I have to admit that I do
love any England v Wales match-up (aside from the ones where England get
destroyed by 30 points in Cardiff) – the temperature seems to sneak up just
that one notch, the game has just that bit more spice and the fans get just
that bit more vocal (and drunk). And
that permeates down into the club game as well – look at some of the classic
fixtures in the past between Leicester and the Ospreys, Llanelli and Bath for
example. Or even look at your average
touring English side, who would always receive a 'special' welcome every time
they crossed the River Severn – there's no doubt an England v Wales game, on
whatever level, provides that little bit extra.
And two sides who have
certainly had that little bit extra this season are Northampton and the
Ospreys. The Saints are English
champions, in ominous form again and are many people's pick to reach the final
this year, and so they would have been disappointed – to put it mildly – to come
away from Racing Metro, who are on a run of questionable form in the Top 14,
with absolutely nothing to show for their efforts. But don't let that one result fool you –
behind a pack as brutal and aggressive as they come there is a backline that
oozes power and menace, and when they get their tails up they are incredibly
difficult to stop. Which is why they've
scored a try bonus point in each and every one of their home games so far this
season.
But if you think the Saints
have been sizzling, take a look at their visitors on Saturday – the Ospreys. The only side in the competition to not have
lost a game this season. Not one. Unbeaten in the Pro12, the Welsh side cruised
to a straightforward victory over the hapless Treviso last week and are rightly
running high on confidence. They play an
exciting brand of rugby as well, with a fast and aggressive pack moving their
opponents around the field and, in Rhys Webb, they have one of the form scrum
halves in Europe at the moment. The livewire
9 is a wonderful foil to the composed Biggar and the smooth-running backline
outside him.
So, how do you pick apart two
sides that top their respective domestic leagues? There just seem, to me, to be a couple of
points that fall in favour of the English side.
Firstly – and obviously – they're at home, where they have looked
supreme in the early stages of the season.
Secondly, these two did meet in the Heineken Cup last season...and Saints came away with the spoils on both occasions. Thirdly, the only area where the Ospreys haven't looked totally sharp
in the scrum, with a relatively unestablished front row in place. It's fair to say that the Northampton front
row isn't renowned for taking it easy on under-powered opponents. And out wide, although George Pisi is a big
loss, George Wilson is a smart distributor and he will be able to bring the
likes of North and Ken Pisi into the game more – which is bad news all round
for the Ospreys.
Of course, all of these are
small advantages which merely tip the scales slightly – but in an England v
Wales encounter, all your best theories can go out the window anyway.
Northampton Saints Team News
Northampton have made two
changes to the team beaten 20-11 by Racing Metro for the visit of Ospreys. Lee Dickson starts ahead of former Osprey
Kahn Fotuali'i at scrum-half with James Wilson replacing the injured George
Pisi at centre.
Starting Line-up:
Ben Foden; Ken Pisi, James
Wilson, Luther Burrell, George North; Stephen Myler, Lee Dickson; Alex Waller,
Dylan Hartley (capt), Salesi Ma'afu, Courtney Lawes, Christian Day, Calum
Clark, Tom Wood, Samu Manoa.
Subs: Mike
Haywood, Ethan Waller, Gareth Denman, James Craig, Phil Dowson, Kahn Fotuali'i,
Will Hooley, Jamie Elliott.
Key Player
Samu Manoa. The gargantuan American forward has been
tearing it up this season – mostly in the back row – and now seems to have
added an attacking element to his game to compliment those trademark
teeth-loosening hits in defence, exemplified by a very well taken hat-trick a
fortnight ago against Sale. But the East
Midlanders will need him to be at his bruising best against an ultra-physical
Ospreys pack on Saturday – the Welsh-side are used to dominating sides this
term and so Manoa will be expected to grind out the hard yards as well as
killing any Ospreys momentum at source.
Ospreys Team News
Unbeaten Ospreys make three
changes for the trip - two of them enforced.
Wing Eli Walker and number eight Dan Baker are injured, with Hanno
Dirksen and Joe Bearman taking their places and Justin Tipuric back on the
open-side.
Starting Line-up:
Dan Evans; Jeff Hassler,
Andrew Bishop, Josh Matavesi, Hanno Dirksen; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Nicky
Smith, Scott Baldwin, Dmitri Arhip, Lloyd Peers, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), James
King, Justin Tipuric, Joe Bearman.
Subs: Sam
Parry, Duncan Jones, Aaron Jarvis, Rynier Bernardo, Morgan Allen, Sam Lewis,
Martin Roberts, Sam Davies.
Key Player
Alun Wyn Jones. The Welsh captain never fails to impress me,
which means he must be nightmare to play against. Time after time he combines a colossal amount
of aggression at the breakdown with a cold, clinical mind in the set piece –
and both will be vitally important if the Ospreys are to have any chance of
walking away with a result from Franklin's Gardens. When Saints get going forward and get quick
ball, they are like an unstoppable tidal wave of powerful runners – Wyn Jones
needs to make a nuisance of himself in the early phases and force Myler to
kick. In attack, the lineout acts as a
springboard for so much of the Ospreys offensive game that it is essential that
the skipper avoids the attentions of Lawes and Day on their own throw.
Key Battle
Stephen Myler v Dan
Biggar. Watching these two play one
another is like watching one bloke playing in-front of a giant, nation-altering
mirror – or, in English, they have almost identical styles of play. Neither has the swagger of a Danny Cipriani,
the unpredictability of Rhys Priestland or – to be frank – the natural ability
of George Ford. But what they do have is
bags of composure, superb kicking games, and the ability to make the right
decisions consistently; and when you have players as dangerous as these guys do
on your outside, sometimes that is all you need. There will be a titanic battle up front and
that means that territory – and the ability to execute when chances come your
way – will be of paramount importance; the battle of the boot holds extra sway
in this one.
Prediction
Looking at the form book,
there is not a lot to choose between the two sides, although you could argue
that Northampton's disappointing loss in France last weekend gives the
advantage to their visitors. But I think
that they'll raise their game in front of an expectant home crowd on Saturday,
and looking through the team sheets I just think that they have a slight edge
in some key areas. The packs are fairly
even but Hartley and his front row chums will fancy their chances in the scrum
against their counterparts, and whilst Hassler and Dirksen are very competent
wingers, they lack the sparkle and fizz of North and Ken Pisi. They're small advantages – but in this
competition, they go a long way. Saints by 9 points.
And in the other fixtures?
Munster v Saracens:
Munster pulled off the great
escape last week and I think we'll see another nail-biter against one of the
tournament favourites. I have a
suspicion that this time it will be Sarries who will sneak a victory
though. Sarries by 2.
Ulster v Toulon:
Neither side were convincing
last week despite their obvious quality, but with Ulster strong at home and
French sides notoriously ropey away from home, I think the Irishmen may pick up
a win. Ulster by 4.
Bath v Toulouse:
Bath will have been stung by their
poor performance and defeat against Glasgow last week, and I expect them to
grab a win against an inconsistent Toulouse outfit. Bath
by 5.
Montpellier v Glasgow Warriors: Montpellier
haven't lost at home for over 2 months in the Top 14, and I suspect that the
Warriors will find this trip a journey too far.
Montpellier by 8.
Scarlets v Leicester Tigers: Both
sides have blown hot and cold this year, so I'm going for home advantage and
the loss of Manu Tuilagi as the decisive factors here. Scarlets
by 5.
Castres v Leinster:
Castres have been a Top 14
force over the last couple of seasons but they're having a wretched time this
year, and after a morale-sapping loss against Harlequins I think they're
vulnerable. Leinster by 6.
Clermont Auvergne v Sale Sharks: Sale
have impressed with their attacking play but they won't be able to outscore the
French giants on their own turf. The
hosts should win comfortably. Clermont by 14.
Treviso v Racing Metro: After
an opening weekend win against Northampton, there's a danger that Racing might
take the tournament seriously this year.
They have too much quality for Treviso.
Racing by 15.
Wasps v Harlequins:
In a 'London' derby of sorts,
we see a battle between two clubs who have looked very good in brief
flashes. Home advantage and passion
could be the key, so I'm going for Wasps
by 3.
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