Do you think players like Henson had an effect on the press that the Os get?

Him, Phillips and a couple of others, plus a lot of so called O's supporters who clearly never ever went to the Liberty. Enough of them not to need other teams fans to criticise.

"Do you think players like Henson had an effect on the press that the Os get?"
"Him, Phillips and a couple of others, plus a lot of so called O's supporters who clearly never ever went to the Liberty. Enough of them not to need other teams fans to criticise."

From an outsider looking in i have to say that i think you may have hit the nail on the head here guys.

Fact is they are not being judged in their rugby but instead on the column inches some of their players take up, particularly in the Red Top papers.

Also consistently poor performances in the HC has to be taken into consideration.

Is it possible that there is a back handed compliment here also? What i mean is, they are being judged on the lack of HC success when most people expect or expected them to do better and can't understand why they don't?

It's a two pronged thing, when the Ospreys first came into being, the word from the head coach, Lyn jones, was that they were looking at finding Heineken glory within five years. That's four years ago.
It then maybe that the media and others got bamboozled by that thought and PREDICTED such glory, and within Wales, having a media centred on Cardiff it became almost a jealousy thing.
The present coaching have tried hard to rein in the expectations, but many outside the region haven't yet caught onto this.

Well all in all its a bit of a witch hunt really. When you read the results as you laid them out in your article a neutral person would say they are a pretty successful club.

3 magners league titles and an EDF is not too bad in how many years? 6 is it?

Tho with all respect the EDF is not exactly top flight stuff.

And i guess in European rugby you are Judge first and last on HC results. The only competition where we all start equal.

that should read: The only competition where we can all meet as equals i.e English, French, Welsh, Irish, Scotish and the Italians.

there is one other factor which comes to mind.
But im afraid to mention it for fear of being labelled a WUM

Dingbat - what do you mean - the only cup that we havnt bottled it in the final for the last 10 years and you are belittling it - Im hurt - and traumatised - I thought the EDF was class this year -



I dunno - a few good years in Dublin and you think youre the all blacks

Im not sure that theres enough of us here yet for anything you say to be considered a wum - dingbat - when everyone gets on its just a bit of banter

Lydneyian

I'll get back to you when i figure out what ur talking about

But hey... u did play the HC champions in dublin last year and the result went your way... dont sell ur self short

Ok Well ill flirt with the line of WUM here but there is a perception that a lot O's fans are a little over the top with regard touting the unbeatable merits of the O's.
Let's not forget the incessant nature of old 606 where it was a daily battle to find a decent article while trawling through the mire of WUM's

Dingbat - you do realise Im a Gloucester fan ????

opps sry... well you gloucester boys don't get a chance to play the HC champs because they are always in a different league

Couldn't resist :-P

Of course i jest

I think that the Ospreys problem is just a number of unfortunate factors that just cant always be helped in sport - now I may start quoting some soccer stuff in this post - which is unfortunate because i never watch it or have any interest in it - so it could be totally innaccurate.
Dingbat youre last comment about Osprey fans is correct however I believe it was born out of defending the Ospreys from nearly everyone - which then created a monster - Os fans puff their chest because people are jealous and having a go, success then breeds confidence- everyone else says look at that lot puffing their chest. A bit like Man Utd or Liverpool (told you) and so it goes

You have to bear in mind that thye welsh regions are only 7 or 8 years old in the current format and modern fans are different in many ways. We are not talking about Glos Bath rivalries - forged over years - a bit of banter and a laugh - essentially new clubs new fans (mixed with old of course) and Wales is becoming more soccer orientated that rugby orientated and so the youngsters will have that attitude (generally)

Secondly - rivalry - Swansea/Cardiff etc the Ospreys have to deal with the whole of West Wales and Cardiff with the valleys as rivals - so the sniping begins - basically most of Wales are already against the Os to a point - again any excuse for a dig and the Os defend themselves

Heaven forbid to compound all this they are winning - they had the cheek to win an early celtic league and then follow it up with another few - jealousy

They managed at one time to snap up most of the better Welsh players - no-one likes that do they ?

Of course the great HC brings us all together so all of a sudden the Welsh rivalry is extended to Europe or at least the British Isles - so forums like 606 (and other media outlets) join in with everyone looking at the Os fans and saying who do you think you are etc - when in fact they are just the same as anyone - just caught in the unfortunate events that sport can throw up.

From then on everything is an opportunity for a dig - Henson - other players - games lost that should of been won - management issues - in fact anything at all is a big laugh if it happens to the Os but no one would blink at it happening at Bath or Ulster - well not as much - so really its any excuse - the Ospreylians need to get used to the idea - rise above it and move on I suppose

Disclaimer - I am definately no expert and am prepared to be torn apart on this post by any of the Welsh - or celtic league fans

Dingbat - yes - but that changes this year as Glaws are back to add a touch of (more) class to the HC

Seriously we have a tough group and are not quite up to the standard of some of the HC major players - but we have been rebuilding and had a great season last year - the HC will only help improve our team - we could be in Dublin dishing out a few lessons soon - but it could take a few years

Good points about the O's Lydneyian

Thanks mate

Lydneyian (U2862)

Good post, thanks.
One thing though, I have to say that an awful lot of those who purport to be O's fans..........have never been to the liberty, on the old 606 it became painfully obvious.
Unfortunately far too many other contributers to that forum never knew that and believed the trash that some put up on there, to me it looks as though most of them have now gone elsewhere or just got tired.
And finally, I'm glad to see Glaws back, it's where they should be, and those fans deserve it.

Lydneyian
"Disclaimer - I am definately no expert and am prepared to be torn apart on this post by any of the Welsh - or celtic league fans"

I think u got it pretty spot on so no need for a Lynching just yet

Ye and congrats to gloucester back where they belong me thinks, well getting there at any rate. great club with a great history so fair play indeed. But dont come to dublin mate... we will go there and do the teaching ,-)


P.S. Don't have anything against the O's, to be fair Tommy plays for them... and its against my religion to dislike a team Tommy bowe is playing for.

Well its a theory anyway!

Anyway cheers guys Im also glad Glos are back - I have high hopes for the season - I hope some of our young players come through again and a top 4 finish would be nice - but above all - the double over Bath please!!!!!!!