Scarlets Vs Ospreys

[DuncTheDoodle]

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Lee Byrne and Adam Jones are both due to be on the bench, while Ian Evans and Ryan Jones are fit to start. However, back-up Scrum Half Tavis Knoyle is out for the Scarlets, as are the injured Morgan Stoddart, Mark Jones, Dafydd Jones, Matthew Rees, Regan King and Rhys Thomas, plus Josh Turnbull, who's been banned. The Ospreys are still lacking Shane Williams and Mike Phillips, plus some other smaller-name injuries.

Team news later this week.

 

[cyRil]

It will be boring as hell, but we'll win by 13.

 

[LydiatesGirl]

good to see Ianto back

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

The game is set to be the biggest crowd ever at Parc y Scarlets, with tickets now totally sold out- First time this has happened since the move last season.

 

[feicarsinn]

And yet they couldn't see the place out for the European Champions? I'm very offended. If the weather is anything like it is over here it'll be a low scoring, boring, ugly, hard fought game. Scarlets by 4.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Scarlets: Rhys Priestland; Morgan Stoddart, Sean Lamont, Jonathan Davies, Andy Fenby; Stephen Jones, Martin Roberts; Phil John, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu, Lou Reed, Dominic Day, Simon Easterby, Johnathan Edwards, David Lyons (capt).
Replacements: Jamie Corsi, Emyr Phillips, Vernon Cooper, Rob McCusker, Lee Williams, Daniel Evans, Gareth Maule.

Ospreys: Gareth Owen; Tommy Bowe, Andrew Bishop, James Hook, Nikki Walker; Dan Biggar, Ricky Januarie; Paul James, Huw Bennett, Craig Mitchell, Ian Gough, Alun Wyn Jones, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah, Ryan Jones (capt).
Replacements: Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Ian Evans, Jonathan Thomas, Jamie Nutbrown, Sonny Parker, Lee Byrne.

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)

Ospreys side is far, far stronger. In terms of (Much as I hate the term) the Scarlets have Stoddard, Lamont, arguably Davis and Stephen Jones. Ospreys? Bowe, Hook, Januarie, AWJ, Collins, Ryan, anbd then arguably Biggar, Walker and Gough. And even then, look at the bench: Evans, Adam and Byrne are amongst the best in their positions in the world. (Or at least in Europe, as far as Ian Evans is concerned.)

 

[RC]

Jamie Nutbrown on the bench?!
Surely - surely! - someone has realised by now that this guy is ****.

 

[cyRil]

The Ospreys bench is stupidly good.
What the Turks would give for our replacements to be in their line-up.

 

[RC]

They're more than welcomed to Nutbrown.

 

[cyRil]

Well aye.

 

[RC]

What happened to Liam Davies?
A bit of Welsh talent taking up some bench space rather than a useless kiwi would be much more preferable.
Ok, i'm gonna stop having a go at Nutbrown now, it's getting a bit too obvious.

 

[cyRil]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RC @ Dec 24 2009, 09:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

What happened to Liam Davies?
A bit of Welsh talent taking up some bench space rather than a useless kiwi would be much more preferable.
Ok, i'm gonna stop having a go at Nutbrown now, it's getting a bit too obvious.[/b]

I voiced this exact opinion on the Ospreys forum at the beginning of the season and got shot down. It was about then that I finished with those jokers.

 

[RC]

Better to see the light now than never.

 

[cyRil]

Tbf Liam Davies got MOTM against Munster about 3 weeks ago, had a quality performance.
Still, I'd prefer to tell Nutbrown to f*** off back to New Zealand so we can concentrate on young talent like Davies, Rhodri Wells and <strike>Rhys Webb</strike> Thomas Owain Davies.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

14-21 to the Ospreys.

Paul James -Yes, the prop, Paul James- scored two tries(!!!)

Adam Jones played about 50 minutes, and Lee Byrne 35. Both played well. Adam made a massive difference to the Ospreys scrum, constantly pushing back the Scarlets, where as Craig Mitchell only held them steady.

 

[cyRil]

Nothing like a good Turk-tuning on Boxing Day. Tbf, we did absolutely f*** all, yet strolled the game. Just goes to show how far the Scarlets have fallen in a decade. Granted they were missing a few key players, but they still are nowhere near the force they were. I used to be scared when Neath played Llanelli; now it's disappointing if we get anything other than a convincing win. GOOD!!
Our defence coped with whatever they threw up easily, and we just turned it on sporadically and when we needed to.
Adam Jones was brilliant when he came on, ruled the scrum. Januarie was fairly **** and looked fat. I saw him in the Quadrant on Tuesday with his family and thought he looked a bit portly then, but it's plainly obvious in one of our shirts!
Dan Biggar was MOTM no question; can't believe Paul James got it, but he did very well for the 2 tries - his swan-dive for the first just about making my Christmas!

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I thought that Biggar or Adam where MOTM, although Bishop and Bowe played well, too.

I agree with Paul James' dive, too. I was laughing for a couple of minutes. 'Twas a good try, too.

Best game we've seen in a while too. I feel without the crowd the Scarlets' wouldn't have played half as well, but with them the, erm, spirit of Sospan Fach lived on through their play. Or something. I enjoyed it, though.

 

[RC]

That scoreline heavily flattered the Scarlets!
They were constantly "on the attack" even though they couldn't get past the advantage line, they had silly amounts of possession and territory throughout the game and yet showed no signs of being threatening.
The only shining light for the Scarlets was Jonathan Davies. He was dangerous, broke the gain line a couple of times and required 2 people to bring him down often. He's showing himself up really well.
Ospreys defended superbly. Even when Scarlets camped on the ospreys line for 7 minutes I wasn't the slightest bit surprised that they came away with nothing.
It was a very impressive performance from the ospreys, took the points when they needed to and never looked in danger of losing the game.
Good to see Byrne and Adam coming back, but I was under the impression that Ianto was back this week. Any idea what happened there?

 

[cyRil]

Sian was on the bench, but didn't get on. Didn't want to risk him I guess.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

He came on last week for 20 minutes, I believe.