Gloucester vs Quins

[Epaminondas Pules]

Team News | Harlequins (H)

15 Santi Carreras
14 Christian Wade
13 Max Llewellyn
12 Seb Atkinson
11 Josh Hathaway
10 Gareth Anscombe
9 Tomos Williams
1 Val Rapava-Ruskin
2 Seb Blake
3 Afolabi Fasogbon
4 Freddie Thomas
5 Matias Alemanno
6 Jack Clement
7 Lewis Ludlow (C)
8 Ruan Ackermann

16 Jack Singleton
17 Ciaran Knight
18 Kirill Gotovtsev
19 Cam Jordan
20 Albert Tuisue
21 Caolan Englefield
22 Chris Harris
23 George Barton

[Epaminondas Pules]

STARTING XV

15. Tyrone Green (81)
14. Rodrigo Isgro (3)
13. Oscar Beard (63)
12. Lennox Anyanwu (29)
11. Cadan Murley (120)
10. Marcus Smith (167)
9. Will Porter (31)
1. Fin Baxter (58)
2. Jack Walker (72)
3. Simon Kerrod (112)
4. Dino Lamb (100)
5. George Hammond (70)
6. Chandler Cunningham-South (23)
7. Will Evans (99)
8. Alex Dombrandt © (144)

IMPACT PLAYERS

16. Sam Riley (57)
17. Wyn Jones (7)
18. Dillon Lewis (24)
19. Irne Herbst (55)
20. James Chisholm (158)
21. Danny Care (384)
22. Jarrod Evans (25)
23. Nick David (28)

[fivepointer]

Baxter v Fasogbon is the standout 1 to 1 for me.

[twitchy]

Yep, this should be good. Absolutely grim weather today, the all weather pitch is a blessing for this time of year.

[Mikey Brown]

Baxter v Fasogbon is the standout 1 to 1 for me.

Haven’t really seen much of Fasogban, but he makes quite a prominent appearance in a “rugby shithousers” sort of compilation thing I just saw. Looks almost the polar opposite of Baxter in terms of character, but full of niggle and aggression.

How is he going technically? Should be a very interesting battle.

Looking forward to seeing Atkinson too.

[FKAS]

Baxter v Fasogbon is the standout 1 to 1 for me.

Haven’t really seen much of Fasogban, but he makes quite a prominent appearance in a “rugby shithousers” sort of compilation thing I just saw. Looks almost the polar opposite of Baxter in terms of character, but full of niggle and aggression.

How is he going technically? Should be a very interesting battle.

Looking forward to seeing Atkinson too.

Fasogbon seems all needle and aggression but only on the pitch. A lot was made of his waving Genge goodbye when he was subbed etc but after the game they were hugging and laughing. Seems like he's got a good balance. Scrum wise he seems to have done pretty well so far from what I've seen, might get caught out every now and then as young props do but has been going well and is a sizeable unit.

[Mikey Brown]

Looking forward to seeing Atkinson too.

!!!

[FKAS]

Dombrandt needs to be a bit careful, that's the second time Ridley has been unimpressed with the football style shouting. He might not want to keep pushing the ref and risk a talking to.

[FKAS]

Are Glaws going to regret not finishing some of these chances and only being 14-0 up at half time? Quins have been abject and are struggling at the set piece.

[Mikey Brown]

14-0 feels like we’re getting off very, very lightly.

[Oakboy]

Gloucester seem to want it more, so far.

[Mikey Brown]

Gloucester seem to want it more, so far.

Agreed, but it feels like a lot more than just that. We’re not not trying, but nothing is clicking at all.

[FKAS]

Geez Wade makes a pass and it's a walk in, instead he tries to go through five Quins defenders and gets held up. Mad.

Quins have looked like they met in the carpark pre game and sorted the game plan out over a quick ciggy.

[FKAS]

Well, not sure anybody had only 14 points being scored in this one and Quins not troubling the scoreboard at all. Really poor ball retention from both sides.

[Captainhaircut]

How has no one been in here to say how good Seb Atkinson was? I only watched parts of the game but stats have him with 18 carries and 18 tackles- topping stats on both. Some lovely touches in at second receiver too.

[p/d]

How has no one been in here to say how good Seb Atkinson was? I only watched parts of the game but stats have him with 18 carries and 18 tackles- topping stats on both. Some lovely touches in at second receiver too.

I ,along with EP, have been relentless about praising Atkinson over the last few seasons. My view has not changed, just glad others are starting to notice.

[Mikey Brown]

Yep, just seems like the guy could get some of the English strike running threats on the ball at the right times.

Less said about Quins the better really. Maybe some emotional hangover from last weekend, I don’t know. That wouldn’t be much of an excuse.

[Oakboy]

How has no one been in here to say how good Seb Atkinson was? I only watched parts of the game but stats have him with 18 carries and 18 tackles- topping stats on both. Some lovely touches in at second receiver too.

I don't know about the stats but, just on observation yesterday evening, I'd say his centre partner was a better player. Together, they did constitute an effective unit.

Having said that, the most thrilling 'centre' moment of a poor game was Beard's run.

[FKAS]

The two Seb's for Glaws were both good. Atkinson got man of the match and rightly so, Blake was brilliant and looked superior to the capped Walker.

Quins aren't going well in the league so far. Iirc a win for Saints today put Quins 8th. For a club with their squad that's not a good position to be in.

[TheNomad]

Weirdly though Seb A doesn’t seem to even be in SB’s thinking. As I recall, he wasn’t in the A squad (might be wrong)..

Given our lack of quality players that actually consistently play at 12, I find that totally bizarre. There must be something he doesn’t like about him, which is just strange IMO

[Oakboy]

Weirdly though Seb A doesn’t seem to even be in SB’s thinking. As I recall, he wasn’t in the A squad (might be wrong)..

Given our lack of quality players that actually consistently play at 12, I find that totally bizarre. There must be something he doesn’t like about him, which is just strange IMO

So far, SB has ignored lots of fringe players. Loyalty, continuity etc. v change, risk, imagination etc. Gloucester's players have never been fashionable picks, perhaps?

I suppose, in Lions year, we might get some idea of SB's lower order thoughts with the tour party selection. The next question is whether his mind is open at all. Let's face it, if he can ignore Tom Willis no matter how many trees he rips up have fringe players like Atkinson got any hope?

[Mikey Brown]

Weirdly though Seb A doesn’t seem to even be in SB’s thinking. As I recall, he wasn’t in the A squad (might be wrong)..

Given our lack of quality players that actually consistently play at 12, I find that totally bizarre. There must be something he doesn’t like about him, which is just strange IMO

So far, SB has ignored lots of fringe players. Loyalty, continuity etc. v change, risk, imagination etc. Gloucester's players have never been fashionable picks, perhaps?

I suppose, in Lions year, we might get some idea of SB's lower order thoughts with the tour party selection. The next question is whether his mind is open at all. Let's face it, if he can ignore Tom Willis no matter how many trees he rips up have fringe players like Atkinson got any hope?

Seeing more options at centre might require Slade or Lawrence going on the Lions tour though, which seems incredibly unlikely.

You'd like to think Borthwick would take the opportunity to look at some different players anyway, but I wouldn't count on it. Particularly now we've decided it is Slade playing 12 it seems mad not to look at the guy with similar distribution skills who is playing there every week, plus has a bit more in the carry.

I imagine it all comes back to the clusterfuck with the defence coaching.

[FKAS]

Weirdly though Seb A doesn’t seem to even be in SB’s thinking. As I recall, he wasn’t in the A squad (might be wrong)..

Given our lack of quality players that actually consistently play at 12, I find that totally bizarre. There must be something he doesn’t like about him, which is just strange IMO

So far, SB has ignored lots of fringe players. Loyalty, continuity etc. v change, risk, imagination etc. Gloucester's players have never been fashionable picks, perhaps?

I suppose, in Lions year, we might get some idea of SB's lower order thoughts with the tour party selection. The next question is whether his mind is open at all. Let's face it, if he can ignore Tom Willis no matter how many trees he rips up have fringe players like Atkinson got any hope?

Seeing more options at centre might require Slade or Lawrence going on the Lions tour though, which seems incredibly unlikely.

You'd like to think Borthwick would take the opportunity to look at some different players anyway, but I wouldn't count on it. Particularly now we've decided it is Slade playing 12 it seems mad not to look at the guy with similar distribution skills who is playing there every week, plus has a bit more in the carry.

I imagine it all comes back to the clusterfuck with the defence coaching.

Selection was a complete cluster fuck in the AIs. Looks like it was selected at the end of last season. You'd hope some more form players would make it in TWillis, Seb Atkinson etc. Fasogbon might well have been in the running given his all action displays but that knee injury looked like it was going to see him out for a while.

[Epaminondas Pules]

I held fire commenting just cause of being busy with other shit, but yes he was very good again. Was actually 21 carries, 44 metres and 17 tackles. It’s the subtleties that I like the most. Gloucester play almost everything through him.

What’s interesting, though not surprising given how poor most of them are, is how the journo community haven’t mentioned him at all. Even Charlie Morgan, who is better than most or largely ignorant of him. Atkinson’s play requires you to really watch what’s going on. It was good to see Skivington championing him after the game.

Hoping Fasogbon’s injury is not too bad. He had Baxter in all sorts of bother. Though Baxter seemed to have very little grunt backing him up from his lock.

[fivepointer]

That Atkinson isnt on anyone's radar is frankly bizarre. He always makes a positive contribution in a game and he offers so much with and without the ball.
I'll keep banging the drum for him.