Match Preview: Ulster Rugby vs. Ospreys

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ADM
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Match Preview: Ulster Rugby vs. Ospreys

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[tag=image]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/f ... spreys.gif[/tag][tag=content]Rugby is not the main issue.

To begin with this week I would like to wish Chris Henry all the best in his recovery from his injury, and I hope he will make a full recovery. Whether he plays rugby again is a distant second to his personal health.

It’s been a good two weeks for Ireland all things considered. A controlling win over the Springboks coupled with the expected thrashing of Georgia last Sunday has elevated Ireland to a lofty third place in the world rankings, and with the Wallabies rolling into town on Saturday there is a chance to take another southern hemisphere scalp and go into their Six Nations title defence with two massive wins to propel them onwards.

Meanwhile, back in Belfast, it’s been rather quiet. Tommy Bowe signed for another three years which of course is a very positive move from both Ulster and the IRFU, but beyond that there has been nothing to speak of in the last two weeks. True, with no games of which to speak there is very little to talk about, but even so it’s been very quiet.

But that all changes this week as we return to Pro12 action with a heavy thump as unbeaten league leaders the Ospreys are the latest to visit the Kingspan Stadium. Let’s not try and step round how good the Ospreys are this year – they have brushed aside every threat that has been presented to them in the Pro12 so far and show no signs of slowing up any time soon.

All this in a season where they were meant to struggle too. But their younger players have really stepped up to the plate with the likes of Rhys Webb, Sam Parry and Dan Baker impressing early on. Combined with the leadership of experienced players such as Duncan Jones and Alun Wyn Jones their impressive form should be of no surprise to anyone. Indeed with De Kock Steenkamp to come back from injury and several players away on international duty, the Swansea side will only get better.

Therefore, when they are depleted it is the perfect opportunity to inflict their first defeat onto them. With the Champions’ Cup maybe already beyond us, our main focus must be on the Pro12 and these games are the ones that are crucial to where we will finish the season. If we want a place in the top four come May then victory over our closest rivals at home are just as, if not more, important than securing bonus points elsewhere.

That said, we are depleted too. Amidst international call-ups and injuries, we are down most of our first team and our fringe players will be severely tested against one of our play-off rivals. The Ospreys will not roll over like the Dragons did two weeks ago and if we lose this game then we will find ourselves eight points behind the Welsh region – and even at this stage of the season that already looks like quite a lead to claw back.

But hopefully with the release of the international trio of Olding, Cave and Gilroy back in the white of Ulster this weekend we should see a strong performance. Their presence makes an average back line look very promising, and with the prospect of Nick Williams coming off the bench and flattening a few Ospreys, our team doesn’t look too bad…

Just one change for Ulster to the team that defeated the Ospreys, with the aforementioned Craig Gilroy being that change. His introduction onto the wing means Peter Nelson drops to the bench, which also includes the returning Nick Williams who will make his 50th Ulster appearance if called upon.

Nine changes for the Ospreys from their 35-51 reverse to the Dragons last weekend, although that was to be expected. Daniel Evans and Tom Grabham are recalled to the back three alongside Aisea Natoga, while Andrew Bishop returns to partner Ashley Beck in the centre. Martin Roberts and Sam Davies continue a familiar half-back pairing. Sam Parry is the only survivor in the front row, with Duncan Jones and Dmitri Arhip taking the prop berths, while in the second row Lloyd Peers is elevated to the captaincy on his return to the team. The back row is completely changed with Welsh internationals James King and Dan Baker released to play, with Sam Lewis joining them at openside.

Forget Ireland, the Kingspan Stadium is where the real action is this weekend and a top of the table clash will entertain another sell-out crowd. This is where our second string players put their hands up and make a case for starting in the bigger games and prove that our strength in depth is as strong as Kofi’s sarcastic comments make it out to be!

Well, let’s hold off judgement on that for a few days actually…

Ulster Rugby vs. Ospreys
Friday 21st November, 19:35
Kingspan Stadium
Guinness Pro12 – Round 8

ULSTER RUGBY
15. Stuart Olding, 14. Louis Ludik, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 11. Craig Gilroy, 10. Paddy Jackson, 9. Paul Marshall; 1. Callum Black, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Wiehahn Herbst, 4. Lewis Stevenson, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 6. Clive Ross, 7. Sean Reidy, 8. Roger Wilson (capt.).

16. John Andrew, 17. Andrew Warwick, 18. Declan Fitzpatrick, 19. Alan O’Connor, 20. Nick Williams, 21. Michael Heaney, 22. Ian Humphreys, 23. Peter Nelson.

OSPREYS
15. Daniel Evans, 14. Tom Grabham, 13. Andrew Bishop, 12. Ashley Beck, 11. Aisea Natoga, 10. Sam Davies, 9. Martin Roberts; 1. Duncan Jones, 2. Sam Parry, 3. Dmitri Arhip, 4. Lloyd Peers (capt.), 5. Rynier Bernardo, 6. James King, 7. Sam Lewis, 8. Dan Baker.

16. Matthew Dwyer, 17. Marc Thomas, 18. Cai Griffiths, 19. Rory Thornton, 20. Ifereimi Boladau, 21. Ieuan Jones, 22. Tom Habberfield, 23. Hanno Dirksen.

Referee: Neil Hennessy (WRU, 21st competition game)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Correll, Brian MacNeice (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: John Cole (IRFU)
TMO: Kevin Beggs (IRFU)[/tag]
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