RugbyRebels

Wasps

15. Willie Le Roux
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Jimmy Gopperth
11. Josh Bassett
10. Danny Cipriani
9. Dan Robson

1. Matt Mullan
2. Tommy Taylor
3. Phil Swainston
4. Joe Launchbury (c)
5. Matt Symons
6. James Haskell
7. Thomas Young
8. Nathan Hughes

16. Ashley Johnson
17. Simon McIntyre
18. Marty Moore
19. Kearnan Myall
20. Guy Thompson
21. Joe Simpson
22. Alapati Leiua
23. Frank Halai

Unavailable through injury

Kurtley Beale (hamstring)
Jake Cooper-Woolley (toe)
Sam Jones (leg and ankle)
Kyle Eastmond (Achilles)
Carlo Festuccia (hand)
Alex Lundberg (ankle)
George Edgson (knee)

Exeter

15 Phil Dollman
14 Jack Nowell
13 Ian Whitten
12 Ollie Devoto
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Gareth Steenson (capt)
9 Stuart Townsend

1 Ben Moon
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Harry Williams
4 Dave Dennis
5 Geoff Parling
6 Kai Horstmann
7 Don Armand
8 Thomas Waldrom

16 Jack Yeandle
17 Carl Rimmer
18 Tomas Francis
19 Mitch Lees
20 Sam Simmonds
21 Will Chudley
22 Henry Slade
23 Michele Campagnaro

Cracking game in prospect. The final that most neutrals would have wanted featuring the 2 most attractive attacking teams in the league.

I'm hoping that Exeter shot their bolt last weekend, but I doubt it - they are our bogey team and I'm somewhat nervous. I hope we win, but at least it'll be Exeter if we don't.

James Short is a tad unlucky not to be involved after a very good season...unless crocked?

I thought that too. I'd think he's offered more then Woodbury over the season.

Anyone know if Maunder is injured?

Puja

Puja wrote:Anyone know if Maunder is injured?

Puja

Did have a slight niggle a couple of weeks back and Townsend playing well.

Slade on the bench still feels a big call, no matter how well the rest of the backline are playing. Does validate Devotos decision to make the move though.

I predict a load of bleary eyed exeter fans in the crowd today we had an insane lightning/thunder storm in the early hours. Couldn't sleep a wink.

switchskier wrote:Slade on the bench still feels a big call, no matter how well the rest of the backline are playing. Does validate Devotos decision to make the move though.

He's an undeniable talent, but the fact is that Exeter have looked so much more coherent and dangerous since they stopped trying to squeeze him into their starting XV. I don't think he can play alongside Devoto in the centres and I'm not convinced that he's a better fly-half than Steenson. Brilliant player, but I don't know what Exeter can do with him.

Puja

Puja wrote:

switchskier wrote:Slade on the bench still feels a big call, no matter how well the rest of the backline are playing. Does validate Devotos decision to make the move though.

He's an undeniable talent, but the fact is that Exeter have looked so much more coherent and dangerous since they stopped trying to squeeze him into their starting XV. I don't think he can play alongside Devoto in the centres and I'm not convinced that he's a better fly-half than Steenson. Brilliant player, but I don't know what Exeter can do with him.

Puja

I agree for the most part. But you could argue Exeter were bound to look far more coherent and dangerous as soon as they stuck with any particular combination of Steenson/Slade/Devoto/Hill/Whitten/Campagnaro in the midfield spots for more than a game at a time.

Steenson is a particularly strange one. He is pretty limited and an absolute turnstile, but is very good at directing a game and giving others a chance to attack.

What have Wasps been washing their hands with? WD40? Anal lube?

What an offload from Devoto. He's playing well.

Hughes and LCD great too.

Haskell not looking remotely like a Lion.

Thompson should be coming on for Haskell ASAP

Haskell looks so off the pace mentally. Robson and Cips pretty average too. Hughes is better when playing like an angry man, and Launchbury immense. Far too many basic mistakes tho.

Chiefs look much sharper- great set piece tries. Front row all quality.

brilliant hands, set up by cips...and a really lovely pass from Robson.

Lovely stuff, nice from Robson.

Again, Wasps seemingly with a ton of errors, yet still well in the game. Let's hope the stage fright is now over.

Mikey Brown wrote:What an offload from Devoto. He's playing well.

Why oh why did we prefer [Redacted] and Eastmond (at 3x the salary) to actually giving Devoto a chance?

Perfectly set up for the 2nd half. Lovely try from Wasps. Hopefully error count will reduce and we'll see plenty more scoring.

Hughes is having possibly the single best performance in the premiership I have ever seen.

How the hell are we winning?

padprop wrote:Hughes is having possibly the single best performance in the premiership I have ever seen.

Where has it come from? He's been so underwhelming for the last year or so. Fantastic today.

That's really tipped the game on its head.