Wasps vs Montpellier

[Epaminondas Pules]

Wasps (First-team appearances)

15 Lima Sopoaga (47)

14 Zach Kibirige (30)

13 Paolo Odogwu (12)

12 Jimmy Gopperth (110)

11 Josh Bassett (131)

10 Charlie Atkinson (4)

9 Will Porter (21)

1 Ben Harris (66)

2 Tom Cruse (86)

3 Kieran Brookes (45)

4 Tim Cardall (23)

5 James Gaskell (124)

6 Ben Morris (32)

7 Thomas Young (124)

8 Alfie Barbeary (10)



Replacements

16 Gabriel Oghre (31)

17 Tom West (38)

18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen (25)

19 Levi Douglas (4)

20 Tom Willis (24)

21 Ben Vellacott (10)

22 Michael Le Bourgeois (39)

23 Matteo Minozzi (21)

[Peej]

Montpellier have gone for a strong squad packed with (albeit slightly ageing) internationals. Think Wasps are going to be caught out without Robson, Willis, Launch or Rowlands

[Epaminondas Pules]

Montpellier have gone for a strong squad packed with (albeit slightly ageing) internationals. Think Wasps are going to be caught out without Robson, Willis, Launch or Rowlands

Their 10 and 11 are both 18. The rest is pretty solid and obviously very large in the pack

[fivepointer]

Wasps a fair bit understrength.

Big test for their young players at 8,9 and 10, and Odogwu finding his feet at 13.

[Peej]

Montpellier have gone for a strong squad packed with (albeit slightly ageing) internationals. Think Wasps are going to be caught out without Robson, Willis, Launch or Rowlands

Their 10 and 11 are both 18. The rest is pretty solid and obviously very large in the pack

Ah thanks, didn't realise they had gone quite as light in the backs

[Timbo]

So Wasps are resting their 3 best players? Champions Cup has more than element of farce about it this season. This awful new format doesn’t help.

[Raggs]

So Wasps are resting their 3 best players? Champions Cup has more than element of farce about it this season. This awful new format doesn’t help.

Prem will always be most important. Those players have to be rested at some point.

[Timbo]

So Wasps are resting their 3 best players? Champions Cup has more than element of farce about it this season. This awful new format doesn’t help.

Prem will always be most important. Those players have to be rested at some point.

Yes, I get that. But most years having picked up a 5 point win away in the first game, with an eminently winnable home game next up Wasps would be going all guns blazing.

Reckon they should have done a 2 legged straight up knock out tournament this year. That would have been great.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Montpellier have gone for a strong squad packed with (albeit slightly ageing) internationals. Think Wasps are going to be caught out without Robson, Willis, Launch or Rowlands

Their 10 and 11 are both 18. The rest is pretty solid and obviously very large in the pack

Ah thanks, didn't realise they had gone quite as light in the backs

Think it's just those two, and they are pretty highly thought of it seems.

[FKAS]

Montpellier: Immelman; Martin, Lozowski, Vincent (c), Vallee; Foursans, Paillaugue; Forletta, Du Plessis, Lamositele, Van Rensburg, Chalureau, Ouedraogo, Becognee, Picamoles

Replacements: Delhommel, Nariashvili, Chilachava, Camara, Timu, Reinach, Reilhac, Ngandebe

[FKAS]

Think that pack will be too much for Wasps.

[Peej]

And it's a strong set of front row replacements too.

Think Wasps are going to be caught out by expecting a weaker Montpol side

[twitchy]

Is that alex lozoswki? I completely forgot he had moved to france.

[Raggs]

I love the jackal, but I hate it when there was clearly a ruck.

[Raggs]

Yellow at least I reckon.

[Raggs]

Red it is.

[Peej]

Wasps are utterly idiotic. Three stupid penalties, and faffing around with quick, short 22s. Montpol missed one shot, and now gifted another in front of the sticks

[Peej]

Wasps finally on the board, but it is fairly poor so far

[Peej]

That's never a deliberate knock on, TMO desperate to make this something more than it is

[Raggs]

Nah, his head is on the other side of the tackle even.

[Peej]

Well done Cruse for not panicking!

[Raggs]

Shame Odogwu couldn't take that.

[twitchy]

Should barbeary just concentrate on 8? He just seems to have "it".

[Raggs]

Should barbeary just concentrate on 8? He just seems to have "it".

A good hooker can get involved almost as much as an 8. Alfie is better than a lot of 8s, OK, but that much better? However, compare him to a lot of hookers, and he'd be head and shoulders above a lot of them.

[twitchy]

I guess so.