Wasps vs Tigers 09/09/20 5.30pm Ricoh

[Raggs]

15 Matteo Minozzi (13)
14 Zach Kibirige (20)
13 Malakai Fekitoa (18)
12 Ryan Mills (4)
11 Marcus Watson (47)
10 Jacob Umaga (25)
9 Dan Robson (118)
1 Tom West (28)
2 Gabriel Oghre (23)
3 Kieran Brookes (36)
4 Joe Launchbury (c) (149)
5 James Gaskell (115)
6 Alfie Barbeary (2)
7 Thomas Young (114)
8 Brad Shields (29)

Replacements
16 Tom Cruse (80)
17 Simon McIntyre (169)
18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen (16)
19 Levi Douglas (0)
20 Jack Willis (57)
21 Sam Wolstenholme (9)
22 Jimmy Gopperth (100)
23 Sam Spink (7)




--------------


Alfie Barbeary gets his first start, and at 6.

[Puja]

Good game for Barbeary to start in. Leicester reverting to their 2 8s and a lock back row and sending out the reserves/youth to get a pounding. No Ford on the bench to rescue things this week either.

Interested to see how Kelly gets on at 13 - looked useful at age grade. Plus Genge as captain is a good vote of confidence.

Puja

[Tigersman]

I don't know how many back rowers we have left now really?
Brink close to fitness
Reffell I believe is out
Lavin I don't believe is full fitness
Ilione I THINK (Not sure) might be getting ready for medical school.

Leaves Kit Smith, Ashworth and Lewis (Who I think started his training later than others)


With Saints Sunday and The challenge cup quarter the week after this was most likely the only fixture IMHO where going full B team would've made sense, that being said decent front row.

[FKAS]

Strong starting line up for Wasps, bench is a little more of a mix. Wasps will be looking to get this one done and dusted in the first half so they can make some subs and get key names off the pitch to keep the fresh for the weekend. If I was the DOR at Wasps I'd be looking for an excuse to drop Gopperth off the bench and to pop a younger option on there. Wasps could have 50 by half time and then be in game management mode.

Tigers will look to do the business at the set piece and to work hard but the creaking defence manned by a load of youngsters is not going to hold against that Wasps team. Hopefully we can keep hold of the ball for a bit and fire some shots of our own but with no openside option available it could be a long game with a lot of penalties conceded. I presume Reffell and Lavin are both unavailable and Wallace being knocked out at the weekend had no chance of making this game.

[Raggs]

As likely as it was for tigers to put out a 2nd XV, this was always a must win for Wasps, a tiny bit less so after the win against Sarries, but that win has made it so our fate is in our own hands, rather than hoping someone else slips up. Still need the wins though. A big win here, and a win against Bristol next week, suddenly we look a lot more comfortable, especially since we still have exeter to play.

Gopperth is there to steady the ship if we need it, and/or keep tigers out by making sure we don't get too silly if we grab a lead.

[Tigersman]

As likely as it was for tigers to put out a 2nd XV, this was always a must win for Wasps, a tiny bit less so after the win against Sarries, but that win has made it so our fate is in our own hands, rather than hoping someone else slips up. Still need the wins though. A big win here, and a win against Bristol next week, suddenly we look a lot more comfortable, especially since we still have exeter to play.

Gopperth is there to steady the ship if we need it, and/or keep tigers out by making sure we don't get too silly if we grab a lead.

Isn't Bristol game this week?

[Raggs]

As likely as it was for tigers to put out a 2nd XV, this was always a must win for Wasps, a tiny bit less so after the win against Sarries, but that win has made it so our fate is in our own hands, rather than hoping someone else slips up. Still need the wins though. A big win here, and a win against Bristol next week, suddenly we look a lot more comfortable, especially since we still have exeter to play.

Gopperth is there to steady the ship if we need it, and/or keep tigers out by making sure we don't get too silly if we grab a lead.

Isn't Bristol game this week?

Sorry, habit. Next up then.

But anyone playing this game can start the Bristol game too. Some of the forwards aren't first choice in my mind, and can be rotated, some can back it up etc.

I'd rather win this one, and maybe have to struggle a bit more against Bristol, than risk this one, and then still have no guarantees for Bristol.

EDIT - Bristol ahve also started quite a few 1st XV guys twice in a row now, meaning they can't start against us.

[Mellsblue]

This could get very ugly very quickly.

[fivepointer]

It could. Understand the Tigers selection but they do have a very callow look about them. The backs especially look raw and under powered.

[Puja]

I don't know how many back rowers we have left now really?
Brink close to fitness
Reffell I believe is out
Lavin I don't believe is full fitness
Ilione I THINK (Not sure) might be getting ready for medical school.

Leaves Kit Smith, Ashworth and Lewis (Who I think started his training later than others)


With Saints Sunday and The challenge cup quarter the week after this was most likely the only fixture IMHO where going full B team would've made sense, that being said decent front row.

Fair points. This game is effectively just a sacrifice and a 1998 Tour of Hell style character test to see if we have a Lewsey who might stand up. Hopefully the score won't get quite that high, mind.

Puja

[FKAS]

It could. Understand the Tigers selection but they do have a very callow look about them. The backs especially look raw and under powered.

Size wise the backline isn't too bad. Kelly and Porter are big lads for their age and both Worth and Potter aren't small. Experience at this level is very limited and given the make shift nature of this team can see them being picked apart by Wasps. I think the combined Tigers centre combination is only a couple of years older than Gopperth.

I do worry about Fekitoa having a field day, whilst the Tiger Cubs aren't small none of them have the natural physicality of Fekitoa. Then again for the cost of Fekitoa you could probably hire the majority of the Tigers backline.

[Digby]

Wasps naming just one captain will surely see them collapse to sorry defeat, they clearly don't understand the demands of modern rugby.

[Banquo]

Wasps naming just one captain will surely see them collapse to sorry defeat, they clearly don't understand the demands of modern rugby.

Plus the demeaning nomenclature of the bench as ‘replacements’

[Puja]

Ben White is *SO* *SLOW*. He's the true heir to Ellis and Young - every breakdown marked by a cup of tea and a biscuit while he decides what to do.

Puja

[Puja]

Good start from Leicester. We look organised in defence and a bit more aggressive than usual. The runners onto the ball are better than I'm used to as well.

Kerr's having a nightmare in the lineout though. Could cost us if we don't sort that out.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

Yep. Tiger cubs looking a lot more effective than I expected.

[FKAS]

Yep. Tiger cubs looking a lot more effective than I expected.

Working harder than Wasps but Wasps look like they've got more individual ability and could just turn it on.

[Raggs]

Wasps look more powerful to me so far. As long as we stay calm, we should take this I feel. But can't take it easy, I like Henry as a 10, and Tigers can definitely hurt us.

[Scrumhead]

Yeah - I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen from Henry. He’s made things happen whenever I’ve seen him play so far.

[FKAS]

Henry looks like a really astute purchase. He's getting better with each game and the midfield outside seems to suit him better than what he had previously.

Gaskell is really making a mess of the Tigers lineout. Tigers have to sort that out because at the minute we aren't getting good possession and it's helping Wasps keep the pressure on.

[Stom]

There's a couple of things I really don't like...

Firstly, the scrums. It's an absolute shambles and something needs to be done about it. The pen that led to Fekitoa's try was ridiculous. The ball was out, they'd played it into the midfield, and only when they screwed up did Dickson call back for a scrum penalty...when Wasps won clean ball!

Secondly...and it's a player not a thing... Leatigaga really is a useless lump, isn't he?

Generally, I like Dickson as a ref, Robson is looking good, Umaga looks good, Barbeary looks good, Henry looks good. The rest... meh.

[Raggs]

Leatigaga just won a pen though. He seems to enjoy going for turnovers, just needs to get better at judging them.

[FKAS]

Leatigaga is an annoying mix. His scrumming is hit and miss often in alternate scrums. He's good ball in hand and as seen with the turnover 5m out is quite good at jackling which is surprising for a 20 stone tighthead. His tendency to give away penalties is head in hands frustrating though. He's normally an impact prop more than a starter so Heyes will probably be on by 50 mins.

[Stom]

Leatigaga just won a pen though. He seems to enjoy going for turnovers, just needs to get better at judging them.

My stream (literally impossible for me to legally watch rugby here...insane) is delayed, so the 2nd half hasn't started yet. But it's also the way he backchats. Jeez. Like a footballer. I'd have given him a stern talking to first up and carded him if he did it again.

But I'd have probably sent Farrell off I don't know how many times for his ref whining...

[FKAS]

Leatigaga just won a pen though. He seems to enjoy going for turnovers, just needs to get better at judging them.

My stream (literally impossible for me to legally watch rugby here...insane) is delayed, so the 2nd half hasn't started yet. But it's also the way he backchats. Jeez. Like a footballer. I'd have given him a stern talking to first up and carded him if he did it again.

But I'd have probably sent Farrell off I don't know how many times for his ref whining...

He might be chuntering to himself but there's nothing I can hear in the ref's mike. Leatigaga does look out on his backside at the start of the second half though.