The Ospreys team for the opening game vs Ulster has been named and it’s, um, interesting.
No Byrne, no Bowe, no Adam Jones, no AWJ, Byrne, Shane and Paul James on the bench.  This is hardly a first choice line up – yet again showing the problem with starting a league with low key games.  How different would it be for a derby match where the whole country is watching?
That is not to say there isn’t plenty of interest.  How Gareth Owen has developed over the summer, Ben Lewis (hopefully) getting …

Don’t ask me how some awards get decided, it seems a lot of the time a tombola is used to decide who is worth getting an award… and the Magners League awards are no exception.
Ok that’s a tad harsh, a lot of the awards decided are worthy.  For example I may be biased as an Ospreys fan but Tommy Bowe has been so superb this season he is fully deserving of the players player of the year award.  But one that has confused me is that the Dragon;s boss Paul …

So the Magners League fixtures have been announced – and yet again the Magners League underwhelms me.
This is a league that gets much derision for a number of reasons, for teams not taking it seriously, for a lack of fans, for a lack of interest. But yet again we see just how the Magners League address this issue – they do nothing and hope it works.
Now I do think the Guinness Premiership is an over rated league. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a number of things …

That is the only conclusion I can make from the farcical decision to dock the Ospreys 4 points next season, and fine them £100,000. This is because they refused to play a league game vs Ulster.
But it is not as clear cut as all that, in fact it is nothing like you would think from hearing that those nasty Osprey people (trust me, read any non-Welsh message board and you will see many people calling them a lot worse, based on nothing but hearsay) cancelled a game.
Rearranged
First up it …

A full strength Ospreys team:
Ospreys: Lee Byrne; Tommy Bowe, Andrew Bishop, James Hook, Shane Williams; Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips; Paul James, Huw Bennett, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah, Ryan Jones (capt).
Replacements: Ed Shervington, Ryan Bevington, Ian Gough, Filo Tiatia, Jamie Nutbrown, Gareth Owen, Nikki Walker.
And a much depleted Dragons team
15. Will Harries, 14. Adam Hughes, 13. Rhodri Gomer Davies, 12. Pat Leach, 11.Richard Fussell, 10. Jason Tovey, 9. Wayne Evans, 1. Aaron Coundley, 2. Tom Willis, 3. Ben Castle, 4. Robert Sidoli, 5. Hoani …

Those of you who frequent the Welsh rugby forums will know that a lot of people, at least those that post, tend to have a problem with the Magners League, and with good reason. It has lacked intensity, it sees far too many 2nd teams sent out and for years has been a competition that you pretty much only won by accident. Remember how daming the Ospreys were when they won it?
And that hasn’t really changed. Until the end of the season anyway.
The playoffs actually seem to …

The Llanelli Scarlets have named their team to take on Edinburgh for this must win game. There are only 5 games in the Magners League remaining and it is very close in the battle to not be the bottom Welsh team – remember that the bottom Welsh rugby region doesn’t make it into the Heineken Cup for the first time. And since only 1 point seperates the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues every game matters.
Which makes head coach Nicgel Davies’ decision to rest Stephen Jones and Sean Lamont after …

After losing to the Ospreys it is starting to look like the Llanelli Scarlets’ season is already close to over.  The last gasp bonus point thanks to a Jonathon Edwards try meant they got to come away with something, but only the poor form of the Cardiff Blues has allowed them to keep in touch with any of the Welsh regions.  I haven’t checked the stats but I think that now makes it one win in 8 for the Welsh Wales region.
I have heard the excuses, most notably current injuries …

The Western Mail has again managed to outdo itself in poor journalism, this time with its efforts to cast light on poor attendances at the regions. Now don’t get me wrong, I do think things need to improve on that front, and in some cases rather drastically, but yet again the levels of investigation and consideration of all the facts leave a lot to be desired.
This is the artice that I am talking about.
Firstly let us look at what has to be the best line of the whole article…
A …

I was just reading that I could go to watch the Ospreys vs Viadana for a fiver.  Good piece of marketing that.  But in the same article something struck me as being a bit off.  Namely Ryan Jones’ comment.
For those that missed the fairly innocuous looking line it says
The match against Viadana is probably the biggest game of the season so far for the Ospreys.
Fair enough… or not. Well firstly I have my doubts. Of the season so far surely Leicester or Clermont Auvergne were more important, and bigger, …