Ospreys v Treviso. Teams & match thread.

[Breadvan]

Thought I'd start my first ever new topic post for last home game at the Liberty for the Ospreys this season.

From the beeb...

Pro12: Ospreys v Treviso (Sat)
RaboDirect Pro12: Ospreys v Treviso
Venue: Liberty Stadium, SwanseaDate: Saturday, 13 AprilKick-off: 18:30 GMT
Coverage: Live on S4C, updates on BBC Sport Online

The Ospreys make two starting line-up changes to face Treviso at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday needing a win to bolster their Pro12 play-off hopes.

Joe Bearman takes over at number eight from Jonathan Thomas and wing Ben John comes in for Tom Isaacs.

Bearman and Isaacs drop to the bench, where prop Dmitri Arhip's place is taken by Cai Griffiths.

Arhip, 24, is on Moldovan Test duty against Poland in a 2015 World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

The Welsh region are neck-and-neck with Scarlets for the fourth and final spot and after facing Treviso face two tough trips to Leinster and leaders Glasgow.

Ospreys have won their last eight home Pro12 games and have never lost to Treviso at the Liberty.

But the Italians arrive having won their last three league games and have already beaten Ospreys twice this term.

Both those wins, one in the Pro12 and one in the Heineken Cup, came on Italian soil, with Ospreys beating Treviso 38-17 at home in Europe.

"We've reached the time of the season now where there is no margin for error," said Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy.

"We may be in fourth place but the Scarlets are snapping at our heels so we will have to be at our absolute best for these three final games if we are going to secure a play-off place.

"It's the final home game of the regular season on Saturday, and it's going to be a tough test against a Treviso team that has shown time after time this season how good they are.

"They've brought something really different to the Pro12 over the last couple of seasons and are really growing, as their results this season have shown.

"If we are going to get the win we need then it's crucial that we are accurate in everything we do from first whistle to last or they will make us pay."

TEAMS
Ospreys: Richard Fussell; Tom Habberfield, Jonathan Spratt, Ashley Beck, Ben John; Dan Biggar, Kahn Fotuali'i; Ryan Bevington, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Ian Evans, James King, Joe Bearman, Justin Tipuric.

Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Duncan Jones, Cai Griffiths, Lloyd Peers, Jonathan Thomas, Rhys Webb, Matthew Morgan, Tom Isaacs.

Treviso: Luke McLean; Edoardo Gori, Tommaso Iannone, Doppies La Grange, Angelo Esposito; James Ambrosini, Tobias Botes; Alberto De Marchi, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Lorenzo Cittadini, Antonio Pavanello (capt), Francesco Minto, Simone Favaro, Manoa Vosawai, Paul Derbyshire.

Replacements: Giovanni Maistri, Michele Rizzo, Bees Roux, Valerio Bernabò, Marco Filippucci, Christian Loamanu, Fabio Semenzato, Alberto Di Bernardo.

Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU)

Assistant Referees: Ian Davies, Alan Jenkins (both WRU)

Citing Commissioner: John Charles (WRU)

TMO: Tony Rowlands (WRU)

As per the last two years the squad will come over to the East stand post game, for photos and autographs etc with the fans.

[Taffineastbourne]

Quality journalism from the Beeb.Bearman starting and on the bench!He will be cream crackered.

[Artful_Dodger]

Quality journalism from the Beeb.Bearman starting and on the bench!He will be cream crackered.

Last night they posted a picture from the Ulster Dragons game of Trimble and Marshall celebrating....except that neither Trimble or Marshall were in the Ulster 22.

[Taffineastbourne]

I wonder what these guys are paid.Give us a job!

[Shifty]

Dmitri Arhip He could get cult status in Welsh rugby, he looks a cracking little player.
I loved it last week where he scored a try, then gets a yellow card streight after the kick off and goes down injured, then walks to the wrong touchline and applauds the crowd.

The guys nuts, but the Ospreys fans have already taken him to heart.

We often get a bonus point win at home to Treviso, we played them twice at home last season, once in league and once in europe and got the bonus point both times.
This season we secured a bonus point win against them in the Heinaken Cup also.

They never fancy it at the Liberty.

Here's their announced team:

15 Luke McLean
14 Edoardo Gori
13 Thomas Iannone
12 Doppies La Grange
11 Angelo Esposito
10 James Ambrosini
9 Tobias Botes
8 Manoa Vosawai
7 Paul Derbyshire
6 Simone Favaro
5 Francesco Minto
4 Antonio Pavanello (Capt)
3 Lorenzo Cittadini
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
1 Alberto De Marchi

16 John Maistri
17 Michael Rizzo
18 Bees Roux
19 Valerio Bernabò
20 Marco Filippucci
21 Christian Loamanu
22 Fabio Semenzato
23 Alberto Di Bernardo

Solid all international pack.

No Burton at fly half, which is a good thing.

Not really sure why Edoardo Gori is on the wing, he's normally a scrum half, but then again the Ospreys like putting Scrum Halves on the wing, so when in Swansea do as the Ospreys do I guess!

They also listen winger Tommaso Iannone as outside center, he's like 12 stone, and normally a wing. So maybe Spratt and Beck can go to town on him. Doppies La Grange is at 12 as well, he's not first choice either.

Treviso seem to be resting international fly half Kristopher Burton and center, Alberto Sgarbi.

Provided the Ospreys don't get into a dog fight in the pack, I can see us winning this one easily to be honest.
Though even if we do we can still crush these guys up front.
Especially without Alessandro Zanni in the back row.

[Cari]

Right. Come on O's...get back in the top four will ya!! Terrible weather conditions, mind...

[Cari]

Six and a half minutes gone and Treviso get the first points.

0-3 Lots of little errors going on, and the ball is like soap due to the damp conditions.

[wales606]

Some nice touches early on, the O's unlucky to be behind

[wales606]

Biggar off the post working well for the O's

5M scrum and they should be going for the penalty try here

[Cari]

Biggar goes to equalize but it bounces off the post. Doesn't matter though cause a Treviso player knocks it on and O's get a five metre scrum. excellent scrum from Treviso though, gets them a bit of space. Good chargedown from the O's but no one to support it!

[wales606]

clever scrummaging from Treviso

[wales606]

What on earth is going on?

[Cari]

Some off the ball stuff going on. Could be some binnings here...Ianto and Ghiraldini...

Match official has picked on Black 5 (Ianto) and Green 6...bit of wrestling....a Treviso penalty. Huge long range kick in schitty weather. be awesome if he gets it...

[wales606]

Ian Evans suggesting he was gouged

Another accusation of gouging from a Treviso player, 2 in their last 2 games.

Anyone know what happened to the player who gouged Lou Reed? That was clear in the replay but I didn't see anything about citing?

[Cari]

Pass on that one Wales. Not sure if there'll be a citing for that one on Ianto. Hard to tell looking at it.

Webb playing well!

[Cari]

Biggar equalizes at the 20th minute. 3-3.

[Cari]

Ianto!

Anyway, Biggar kicks another. 6-3 at 24 minutes.

[wales606]

Easy yards in contact from Treviso

[wales606]

Their backs letting them down out wide

[Cari]

Tips playing well again. Treviso giving away a few silly penalties now.

Biggar kicks for the posts. 9-3 at 31 minutes.

[VinceWLB]

Anyone know what happened to the player who gouged Lou Reed? That was clear in the replay but I didn't see anything about citing?

It was Antonio Pavanello, didn't get cited (being Treviso club captain has probably helped).
Came off injured here.

[Cari]

OMG that dude on the telly dancing was sat in front of me at Judgement Day. He was a good laugh.

[wales606]

Clumsy from the O's

[wales606]

Why run into contact when Treviso are all over the rucks?

Excellent kick from Bevington He really want to be Gethin Jenkins

[Cari]

What a tackle! Saved that try...actually the TMO could be giving a penalty try!?

[wales606]

Tipuric should be playing the centre

Ospreys mess up a clear chance

Not sure what happened then?

Do the O's have a try?

[Cari]

Ah no! Chargedown and Ben John gets a try! Excellent!

Treviso didn't kick the ball away quick enough and it was charged down. Brilliant!

14-3 at 39 minutes.

[wales606]

Ben John's foot is in touch!

What?

[Cari]

Apparently not Wales...TMO gave it. Missed conversion, but still an unexpected try.

[wales606]

Commentator and TMO saying his foot was back in, but from the replay it looks like it was clearly over the line when he caught the ball?

[Cari]

No, just seen it again now and both feet looked in to me. He was just inside the line.

[Cari]

R-JO!!!! What's going on with his hair?!

[wales606]

R-JO!!!! What's going on with his hair?!

You're really trying to make R-JO stick aren't you

[wales606]

Tipuric is so quick

[wales606]

The quick lineout wasn't taken in the dead ball area was it? It was passed back into it?

[Cari]

Ah interesting...commentators saying that the try shouldn't have been allowed because it wasn't in the play area, not because of John's feet. Anyway, the officials allowed it so it stands. Bad luck for Treviso.

[Cari]

R-JO!!!! What's going on with his hair?!

You're really trying to make R-JO stick aren't you

Na I'm being lazy and if I say "Jones" could be anyone!

[Cari]

ooh controversial! Touch judge was asked TWICE about the try and he was wrong!

Good news for the O's - Munster winning.

[wales606]

Commentators are right, one of those laws you don't use often - but the lineout was illegal - still, it was Treviso's fault for trying it

[wales606]

Bad pass by Beck, he is having an uncharacteristically poor game

[Cari]

Some excellent defence by Treviso. Thought O's would've got another try there.

[wales606]

Nice counter rucking by Treviso - Poor by Webb giving Treviso so much time at that ruck

[wales606]

16 - 15 to Munster

Looks like that game is going down to the wire, would be a big boost if Munster win.

Then it could require a O's win at the RDS to make the playoff this year, rather than to win the tournament.

[wales606]

Another scrappy try.

2 more for the TBP with 30 minutes left - That would really boost their playoff hopes

[Cari]

Yay! Biggar right under the posts for a proper try! Mind you, I think the slippery surface helped that a bit. Might have needed more effort had it been dry.

19-3 at 50 minutes.

[wales606]

Spratt is having a good game

[Cari]

Spratt is having a good game

Yeah good to see. He never used to get much game time at all.

Oh gawd it's 16-15 over in Thomond...that's one close game.

[Cari]

Another scrappy try.

2 more for the TBP with 30 minutes left - That would really boost their playoff hopes

Well if they keep their cool, and hang on to the ball, it's doable.

...and as I typed that we had some ping-ponging going on...

[Cari]

Alywyn getting riled... and effing and jeffing...

[wales606]

Nice to hear the O's coaches saying to be ambition and go for the TBP - Compared to Mark Jones yesterday who wouldn't tell his players to go for it even when they were 3 scores up and when BPs are so important while they are competing with the O's

[Sponsored content]