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 …

Personally I am hoping this is just a hoax but Cai Griffiths and Sonny Parker have just been Twittering about the new Ospreys training shirt.  Worse it seems that a number of people on Twitter seem to think that it is a good thing. Which just goes to show how many people there are out there with bad taste.
To quote Prysiau from the Rugby Rebels thread about this
Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m absolutely convinced clubs could make far more money from merchandise if they actually put together a shirt …

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 …

The Heineken Cup fixtures have been announced, and with all the Welsh regions taking part again this year (with the Scarlets thankful the Blues won the Amlin cup) all are looking forward to taking on the best that Europe has to offer.
The Ospreys have one hell of a start – away to Toulon, whilst the Blues have life a little easier at home to Edinburgh. The Dragons start away to Glasgow
Ospreys
Sat 9 Oct Toulon V Ospreys – 2.35pm – Stade Felix Mayol – Canal +
Fri 15 Oct …

Just had someone contact me from Jam pimping out an up coming interview with Gavin Henson, out on Sunday. Now I am far too lazy to bother going over what they say so the email is simply quoted below. Along with a link to the, very not safe for work, promotional picture of Mr Henson
Enjoy – if you like that kind of thing!

Hi,
I’m Sammy from an advertising agency called Jam. We’re working with the News of the World, and we want to give you exclusive access to this …

Talk to any Welsh rugby fan about big prospects coming through and one of the first names mentioned will be Tom Prydie. After all this is the youngest ever Welsh player and, if I recall correctly, the youngest ever player to play in the Heineken cup, having come off the bench for the Ospreys.
This weekend he faces up to New Zealand (the poor sod, does anyone hold ANY hope for this game?) having already made two starts for Wales. And he is barely 18.
But take a look at …

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 …

Filo Tiatia, one of the Osprey’s kiwi backrow players, has announced that he is going to retire at the end of the season.
At 38 it might be expected but it is a loss. And as an Ospreys fan all I can say is ‘thank you Filo’.
As far as I am concerned he is one of the first of the Ospreys legends that will go down in folklore. He is inspirational and hardhitting on the pitch. I know when he first signed I wasn’t much of a fan, …

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 …

YOU ARE. Ok maybe not you, but it’s fans. No, not my opinion, after all I am an Ospreys fan myself, but that is teh opinion of another Ospreys fan who also happens to write for scrum.com.
In an article about what is wrong with the Ospreys he claims
I’m certainly not saying that there are not fans who are passionate about the Ospreys, still less that the players do not care enough. And collective passion by itself will not turn a bad team into a good one. It might, …