Gloucester vs Castres

[Puja]

Gloucester Rugby:

15. Jason Woodward; 14. Charlie Sharples, 13. Billy Twelvetrees, 12. Mark Atkinson, 11. Tom Marshall; 10. Danny Cipriani, 9. Callum Braley; 1. Josh Hohneck, 2. Franco Marais, 3. Fraser Balmain; 4. Tom Savage, 5. Gerbrandt Grobler; 6. Freddie Clarke, 7. Jake Polledri, 8. Ben Morgan (capt)

Replacements:
16. Henry Walker, 17. Val Rapava Ruskin, 18. Ciaran Knight, 19. Todd Gleave, 20. Matt Banahan, 21. Ben Vellacott, 22. Owen Williams, 23. Tom Hudson


L’équipe du Castres Olympique : Batlle ; Laveau, Ebersohn, Vialelle, Paris ; (o) Dumora, (m) Radosavljevic ; Delaporte, Tulou, Babillot (cap.) ; Jacquet, Samson ; Fa’anunu, Jenneker, Stroe.

Remplaçants : Sauzaret, Falatea, Hounkpatin, Mafi, Caballero, Kockott, Le Bourhis, Smith.

[Gloskarlos]

First starts for Marshall and Savage this season - talk about baptism of fire. Morgan as captain is interesting. VRR on the bench is promising after a few weeks out injured.

Hoping this French side doesn't travel well.

[Mikey Brown]

I thought Marshall was a fullback... and retired. He isn’t part of the coaching staff now? As ever, I’ve really got my finger on the pulse.

Is that Banahan as a forward on the bench too? I’d love to see him have a bash at 8.

[Gloskarlos]

Marshall played wing a few times last season and is on the club website as a wing, he can cover full back too. Aye - a 4:4 split on the bench is quite the selection... If Jonny May can play 7 - then well...

We are quite ravaged by non starters in the pack this weekend - this group of unselectables makes quite a decent pack on its own:-

McAllister, Hanson, Dreyer, Slater, Mostert, Ackerman, Ludlow, Kreil

(unavailable players Ruan Ackermann, Gareth Denman, Ruan Dreyer, Gareth Evans, James Hanson, Willi Heinz, Jaco Kriel, Paddy McAllister, Henry Purdy, Will Safe, Ed Slater, Ollie Thorley, Henry Trinder)

[francoisfou]

Hoping this French side doesn't travel well.

Fear not, they won't!

[old-n-slo-2nd-row]

Marius is such a ditherer.. bullshit call

[16th man]

Oh my word. Worst decision of a weekend where that's a very competitive field.

[Mellsblue]

Another terrible decision!!!

[Puja]

That is a comedy decision. How is a player who has one hand on the tackled player and is looking at and hovering over the ball, not part of the breakdown? There is absolutely no doubt that, if Balmain hadn't cleared him, he would've competed the next second. Ludicrous decision.

Puja

[Puja]

Morgan's looking good. Haven't seen him play like this since 2015.

Puja

[old-n-slo-2nd-row]

Glaws on top but Marius clearly prefers the way french teams play. Their “protection” at the breakdown no problem, Glaws clearouts on the other hand..

[16th man]

Morgan's looking good. Haven't seen him play like this since 2015.

Puja

Possibly the first time since then that I can remember seeing him play without at least one knee wrapped up like a mummy.

[Mellsblue]

What on earth is wrong with Kockott’s left arm?!??

[twitchy]

Glos are great to watch when they get going.

[morepork]

Jesus christ these refs just kill games stone dead. Why bother using the ball when you can base the entire game around scrum and ruck penalties?

[morepork]

Glos are great to watch when they get going.

That had shades of Farell about that though. Sheesh.

[fivepointer]

The disallowed try was just a farcically bad decision. I can accept refs make errors but to get a call wrong when the video evidence is clear cut is unacceptable.
Glos well served by Morgan and Polledri in particular.

[Mellsblue]

......