Ospreys vs Munster, Sat 5/12/09 6:30pm, S4C/Setanta

thomond2006

Ospreys:

15 Gareth Owen
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Sonny Parker
12 Andrew Bishop
11 Nikki Walker
10 Dan Biggar
9 Liam Davies

1 Duncan Jones
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Craig Mitchell
4 Alun-wyn Jones
5 Jonathan Thomas
6 Jerry Collins (Capt)
7 Marty Holah
8 Filo Tiatia

Replacements:
Huw Bennett, Paul James, Cai Griffiths, Andy Lloyd,Ben Lewis, Rhys Webb, James Hook

Munster:

P Warwick; D Howlett, J de Villiers, L Mafi, K Earls; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; W du Preez, D Fogarty, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, O'Connell; A Quinlan, N Ronan, J Coughlan.

Replacements: D Varley, T Buckley, D Ryan, M O'Driscoll, N Williams, P Stringer, D Hurley, I Dowling


Munster should take this one, looking at the teams.

While Munster are missing Leamy and Horan through injury and Flannery and Wallace through rest (for HEC probably), Ospreys have a long list of injuries: Ryan Jones, Adam Jones, Lee Byrne, Ian Evans, Gavin Henson gone AWOL etc, not to mention their scrum-half dilemma. Lots of squad players out as well.

Wian Du Preez comes straight into the side. Expecting a good scrummaging performance from him against the inexperienced Craig Mitchell.

Doug Howlett makes his first start since the Treviso match.

Good to see Coughlan get some game time as well. Disappointed that Felix Jones isn't in the squad though.

There is a massive gulf of class between the two centre pairings. If Mafi and JdV can get their act together, they'll rip the 'Sprays apart.

Big game for ROG too, he has some task to get the Irish jersey back even with Sexton's current injury.

This should be good preparation for the back to back against Perpignan.

anonymous_joe

Bit harsh on Parker and Bishop.

That's a decent Sprays back-line, scrum-half aside.

thomond2006

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Bit harsh on Parker and Bishop.

They're average players who do OK, my point is they're nothing compared to Mafi and JdV gelling and in form.

danthefan

The list of players Ospreys is missing is staggering. They've at least 12 players out I think, now not all would be first choice but it's definitely going to test your depth. Munster really should win it.

irishbucsfan

Interesting that Jerry Collins is preferred as captain to Alun-Wyn Jones...

anonymous_joe

thomond2006 wrote: »

They're average players who do OK, my point is they're nothing compared to Mafi and JdV gelling and in form.

I dunno, I still look at Mafi and JdV as two quality 12s. There's no playmaking or nous in there, and a more balanced midfield with inferior players might do some damage to them.

phog

This is a match that Munster must win and looking at the teams I think it should be a strong possibility, we wont move up the table too much with a win but it will keep us up in the top 4.

gcgirl

Munster are putting out a strong team for this, I hope ROG has a good game He is still got a lot to prove not to all of us but to himself he just seems like a player thats lacking a bit of confidence!

twinytwo

anonymous_joe wrote: »

I dunno, I still look at Mafi and JdV as two quality 12s. There's no playmaking or nous in there, and a more balanced midfield with inferior players might do some damage to them.

which makes one think why they bought a 12 to replace a 13..

danthefan

I thought Mafi/Earls looked just as good as any combination of Mafi/JdV to this point.

2040

Yeah, the Mafi/JDV thing seems a bit forced. I hope they get it together though.

phog

Paul O'Connell out as a precaution. Hopefully, he'll be available next week.

thomond2006

Another empty stadium.

Welsh regions get terrible attendances at ML matches.

colman1212

Dont suppose there are any live streams?

phog

thomond2006 wrote: »

Another empty stadium.

Welsh regions get terrible attendances at ML matches.

I've never seen this stadium full to capacity for ML or HC, they must have a very big purse to enable them to have so many big names.

danthefan

colman1212 wrote: »

Dont suppose there are any live streams?

S4C will be streaming it from their website, or you can find them on Sky digital.

Theus

You can watch it on Eircom if you're with them also

Legion2008

If you've got eircom broadband you can watch it from their site http://setanta-video.eircom.net/eircom/channels/Live.aspx?rd2=1

yoppo

O' Gara missed two penalties... a lot of aimless kicking as well

Judgement Day

colman1212 wrote: »

Dont suppose there are any live streams?

http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_index.shtml


7-0 to Munster after 13 mins.

yoppo

Penalty try! Good work from the forwards

colman1212

Judgement Day wrote: »

http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_index.shtml

Nice one - Thanks! God welsh is a strange language!!

danthefan

Ref is beyond a joke.

phog

danthefan wrote: »

Ref is beyond a joke.

Why?

sernam

ROG misses his 3rd straightforward kick of the game...

gearstick

ref seems a bit whistle-happy

Judgement Day

Poor old ROG is having another shocker - two easy penalties missed now.

irishbucsfan

I think the refs been fair. THe penalty try was an odd decision though.

Alun Wyn Jones has been playing stupid rugby all night... he was always going to be carded. Very disappointing.

O'Gara is showing exactly why he's no longer the Irish starting 10. Warwick would be better for Munster.

danthefan

phog wrote: »

Why?

Imo he doesn't have a clue what's going on, being completely inconsistent.

Aidric

Absolute muck game so far, kick,kick,kick,kick etc etc
The ref's decision to award a penalty try was a joke as has the Ospreys half backs.

phog

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I think the refs been fair. THe penalty try was an odd decision though.
Alun Wyn Jones has been playing stupid rugby all night... he was always going to be carded. Very disappointing.

O'Gara is showing exactly why he's no longer the Irish starting 10. Warwick would be better for Munster.

Aidric wrote: »

Absolute muck game so far, kick,kick,kick,kick etc etc
The ref's decision to award a penalty try was a joke as has the Ospreys half backs.

What was wrong with the penaltry try decision? Munster had them under pressure, at least 3 of their players left the scrum to prevent the ball coming back from the No8. Couldn't see why he shouldn't have awarded the penalty try.

thomond2006

They seriously need to give Warwick the goal kicking duties.

Shame the cross field kick didn't work, it if was gathered, it would have been a certain try.

We won't have the latititude of missing 9 points at goal and still winning in Perpignan.

louthandproud

ROG is not going well at all, expected a bit of a bounce back from him this week, the 2nd penalty was a long way out and he has had a couple of decent kicks to touch, but for the most part not good enough. Should have scored 2/3 pens at least and that late cross kick although a good idea was very poorly executed.

thomond2006

louthandproud wrote: »

ROG is not going well at all, expected a bit of a bounce back from him this week, the 2nd penalty was a long way out and he has had a couple of decent kicks to touch, but for the most part not good enough. Should have scored 2/3 pens at least and that late cross kick although a good idea was very poorly executed.

I question his decision to go for goal there, he struck it well but it was never going to have the distance.

This game should be out of sight.

danthefan

Truly a dreadful game, wouldn't even single out ROG (goalkicking aside, no excuse there), everyone is playing poorly. Everyone.

louthandproud

danthefan wrote: »

Truly a dreadful game, wouldn't even single out ROG (goalkicking aside, no excuse there), everyone is playing poorly. Everyone.

Agree 100%, woeful stuff.

Conditions do look bad though (not sure how bad as watching on-line on a small screen), but it must be a big factor along with the recent break for the AI's.

Aidric

How many miles forward was that pass to Bowe?

crisco10

Aidric wrote: »

How many miles forward was that pass to Bowe?

Twas a little "lateral" alright. Great finish by Bowe tho...

Let off there with Ospreys missing that penalty. Fogarty in the bin...

yoppo

Munster being outplayed! Shocking stuff from them. They get the ball and kick it. It's like hot potato here.

ongarite

Let off for Munster there. That should have been given as a try.
Ospreys are really putting on the pressure now, totally different game this half.

danthefan

TMO got that all wrong, he clearly grounded the ball. Juggled it a bit but the ball didn't go to ground so it shouldn't matter.

yoppo

O'Gara you idiot! Missed 12 points already. Granted one was very far but jesus christ. Shocking!

ongarite

Jesus, O' Gara misses another fairly easy kick for his standards.
Only 1 from 5 so far tonight.

sernam

danthefan wrote:

TMO got that all wrong, he clearly grounded the ball.

My stream isn't the best quality but it didn't look to me like he got downward pressure at all.

Judgement Day

Isn't ROG captain tonight? He should get Warwick or TOL to take the kicks.

wixfjord

sernam wrote: »

My stream isn't the best quality but it didn't look to me like he got downward pressure at all.

I agree I think it was a clear knock on.

Getting a bit cynical now. doesnt bode well for next week.

yoppo

Another yellow card for Munster. James Coughlan this time! Wow...

ongarite

Another yellow card for Munster, Coughlan binned.

corny

yoppo wrote: »

Munster being outplayed! Shocking stuff from them. They get the ball and kick it. It's like hot potato here.

Even when an overlap is on the first instinct is to kick every time. Horrible to watch.

Aidric

Only one team in the second half, it's gonna take something special to pull this out of the fire.

sernam

The Ospreys' positional kicking has been really good all night. Can't see any reason why they can't hold Munster off for the last ~17 mins. Unless the typical Irish international mentality starts to shine through and they sneak a try or two in the last ten mins...

The Munster gameplan tonight has been so one-dimensional they really don't deserve anything out of this game. A unknowing observer would laugh at you if you told them the team in red are the defending champs.