Exe v Glos Friday evening

[Gloskarlos]

Exeter: Dollman; Cordero, Whitten, Hill, O'Flaherty; Simmonds, White; Hepburn, Yeandle (capt), Francis, Dennis, Hill, Ewers, Lonsdale, Kvesic

Replacements: Taione, Keast, Holmes, Lees, Capstick, Maunder, Steenson, Hendrickson

Gloucester: Woodward; Marshall, Twelvetrees, Atkinson, Thorley; Cipriani, Heinz (capt); Hohneck, Marais, Balmain, Savage, Mostert, Clarke, Ackermann, Morgan

Replacements: Hanson, McAllister, Knight, Grobler, Ludlow, Braley, Williams, Banahan


Good to see a few injured players back for Glos, 4 weeks without a game may mean this could be a rusty encounter.

[fivepointer]

Decent side from Exe considering who they have missing.
Chance for Glos to get some momentum back after a bit of a stutter. Clarke is developing nicely this season.
Close call either way, i suspect.

[Banquo]

Decent side from Exe considering who they have missing.
Chance for Glos to get some momentum back after a bit of a stutter. Clarke is developing nicely this season.
Close call either way, i suspect.

Love to see Kvesic in the England squad.

[Oakboy]

Decent side from Exe considering who they have missing.
Chance for Glos to get some momentum back after a bit of a stutter. Clarke is developing nicely this season.
Close call either way, i suspect.

Love to see Kvesic in the England squad.

Ahead of Underhill and Curry??

[Banquo]

Decent side from Exe considering who they have missing.
Chance for Glos to get some momentum back after a bit of a stutter. Clarke is developing nicely this season.
Close call either way, i suspect.

Love to see Kvesic in the England squad.

Ahead of Underhill and Curry??

shields and/or hughes. I think he'd show up well against those guys too! Extended squad to be clear.

[Oakboy]

Love to see Kvesic in the England squad.

Ahead of Underhill and Curry??

shields and/or hughes. I think he'd show up well against those guys too! Extended squad to be clear.

The snag is that he'd be the utility player on the end of the list, wouldn't he? I'm not sure he's Jones's sort of No 8 cover which could put us back into a Wilson at 8 juggle. I'd rather have Kvesic than Shields but that is faint praise of course.

What I like about Wilson, Curry and Billy as a back row is that they are all comfortable in their own slot to such an extent that it gives the whole team balance. I still see protecting Billy as the no 1 priority for the back row bench position. No 2 is leaving Wilson at 6 to develop. All that means Robshaw, Underhill and Hughes, IMO, in the squad. I'd cheerfully discard Robshaw or Hughes but only if there were proven (international) replacements who were better and I don't think anyone will have time to fulfill the demand. Club form is insufficient qualification.

[Banquo]

Ahead of Underhill and Curry??

shields and/or hughes. I think he'd show up well against those guys too! Extended squad to be clear.

The snag is that he'd be the utility player on the end of the list, wouldn't he? I'm not sure he's Jones's sort of No 8 cover which could put us back into a Wilson at 8 juggle. I'd rather have Kvesic than Shields but that is faint praise of course.

What I like about Wilson, Curry and Billy as a back row is that they are all comfortable in their own slot to such an extent that it gives the whole team balance. I still see protecting Billy as the no 1 priority for the back row bench position. No 2 is leaving Wilson at 6 to develop. All that means Robshaw, Underhill and Hughes, IMO, in the squad. I'd cheerfully discard Robshaw or Hughes but only if there were proven (international) replacements who were better and I don't think anyone will have time to fulfill the demand. Club form is insufficient qualification.

Oh I like that backrow, though would like to see more of Curry. Wilson has looked quality across the backrow. I think Robshaw's legs, such as they were have gone, and Hughes is just underwhelming.

Kvesic is a true 7 though, more so than Underhill. I don't think he will be anywhere near the squad to be clear, but he's a stonking player. Who would have said Wilson would have been our best player this season, when you talk about 'proven intl ability'?

[Oakboy]

Oh I like that backrow, though would like to see more of Curry. Wilson has looked quality across the backrow. I think Robshaw's legs, such as they were have gone, and Hughes is just underwhelming.

Kvesic is a true 7 though, more so than Underhill. I don't think he will be anywhere near the squad to be clear, but he's a stonking player. Who would have said Wilson would have been our best player this season, when you talk about 'proven intl ability'?

Quite and I'm a bit concerned that he must not be messed about. It wouldn't exactly be 'second season syndrome' but if he had a slight dip in form it would not be a huge surprise. Keep him at 6 for 80 minutes, keep a genuine 8 on the bench to give Billy 20 minutes off and fiddle, selection-wise if you must with the 7 shirt once Underhill is fit would be my ideal. Beyond that, Robshaw doesn't need game time to be good cover for 6 and Lawes/Itoje can fill in should injury during a game require two back row replacements. It's good.

[Banquo]

Oh I like that backrow, though would like to see more of Curry. Wilson has looked quality across the backrow. I think Robshaw's legs, such as they were have gone, and Hughes is just underwhelming.

Kvesic is a true 7 though, more so than Underhill. I don't think he will be anywhere near the squad to be clear, but he's a stonking player. Who would have said Wilson would have been our best player this season, when you talk about 'proven intl ability'?

Quite and I'm a bit concerned that he must not be messed about. It wouldn't exactly be 'second season syndrome' but if he had a slight dip in form it would not be a huge surprise. Keep him at 6 for 80 minutes, keep a genuine 8 on the bench to give Billy 20 minutes off and fiddle, selection-wise if you must with the 7 shirt once Underhill is fit would be my ideal. Beyond that, Robshaw doesn't need game time to be good cover for 6 and Lawes/Itoje can fill in should injury during a game require two back row replacements. It's good.

He's played well at both 6 and 8 I've thought, also lineout handy; he's an intelligent player, a tad reminiscent of Hill. I wouldnt worry about him.

I disagree on Robshaw, I think he's shot, and any suggestion of Lawtoje should be immediately dismissed-- come on, we've seen how much better the back row is with, well, back row players in it. If Curry is crocked, then Kvesic gives you a more similar replacement than Underhill, if that's whats needed.

[Oakboy]

Oh I like that backrow, though would like to see more of Curry. Wilson has looked quality across the backrow. I think Robshaw's legs, such as they were have gone, and Hughes is just underwhelming.

Kvesic is a true 7 though, more so than Underhill. I don't think he will be anywhere near the squad to be clear, but he's a stonking player. Who would have said Wilson would have been our best player this season, when you talk about 'proven intl ability'?

Quite and I'm a bit concerned that he must not be messed about. It wouldn't exactly be 'second season syndrome' but if he had a slight dip in form it would not be a huge surprise. Keep him at 6 for 80 minutes, keep a genuine 8 on the bench to give Billy 20 minutes off and fiddle, selection-wise if you must with the 7 shirt once Underhill is fit would be my ideal. Beyond that, Robshaw doesn't need game time to be good cover for 6 and Lawes/Itoje can fill in should injury during a game require two back row replacements. It's good.

He's played well at both 6 and 8 I've thought, also lineout handy; he's an intelligent player, a tad reminiscent of Hill. I wouldnt worry about him.

I disagree on Robshaw, I think he's shot, and any suggestion of Lawtoje should be immediately dismissed-- come on, we've seen how much better the back row is with, well, back row players in it. If Curry is crocked, then Kvesic gives you a more similar replacement than Underhill, if that's whats needed.

You could be right. I don't actually rate Kvesic to the same extent that you and others do, though, and I'm prepared to bet that Jones doesn't either. Mind you, that could easily mean we are both wrong! In fact, I'd take two of Exeter's backrow ahead of Kvesic - Armand and that young 8 whose name eludes me.

[Which Tyler]

Poor Zach can't even get involved in the conversation this far down the pecking order.
I'd have him at 8 ahead of Hughes, and at 6 ahead of Shields, or Robshaw currently. He's also a good bench option, as he can play all backrow positions to a decent standard.

[Stom]

Poor Zach can't even get involved in the conversation this far down the pecking order.
I'd have him at 8 ahead of Hughes, and at 6 ahead of Shields, or Robshaw currently. He's also a good bench option, as he can play all backrow positions to a decent standard.

I'd have Mercer either on the bench or 1st option post wc. I think he's very good.

But he doesn't fit what Eddie is building up to, I think.

[Oakboy]

Poor Zach can't even get involved in the conversation this far down the pecking order.
I'd have him at 8 ahead of Hughes, and at 6 ahead of Shields, or Robshaw currently. He's also a good bench option, as he can play all backrow positions to a decent standard.

I'd have Mercer either on the bench or 1st option post wc. I think he's very good.

But he doesn't fit what Eddie is building up to, I think.

That tempers all debate - for good or bad.

[Raggs]

I'm a bit reluctant to call time on anyone's career, when their last showing was during the beastings from Eddie. No one looked amazing then, I suspect a number of them could look better now.

[Banquo]

Poor Zach can't even get involved in the conversation this far down the pecking order.
I'd have him at 8 ahead of Hughes, and at 6 ahead of Shields, or Robshaw currently. He's also a good bench option, as he can play all backrow positions to a decent standard.

good point well made.

[fivepointer]

Exe never got out of 2nd gear. Glos were good winners even if the wining try was a late one. Thorley impressed - he really is a handful for defenders.
Thought Ewers put in a very big defensive effort for Exeter.

[Beasties]

For me, Wilson's USP is that he has been utterly consistent for Ncl for years. They think a lot of him up there for a reason. A dip in form from him for Eng would be a surprise compared to others. I'm not so sure Eddie sees him ahead of Robshaw, more that he's being pragmatic and giving him gametime whilst unable to select Robshaw initially. Quite why he won't do that at SH though is another matter.

[Oakboy]

I still don't understand why White is rated so highly by Baxter. For a SH who kicks so much, he is consistently inaccurate and it constantly gives posssession away. His passing is reasonably sharp but when he is at 9 the FH always seems, to my untutored eye, to be too deep. Constantly last night, when Exeter moved the ball, they rarely ended up crossing the gain line.

Thanks to Banquo mentioning him before the game, I could not help watching Kvesic. At 8, he gave them one really good go-forward piece of action in 80 minutes. His work tight to the ball in the loose was worthy. Overall though, I do not have a clue why he plays at 8. There, he plays as if he is a 7 so why not pick him at openside and be done with it? The contrast, for instance, with Waldrom in his prime, was stark. I know styles vary and Exeter don't favour a lump at 8 but carrying is a big part of the job however it's done. If Kvesic has any remaining international ambitions he needs to swap to his natural position sharpish, IMO.