombe (Hmm?) We win the lineout but Davies kicks it out on the full giving Sarries a lineout on our 22. Daly finally makes a mistake and Hook clears but Sarries are straight back on the attack.
Cross is on for Orie who didn't figure too often in the first half. Sarries back on the attack. Daly is killing us as he frees Segun for a simple run in (where the hell is our winger and FB?) and the BP try. It is getting silly now. 30-3 after 48 minutes. The Ospreys cannot defend more than a couple of phases and we have no chance if the ball goes wide. Otten is off (injury?) as is Fia and Phillips and Botha are on.
The second half starts with a Sarries knock on and then an Ospreys forward pass. Sarries scrum and Sarries are back in our 22. Guess what happens now, yep another penalty against Ospreys which Sarries kick to touch in search of the BP try. Sarries set up a maul and Ospreys turn the ball over, phew.
Our wide defence is absolutely non existent with both wingers getting drawn infield way too easily. Our discipline is poor but Raynel is being incredibly picky as even the comms are calling some of the decisions rather harsh. We are nowhere near clinical enough when we do have attacking chances.
Ospreys put together a nice move from a scrum and Williams (K) breaks the line but the ref finally awards the Ospreys a penalty. Hook sets up for the kick...and nails it, 11-3 after 28 minutes, crowd is strangely flat.
Game on...
Dan Baker?
Really! Thought he was playing his way back to match fitness???
Scott Williams not starting/on the bench or down as injured/unavailable ???
Saracens will have Mako Vunipola, Elliott Daly and Brad Barritt back in their starting lineup tomorrow alongside Kruis and Skelton with Jamie George on the bench. This is gonna be a tough one for us.
Saracens team to face Ospreys
Starting XV: 15. Elliot Daly, 14. Rotimi Segun, 13. Duncan Taylor, 12. Brad Barritt, 11. Alex Lewington, 10. Manu Vunipola, 9. Tom Whiteley; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Jack Singleton, 3. Titi Lamositele, 4. Will Skelton, 5. George Kruis, 6. Nick Isiekwe, 7. Ben Earl, 8. Jackson Wray
Replacements: 16. Jamie George, 17. Richard Barrington, 18. Josh Ibuanokpe, 19. Joel Kpoku, 20. Andy Christie, 21. Richard Wigglesworth, 22. Alex Lozowski, 23. Matt Gallagher
We all know about Daly and that we should not kick loosely to him, Segun is a fastish winger but is young and inexperience, the centre pair are strong and will provide a real test for Watkin and Keiran Williams. Vunipola at 10 is inexperienced and can be gotten at as can Whitely at 9. If we can slow their ball down, we might have a shot.
The forwards pretty much speak for themselves and it is a very good pack, we need to stop Wray and Earl from pinching our ball.
They do have some impact off the bench with George and Barrington in the forwards and the 3 back replacements are all quality and bring something different to the team.
Its a strong Saracens team but not as strong as it could have been so we do have a chance if we can start well, retain possession and build through the phases and not make silly errors.
Team to play Saracens here:
https://www.ospreysrugby.com/news/ospreys-team-face-saracens-1
It seems that Saracens might not be blowing off the RCC given this on the BBC Sports website - "A number of their England World Cup finalists returned to training on Wednesday, and will be available for selection this weekend."