swift4prez wrote: Tomorrows game is live online at tg4.tv for anyone who can't make the game

Thanks for posting this S4P, thought I'd be listening only. Broken ankle keeping me at home!

15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Fionn Carr
13. Robbie Henshaw
12. Bundee Aki
11. Matt Healy
10. Jack Carty
9. Kieran Marmion

1. Denis Buckley
2. Tom McCartney
3. Rodney Ah You
4. Andrew Browne
5. Aly Muldowney
6. John Muldoon (captain)
7. Eoghan Masterson
8. Eoin McKeon

Replacements:

16. Dave Heffernan
17. JP Cooney
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Michael Swift
20. George Naoupu
21. John Cooney
22. Miah Nikora
23. Shane O’Leary

Tomorrows game is live online at tg4.tv for anyone who can't make the game

cadman wrote: The Craggy Island Rugby podcast has a preview of the match, with some slighty worrying stats about our results in the last game of the season, not sure who to ask to get it put on the home page, would appreciate it if someone could post it.

Up there now Cadman

One thing I've been giving out about in the last few seasons cadman, is that connacht used to have their end of season party, before the last game of the season. What kind of mind set is that? No wonder they would be thinking of holidays rather than last 80 minutes.finally this season the match is after our last game

The Craggy Island Rugby podcast has a preview of the match, with some slighty worrying stats about our results in the last game of the season, not sure who to ask to get it put on the home page, would appreciate it if someone could post it.

I think the majority around me in the crowd thought at the time we should have taken the points, and then when Muldoon came in to talk with the players i was close enough to the play to see that even when he called a lineout the front row players were looking at each other like they expected a scrum. anyway all it's the past now and we must concentrate on getting some kind of result against the ospreys, scrum-half will be a key position for us as we have to stop rhys webb if we have any chance with our backrow having to be very alert to his sniping runs.

its_phil wrote: Point to the Cardiff games if you want but you know what we got screwed by a ref in a game we probably weren't that much the better team by and in the home game we blew it with cheap kicks missed and poor decision to go to the corner. But I remember that Cardiff game in the Clan Stand and I don't remember anyone in the crowd going thats a bad call when the decision was made and the kick to the corner was on the angle too. Everyone wanted their 5 points now, and I'm included there. Greedy stuff but you know what we're inexperinced at this level of the table and some people need to suck it up and realise this is the beauty and cruelty of sport at the business end of the season.

Fair points but I have to respond in relation to the Cardiff home game. I remember that game clearly and I remember the complete opposite. Everyone where I was were saying what the hell are we doing. Everyone where I was had one of two views. A lot were saying kick at goal and get the game pretty much secured and the rest were saying go for a scrum and push for the bonus point. Both arguments were fair in my view. Nobody was even thinking we should go for the corner. The scrum previous to that we had won the penalty off and were in control in that facet and Craig Ronaldson had kicked a couple of conversions more difficult than that potential kick on that particular evening. On that particular evening the lineout wasn't functioning.

Of course games are lost that you think you should win and you win some games you probably shouldn't win, that's always going to happen otherwise there'd be no fun if we all knew the result. For example, Edinburgh at home was one we'd have hoped to win but Edinburgh fully deserved their win over us in January no arguments but those 2/3 points against Cardiff were lost in my view through awful decision making by a very experienced player. There was evidence in the Cardiff away match before half time that we hadn't learned our lesson either. These things happen but when they continuously reoccur you can't just say we have to suck it up.

We dropped points, the Scarlets dropped points, and Edinburgh dropped points. It happens and the way some people are going on about it you would swear the others are having perfect seasons and won every game they should have. Point to the Cardiff games if you want but you know what we got screwed by a ref in a game we probably weren't that much the better team by and in the home game we blew it with cheap kicks missed and poor decision to go to the corner. But I remember that Cardiff game in the Clan Stand and I don't remember anyone in the crowd going thats a bad call when the decision was made and the kick to the corner was on the angle too. Everyone wanted their 5 points now, and I'm included there. Greedy stuff but you know what we're inexperinced at this level of the table and some people need to suck it up and realise this is the beauty and cruelty of sport at the business end of the season.

We won games we shouldn't have won (Treviso, Edinburgh, Dragons away playing against 14 men) and lost some we should have won. Move on, next game is Saturday so let's try win a game we probably shouldn't against one of the form sides in Europe

Dont think I have ever agreed with Frano before but in this case I think he is right .... we did so much this season to open the door but just couldn't take the chances when presented. Twice against Cardiff, Leinster in the RDS and even Ulster at home when Pienaar left his kicking boots at home. Hopefully the lads will prove him (and me) wrong this weekend.

Connacht v Ospreys – Galway Sportsground Guinness Pro 12 Round 22
Saturday 16th May 2015 Kick Off 15:00 On TV: S4C

Having gone top courtesy of their 21-10 win over Glasgow in Round 21, Ospreys will travel to Galway hoping to secure an all important home semi-final. Connacht will be seeking a win to keep their hopes of securing a Top 6 finish or a play off spot for European qualification.

Other Match Stats
Connacht have won only 1 of the last 13 fixtures between the two sides
Ospreys haven't lost since the 21st of February
Connacht's last victory over Ospreys was 22-10 in Galway in February 2013

Ospreys Stats
Website: www.ospreysrugby.com/
Founded: 2003
Ground: Liberty Stadium
Capacity: 20,750
Coaches: Steve Tandy
Captain: Alun Wyn Jones

Pro 12 Position 2013/14: 5th P:22 Points:66
Pro 12 Position 2014/15: 1st P:21 Points:70
LV Cup 2013/14: 2nd in Pool 3 Points: 6
LV Cup 2014/15: 2nd in Pool 4 P:4 Points: 6
Heineken Cup 2013/14: 4th in Pool 1 Points: 5
European Champions Cup 2014/15: 3rd in Pool 5 Points: 9

Previous Fixtures
Ospreys 21-10 Glasgow (Pro 12 Round 21)
Cardiff 23-31`Ospreys (Pro 12 Round 20)
Treviso 13-33 Ospreys (Pro 12 Round 19)
Ospreys 53-22 Zebre (Pro 12 Round 18)
Ospreys 26-12 Munster (Pro 12 Round 17)

Next Fixture:
22nd/23rd May 2015 Pro 12 Semi-Final

European Rugby Champions Cup Final Standings (Pool 5)
Racing Metro 24
Northampton 19
Ospreys 9
Benetton Treviso 4

Ospreys Ins and Outs 2014/15
Players In
Sam Parry from Newport Gwent Dragons
Dan Evans from Newport Gwent Dragons
Josh Matavesi from Worcester Warriors
Rynier Bernardo from Eastern Province Kings
Gareth Thomas from Carmarthen Quins
Cai Griffiths from London Welsh
Martin Roberts from Bath Rugby
De Kock Steenkamp from Stormers

Players Out
Richard Hibbard to Gloucester Rugby
Joe Rees to Worcester Warriors
Matthew Morgan to Bristol Rugby
Ryan Jones to Bristol Rugby
Tom Isaacs to Gloucester Rugby
Ian Evans to Bristol Rugby
Adam Jones to Cardiff Blues

Previous Meetings

Friday 31st October 2014 Guinness Pro 12
Ospreys 26-11 Connacht
www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/15948.php

Saturday 10th May 2014 Rabo Direct Pro 12
Ospreys 45-20 Connacht
www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/15024.php

Saturday 28th September 2013 Rabo Direct Pro 12
Connacht 26-43 Ospreys
www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/12958.php

While I have no time for Neil Francis, the point he makes has some basis. Cardiff are a great club but have been dire this season. We were in a position to get 9 points and got 3. We should have been home and hosed away from home by half time and made numerous mistakes in the closing stages to give Cardiff the field position they needed to wear us down (even allowing for outside contributions). Home to Cardiff we were 14 up murdering their scrum, bizarrely went for a struggling lineout and the rest is history.

Edinburgh we broke even over the two games having had the advantage of winning away and Scarlets we lost 4-6 over the two games. Ultimately it is the games against these sides which determine whether you reach your goals. In terms of the league the Edinburgh game was much more important than Munster and we didn't win it.

In relation to Dragons at home I don't think we were lucky to win that game and ended up clinging on in a game we should have won comfortably. Edinburgh away we robbed them at the end but had a huge amount of ball in that game particularly in the 1st half.

I'm not saying we aren't making progress as all the indicators say we have made strides forward but ultimately if we do miss out we have to look at ourselves as the main reason.

NF ignores the real issue for Connacht, which is as we progress through a season and injuries take their toll, the team by necessity, picks itself. Since the start of 2015, we've not had the squad depth to rotate and the massive effort, both physically and mentally, from the first half of the season has been impossible to maintain. While we have some top class players, we all recognise there are weaknesses in certain critical areas, and with our thin squad, we often have to play what ever 23 are available. We have had some poor performances, but so have most other teams. I think he is trying to justify his article from earlier this season, where he said we hadn't improved, but you just need to look at the points gained this season to disprove that.

"Just like Ireland in the 80s and 90s, Connacht don't have the mental strength to back up big performances" - Remind me Neil, in which decades did you win your 36 caps?

I don't think he is correct in any way. We were within a whisker of winning in Cardiff, Scarlets away was a right off but if he wants to talk about mental strength, what about the home game where we came from behind and nilled them for the last 65 odd mins.

Swings and roundabouts, we were lucky to beat Dragons at home and Edinburgh away, is that a sign of good fortune or metal strength to dig out a result?

The whole article just feels like an elaborate excuse for him to have put the last line in about the silence of the Lam.

Anyway I hope it's stuck up on the changing room and we can make him eat his words come 17:00 on Saturday.

He's correct which is the sad thing. Everyone knew not winning any of the Edinburgh/Scarlets/Cardiff game was going to have a huge bearing on how the season ended up.

Its an overly simplistic article but I think he has a point, I felt the exact same way watching the Glasgow game, it looked like Connacht bet themselves mentally long before Glasgow actually ran away with it. Unlike Munster or Ulster there was no siege mentality when things started to go against Connacht, no us against the world attitude when Lam was cited. There's a lot of room for improvement yet.

Having said all of that I'm really excited about this weekends game but I'll be in work as usual which is really annoying. I'm getting a bit desperate, can anyone tell me if there is a way to record games online/via my laptop? Seems ridiculous but I've no other option at the minute.