With virtually a full strength squad to choose from, and two pre-season wins from two, the Ospreys will head to Llanelli to take on the Scarlets in a good place. The reigning Welsh Shield champions will want to make a strong start to the new season and beating your local rivals is the best way to do just that.
I think the match day 23 could look something like this...(some selections could go either way)
N Smith G Thomas/G Phillips D Lake S Baldwin/E Taione T Francis T Botha/B Warren R Davies AWJ/H Sutton/BBD J Tipuric (C) J Morgan M Morris E Roots/D Lydiate
R Webb RMW G Anscombe J Walsh/S Myler K Giles J Hawkins M Collins/K Williams/G North A Cuthbert M Protheroe/L Morgan M Nagy
Discuss
Did anyone see how anscombe got injured? From where I was I couldn’t see if there was contact to his head in the tackle or whether he landed awkwardly?
wouldn’t mind seeing Max Nagy have a shot at fullback, cuthbert in North into centre to get him more involved and as much as I like J Morgan Lydiate in at six against the lions. But what do I know.
Well, the ref did everything he could to ensure a home win but in the end a superb last ditch effort and touchline conversion from young Jack Walsh meant we came away with a draw.
In normal circumstance, I’d be expecting ours to beat theirs, but home advantage is worth more in early season games, and they also have their pet ref who has robbed us of two wins against them of late. Will need to beat the opposition and the ref.
I couldn't be much happier with that team. You'd hope the internationals are capable of hitting the ground running and though he's not a natural 13, Watkin has at least got plenty of experience there. Personally glad to see Hawkins at 12 as he offers another kicking option and booth is rewarding his impressive form at the end of the season with u20s.
Forwards battle will be interesting: we easily edge the front row for me with a strong replacement fr but we need to match the dynamism of lousi and fifita. 6 nwq in that scarlets pack isn't it??
All in all should be a good match. Predicting us by 8
Here is the squad
Man for Man our strongest 23 is better than theirs, however they do have better NWQ players than us especially in the second row and back row.
So if neither side has the welsh test players then I would expect them to win.
The last test against the boks was 16.07.2022 so pretty much two months ago come saturday, Even with a few weeks off the players should be ready to play Saturday , guys like anscombe and cuthbert didn't even play in the last test
Cuthbert was at the URC launch and said he is fit to play. Not heard if anyone else is fit/going to be played. no sign of collins and protheroe in the saints game any news? A team of thomas lake francis awj beard lydiate/griffiths tips/morgan morris.
Webb Anscombe cuthbert watkin north giles collins/nagy is good enough to beat the turks.
Throw in a bench of smith parry botha r/b davies back rower rmw walsh and back 3 player and we are good to go.
Big difference if we are missing our welsh players, hopefully there will be some clarity on this shortly
Well scarlet fever have been picking their team for weeks, and worrying about foxys form. I just hope we beat them it would be hell of a start to the season
Nobody feel like discussing the opening game of the season which just happens to be against our closest rivals?
Not long now before the Ospreys face the Scarlets and I for one, cannot wait.