Big Game 11: Harlequins vs. Wasps

[Scrumhead]

Seems as though no one else is interested in this ...

Good to see Smith and Saili at 10 and 12 and generally do well in the Big Game so I'm hoping for a good performance, although that Wasps team looks dangerous in the backs.

Harlequins:

15. Mike Brown (306)
14. Nathan Earle (13)
13. Joe Marchant (70)
12. Francis Saili (14)
11. Cadan Murley (9)
10. Marcus Smith (43)
9. Danny Care (252)

1. Joe Marler (180)
2. Dave Ward (156)
3. Kyle Sinckler (130)
4. Matt Symons (12)
5. Ben Glynn (31)
6. Alex Dombrandt (9)
7. Jack Clifford (83)
8. James Chisholm (Captain, 69)

16. Max Crumpton (11)
17. Nick Auterac (4)
18. Will Collier (140)
19. George Merrick (92)
20. Renaldo Bothma (16)
21. Charlie Mulchrone (30)
22. James Lang (34)
23. Gabriel Ibitoye (11)

Wasps:

15. Willie Le Roux (44)
14. Josh Bassett (90)
13. Michele Campagnaro (2)
12. Michael Le Bourgeois (13)
11. Elliot Daly (185)
10. Lima Sopoaga (13)
9. Dan Robson (91)

1. Ben Harris (33)
2. Tom Cruse (48)
3. Jake Cooper-Woolley (120)
4. Will Rowlands (62)
5. Kearnan Myall (128)
6. Brad Shields (c) (6)
7. Thomas Young (99)
8. Nizaam Carr (22)

16. Antonio Harris (12)
17. Zurabi Zhvania (12)
18. Will Stuart (21)
19. Charlie Matthews (7)
20. Ben Morris (9)
21. Craig Hampson (25)
22. Billy Searle (9)
23. Juan de Jongh (35)

[Puja]

I'm operating on phone at my inlaws, and the BBC didn't have the teams up earlier. Could be arsed to do my usual chasing down the teamsheets from the club websites - there's another one I've missed as well.

Interested to see this game though - Daly at 11 and Campagnaro at 13 is notable. It's the way round that I'd play them, but not where they've been for the past few weeks.

Also want to see more of Murley and Dombrandt. The former has a really good rugby brain on him from what I've seen of him and the latter throws his weight around very effectively. Comparing him directly to Shields will be interesting - no doubt he doesn't have the fitness for England, but that can be fixed.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Shields is capt. Is this a first?

[fivepointer]

Perhaps the captaincy will inspire Shields to produce something akin to a top drawer performance. How he fares up against Dombrandt could be very interesting.
Some intriguing match ups in the backs. Marchant and Campagnaro the pick for me.

[Scrumhead]

Dombrandt vs. Shields is an interesting comparison.

Dombrandt is more than just a big lump. His footwork/running lines are very good and his hands are decent too. He’s a great prospect for sure.

Murley reminds me of a quicker Jack Nowell. He has a similar nuggety style and is stronger than he looks.

[Raggs]

How much breakdown work does Dombrandt do? His running lines and carrying are really impressive, if he's doing the breakdown work as well then he's definitely one to watch.

[Mellsblue]

You’ve seen him topless.....no way he’s carrying and hitting rucks. We won’t know what he’s actually capable of until he’s a has a couple more years of conditioning in him.

[twitchy]

Inedible.

[Mellsblue]

I’m guessing that’s not a word in his vocabulary.

[Scrumhead]

You’ve seen him topless.....no way he’s carrying and hitting rucks. We won’t know what he’s actually capable of until he’s a has a couple more years of conditioning in him.

True. However, the way our back row is set up at the moment is for him to maximise his strengths and give us the go-forward we were lacking. Chisholm and Clifford are putting in the shift that allows him to focus on carrying.

Having said that, I wouldn’t question his work rate. Carrying hard as he does as often as he does (mostly for a full 80) is no mean feat.

[twitchy]

Mike Brown with hair is weird.

[Mikey Brown]

Jesus. Ward is such a fucking cock.

[padprop]

Ward is such a little rat

[Mikey Brown]

Though I can't see what Healey is saying about him spitting? Could you?

[Mellsblue]

I’m not sure how much Wasps are playing Sopoaga but it’s too much.

[Scrumhead]

Paying and playing ...

Same goes for Shields.

[Oakboy]

Paying and playing ...

Same goes for Shields.

Yes, Jones's selection decisions of Shields at 6 and Daly at 15 ahead of Brown are being confirmed as fundamental mistakes by this club game.

[Mellsblue]

Paying and playing ...

Same goes for Shields.

Ha! It’s was a typo but both are valid.

[padprop]

Stuart could be a bolter for the EPS, he’s dominated Marler

[morepork]

Paying and playing ...

Same goes for Shields.

Ha! It’s was a typo but both are valid.

Suck it up princess.

[padprop]

... until the last scrum

[Scrumhead]

Stuart is quality. He is good every time I see him play. Looks like a very solid scrummaging prop who can carry too.

[twitchy]

Fun game. Rugby is so much better with a big crowd.

[Mellsblue]

Paying and playing ...

Same goes for Shields.

Ha! It’s was a typo but both are valid.

Suck it up princess.

Pay me as much as Wasps pay Sopoaga and I’ll consider it. I’ll do a better job than Sopoaga, too.

[Mellsblue]

Scarratt is a class act on and off the field.