Hairsprays out of the hunt?

thomond2006

After the defeat to Leinster, will the Ospreys give up on the ML and focus on the HC (where they have no chance) and the EDF (a good chance)?

They would have to beat Munster at TP on the last day for a shot at Ml, in any case.

funky penguin

All I could think last night was "I'd hate to be an Ospreys supporter"

It's a double-edged blade - the pride of your national team being made up mostly of your club A, but then.....well, last night happens.

The ML has now effectively come down to Munster v Leinster (awesome!).

However, I wouldn't count Ospreys out of the ERC just yet

anonymous_joe

thomond2006 wrote: »

After the defeat to Leinster, will the Ospreys give up on the ML and focus on the HC (where they have no chance) and the EDF (a good chance)?

They would have to beat Munster at TP on the last day for a shot at Ml, in any case.

Why don't they have a chance in the HC?

thehighground

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Why don't they have a chance in the HC?

They have to beat Munster in Thomond Park - and not being disrespectful to the Ospreys - but that is a big ask when Munster have their backs up against the wall this time.

When Munster lost to Leicester, they had already qualified for the quarter finals.

anonymous_joe

thehighground wrote: »

They have to beat Munster in Thomond Park - and not being disrespectful to the Ospreys - but that is a big ask when Munster have their backs up against the wall this time.

When Munster lost to Leicester, they had already qualified for the quarter finals.

Munster have their backs up against the wall? Why?

Let's be realistic here, Munster are one of the best teams in Europe, with only Toulouse really rivalling them (maybe Stade or Clermont if the HC mattered more than the Top 14) but saying the Ospreys have no chance is madness.

Pride cometh before the fall and all that, but seriously, in every area of the team, both teams are extraordinarily strong, I think having teh game at home gives Munster a significant advantage, and I also think the Ospreys coaching situation has weakened them, but 'on their day' to use that oft quoted cliché they could smash anyone.

I think Munster will win (from an objective perspective) but I don't think it will be easy.

bleg

hopefully ospreys will send over a development squad for the magners game

thomond2006

thehighground wrote: »

They have to beat Munster in Thomond Park - and not being disrespectful to the Ospreys - but that is a big ask when Munster have their backs up against the wall this time.

Bingo, +1.

Chucky the tree

bleg wrote: »

hopefully ospreys will send over a development squad for the HEC game

FYP in dreamland.

thehighground

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Munster have their backs up against the wall? Why?

Because its a 'must win'. The bar is quite high Munster with regard to Heineken Cup. Anything less than a semi final would be regarded as failure. This isn't arrogance. It is what is expected. They have done it before and are expected to do it again.

Let's be realistic here, Munster are one of the best teams in Europe, with only Toulouse really rivalling them (maybe Stade or Clermont if the HC mattered more than the Top 14) but saying the Ospreys have no chance is madness.

Pride cometh before the fall and all that, but seriously, in every area of the team, both teams are extraordinarily strong, I think having teh game at home gives Munster a significant advantage, and I also think the Ospreys coaching situation has weakened them, but 'on their day' to use that oft quoted cliché they could smash anyone.

I think Munster will win (from an objective perspective) but I don't think it will be easy.[/QUOTE]

No one said it would be easy. Ospreys are a very good team. But as you say, where they fall a bit short of Munster is with their coaching staff and experience of winning very tight games and from what I read, their 16th man isn't that bothered (only 1200 travelling to Limerick for the game).

Maybe the Os will shock us all - but hopefully not - a day out in Corke Park is what we all could do with!

Amabokke

I think this is great for Irish clubs/rugby in general. Munster having won it twice have the experience and can cope with the added pressure. Ospreys might be a good team but don't think they will win it

anonymous_joe

thehighground wrote: »

Because its a 'must win'. The bar is quite high Munster with regard to Heineken Cup. Anything less than a semi final would be regarded as failure. This isn't arrogance. It is what is expected. They have done it before and are expected to do it again.

I think it is a form of arrogance, in so much as that as assumption that you are good enough to be there leads to thinking you don't need to work for it. Munster for years revelled in an underdog tag, it's harder to motivate yourself when you think you've little effort to put in.

No one said it would be easy. Ospreys are a very good team. But as you say, where they fall a bit short of Munster is with their coaching staff and experience of winning very tight games and from what I read, their 16th man isn't that bothered (only 1200 travelling to Limerick for the game).

Maybe the Os will shock us all - but hopefully not - a day out in Corke Park is what we all could do with!

I think the impact of fans is vastly overstated by (usually) fans. Who gives a fúck about the 16th man, he won't be starting.

Again, I don't really care who wins, I'd like Munster to win, but I wouldn't suffer much if they didn't. They've a very good team, but I think whoever wins the 6 Nations will probably be slightly less motivated - so if Ireland win, Ospreys have more to prove, kinda thing. Again, I think Munster should go out as favourites, but be very wary of dismissing a team that on paper are one of the world's strongest club level sides.

twinytwo

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Why don't they have a chance in the HC?

Cause they would eventually have to beat either mighty munster of leinster which at the end of the day they will have to sacrifice life and limb to do... and as we all know munster is a big angry war machine that destroys even the best

anonymous_joe

twinytwo wrote: »

Cause they would eventually have to beat either mighty munster of leinster which at the end of the day they will have to sacrifice life and limb to do... and as we all know munster is a big angry war machine that destroys even the best

Or match them up front with the Welsh pack and let Shane Williams nip in for a few tries. :pac:

twinytwo

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Or match them up front with the Welsh pack and let Shane Williams nip in for a few tries. :pac:

Wont happen.... Williams would have to out run howlett... again wont happen

thehighground

anonymous_joe wrote: »

I think it is a form of arrogance, in so much as that as assumption that you are good enough to be there leads to thinking you don't need to work for it. Munster for years revelled in an underdog tag, it's harder to motivate yourself when you think you've little effort to put in.

Its not arrogance, its confidence. Munster are good enough to win. Munster also know what has to be done to win. Ospreys don't really have that experience, and as Munster will tell you, that experience is very hard earned. (Scarletts knocked us out 2 years ago). I wouldn't be as confident if it was Toulouse, Leicester or Wasps coming to Thomond because of the experience they have of winning the Heineken Cup more than once. I'm just been honest - not arrogant.

I think the impact of fans is vastly overstated by (usually) fans. Who gives a fúck about the 16th man, he won't be starting.

So, all this talk of home advantage is nonsense?

Again, I don't really care who wins, I'd like Munster to win, but I wouldn't suffer much if they didn't. They've a very good team, but I think whoever wins the 6 Nations will probably be slightly less motivated - so if Ireland win, Ospreys have more to prove, kinda thing. Again, I think Munster should go out as favourites, but be very wary of dismissing a team that on paper are one of the world's strongest club level sides.

Irish rugby (IRFU) will suffer if an Irish team doesn't win the Heineken Cup to the tune of about 1m prize money. Hopefully an Irish team wins. Despite the Heineken Cup win, I thought the Munster players showed up well on the SH tour downunder this year.

On paper, the Ospreys are off form and are now ranked 14 in Europe according to this. (Munster 2nd, Leinster 4th).

http://www.eurorugby.com/modules.php?name=Rcurrent

In the European Cup - they are ranked at 12 (Munster 1st, Leinster 7th).

There is no way Munster will be complacent against the Os! That is one thing Kidney will have drilled into them at this stage

thehighground

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Or match them up front with the Welsh pack and let Shane Williams nip in for a few tries. :pac:

Despite no ROG, Warwick or Manning (and either an AIB OH or SH playing OH, the Os only chance of a Shane Williams try was snuffed out by the one and only Ian Dowling.

anonymous_joe

thehighground wrote: »

Its not arrogance, its confidence. Munster are good enough to win. Munster also know what has to be done to win. Ospreys don't really have that experience, and as Munster will tell you, that experience is very hard earned. (Scarletts knocked us out 2 years ago). I wouldn't be as confident if it was Toulouse, Leicester or Wasps coming to Thomond because of the experience they have of winning the Heineken Cup more than once. I'm just been honest - not arrogant.

They won a grand slam for Wales last year, though. :P

So, all this talk of home advantage is nonsense?

Nonsense, of course not, but overstated to a huge degree.

Irish rugby (IRFU) will suffer if an Irish team doesn't win the Heineken Cup to the tune of about 1m prize money. Hopefully an Irish team wins. Despite the Heineken Cup win, I thought the Munster players showed up well on the SH tour downunder this year.

On paper, the Ospreys are off form and are now ranked 14 in Europe according to this. (Munster 2nd, Leinster 4th).

http://www.eurorugby.com/modules.php?name=Rcurrent

In the European Cup - they are ranked at 12 (Munster 1st, Leinster 7th).

There is no way Munster will be complacent against the Os! That is one thing Kidney will have drilled into them at this stage

Well obviously an Irish team winning is best for Irish rugby. Goes without saying for now.

thehighground wrote: »

Despite no ROG, Warwick or Manning (and either an AIB OH or SH playing OH, the Os only chance of a Shane Williams try was snuffed out by the one and only Ian Dowling.

Wow, if he could run you'd almost want Dowling in the Ireland team.

That was a fairly throwaway remark and I appreciate the riposte, but at the end of the day, did Dowling threaten the Ospreys? As in, neither pack is noticeably stronger (I think Munster's edges it) and the backs are probably better for the Welsh...