Gloucester vs Exeter - Friday night

[Puja]

Gloucester: Evans; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Kveseladze, Carreras; Hastings, Chapman; Elrington, Socino, Balmain, Clarke, Jordan, Ackermann, Ludlow (capt), Morgan.

Replacements: Walker, Knight, Gotovtsev, Alemanno, Tuisue, Meehan, Reeves, Seabrook.

Exeter: Hogg; Hodge, O'Loughlin, Whitten, Woodburn; Skinner, J Maunder; Sio, Yeandle (capt), Williams, Van Heerden, Gray, Ewers, Pearson, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Innard, Hepburn, Iosefa-Scott, Dunne, Tshiunza, S Maunder, Simmonds, John.

[FKAS]

Is there anything more Chiefs than putting a young lock who's been on loan at Pirates into the starting line up and openside?

Nice to see Cam Jordan get a start for Glaws, always looked like he could be a solid squad man at this level and was maybe a touch unlucky to come through the Tigers academy just before a bumper crop of talent that usurped him.

[Gloskarlos]

I have a sense of foreboding on this one.

[Puja]

I have a sense of foreboding on this one.

I don't know; I'd be confident looking at those lineups. Exeter are significantly weakened by the EPS camp and I think your XV looks pretty strong.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Exeter leaving their best 10 on the bench and starting the inferior Maunder at 9. I dont get this. Pearson starting must mean a clutch of back 5 injuries.
Glos have just got over the line their last 2 games. They might just do the same tonight.

[Banquo]

Exeter leaving their best 10 on the bench and starting the inferior Maunder at 9. I dont get this. Pearson starting must mean a clutch of back 5 injuries.
Glos have just got over the line their last 2 games. They might just do the same tonight.

Yeah, the Joe Simmonds situation puzzles me- maybe he is going to leave at the end of the season. Always rated him, though his form hasn't been as good as it was 2/3 years ago....in common with the team.

[Gloskarlos]

We will miss Val considerably, he gets more turnovers than our back row does, Jordy Reid is second on that leaderboard and isn’t playing. Our backs haven’t fired this season yet,and I think we come down on the wrong side of a tighter arm wrestle. 5P is correct Glos are scraping wins, which isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t look or feel comfortable at all.

[twitchy]

Decent game so far. Hodge doesn't seem to be able to deal with the grubber which glos have picked up on and should exploit more.

[FKAS]

Decent game so far. Hodge doesn't seem to be able to deal with the grubber which glos have picked up on and should exploit more.

Hodge really has been a disappointment. From someone who kept Steward on the bench at age grade level he really hasn't kicked on. Positionally and physically he needs to step up.

Joe Simmons starting on the bench is very odd, Skinner is clearly average and if Chiefs knew they were losing him next summer why not make a play for Fin Smith, Charlie Atkinson or Haydon-Wood following the financial disasters up the M5. There's three better prospects than Skinner who were desperate for a contract a month ago, two still are.

[fivepointer]

LR-Z made a big difference. He was sensational. Glos defended well and took their chances smartly.

Exe are just bang ordinary. They worked hard enough, had plenty of ball, engineered some good positions but there is no creativity or imagination in their attack.

Hodge has been a let down. He's still playing a bit like an U20.

On recruitment, Exe could do a lot worse than bring in Haydon-Wood. They might like to see if Spink fancies a game too. Neither of last nights centres did anything of note.

[Oakboy]

I had never seen Pearson before this game. He looked way out of his depth and left Vermeulen and Ewers with far too much to do to make the back row competitively effective. That was a big factor in defeat though the lack of a decent SH continues to be a disadvantage.

[Banquo]

I had never seen Pearson before this game. He looked way out of his depth and left Vermeulen and Ewers with far too much to do to make the back row competitively effective. That was a big factor in defeat though the lack of a decent SH continues to be a disadvantage.

Bit harsh to blame a lock for failing to perform well as an openside- three back row donkeys is not a great idea. The problem with Exeter, as above, is their predictability with the ball. Glaws were incredibly resilient once again, and lRZ is so brilliant in flashes.

[FKAS]

Agreed Banquo, young lock who's been playing Championship rugby asked to play openside against a mobile Gloucester team was a big ask. Can Chiefs really not produce a flanker?

Chiefs could really do with some half back upgrades.

[Oakboy]

I had never seen Pearson before this game. He looked way out of his depth and left Vermeulen and Ewers with far too much to do to make the back row competitively effective. That was a big factor in defeat though the lack of a decent SH continues to be a disadvantage.

Bit harsh to blame a lock for failing to perform well as an openside- three back row donkeys is not a great idea. The problem with Exeter, as above, is their predictability with the ball. Glaws were incredibly resilient once again, and lRZ is so brilliant in flashes.

I did not know he was a lock or anything else about him. It might have been a selection error but the effect of his presence at 7 was to hamper the unit was it not? Maybe he was struggling out of position but I'd expect a lock to catch the ball occasionally. Was the genuine 7 on the bench unfit?

[fivepointer]

Exeter didnt lose because of Pearson in the back row.

There were others who were below par and offered little, while there has to be questions about the overall selection and the way the team play. They just dont look right to me.

[Banquo]

Exeter didnt lose because of Pearson in the back row.

There were others who were below par and offered little, while there has to be questions about the overall selection and the way the team play. They just dont look right to me.

yep, and they really missed their england players away.

[Banquo]

I had never seen Pearson before this game. He looked way out of his depth and left Vermeulen and Ewers with far too much to do to make the back row competitively effective. That was a big factor in defeat though the lack of a decent SH continues to be a disadvantage.

Bit harsh to blame a lock for failing to perform well as an openside- three back row donkeys is not a great idea. The problem with Exeter, as above, is their predictability with the ball. Glaws were incredibly resilient once again, and lRZ is so brilliant in flashes.

I did not know he was a lock or anything else about him. It might have been a selection error but the effect of his presence at 7 was to hamper the unit was it not? Maybe he was struggling out of position but I'd expect a lock to catch the ball occasionally. Was the genuine 7 on the bench unfit?

The back row balance was appalling, but blaming him misses the point. Exeter were just so predictable once they'd tried a couple of inside passes.

[Banquo]

Agreed Banquo, young lock who's been playing Championship rugby asked to play openside against a mobile Gloucester team was a big ask. Can Chiefs really not produce a flanker?

Chiefs could really do with some half back upgrades.

For some reason they just don't want to play with a mobile 7 these days- its almost Saffer style but without the brutality.

I still rate Joe Simmonds, but don't know what's happening in his head tbh.

[Gloskarlos]

Haven’t seen the penalty stats but I reckon Glos discipline there was the best it’s been for a while. Sell out cried pretty much. My foreboding thankfully didn’t come to pass.

[Banquo]

Haven’t seen the penalty stats but I reckon Glos discipline there was the best it’s been for a while. Sell out cried pretty much. My foreboding thankfully didn’t come to pass.

They have a great team spirit- under the cosh for huge periods of the game. 9 pens is ok given the possession balance. Huge tackle count with a high completion rate- the pack were especially effective....take a bow, Ben Morgan.