Wasps vs Bath

[Puja]

Wasps Team to play Bath Rugby

15. Rob Miller
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Brendan Macken
11. Josh Bassett
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Joe Simpson
1. Simon McIntyre
2. Tom Cruse
3. Jake Cooper-Woolley
4. Joe Launchbury (c)
5. Will Rowlands
6. James Haskell
7. Thomas Young
8. Nathan Hughes

16. Ashley Johnson
17. Ben Harris
18. Paul Doran Jones
19. Marcus Garratt
20. Jack Willis
21. Craig Hampson
22. Juan De Jongh
23. Marcus Watson


Bath Rugby team to face Wasps

15. Anthony Watson
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Max Clark
11. Aled Brew
10. Rhys Priestland
9. Chris Cook

1. Beno Obano
2. Jack Walker
3. Henry Thomas
4. Charlie Ewels (c)
5. Luke Charteris
6. Zach Mercer
7. Sam Underhill
8. Taulupe Faletau

Replacements
16. Tom Dunn
17. Nick Auterac
18. Anthony Perenise
19. Elliott Stooke
20. James Phillips
21. Darren Allinson
22. Freddie Burns
23. Ben Tapuai

[Puja]

Very interesting Bath team from an EQP perspective. Walker keeps his place over EPS trainer Dunn, Henry Thomas back from injury, Zach Mercer playing his first game of the season, Underhill back from injury, Watson back from the (alleged) dead! All go for this game.

Puja

[Banquo]

Very interesting Bath team from an EQP perspective. Walker keeps his place over EPS trainer Dunn, Henry Thomas back from injury, Zach Mercer playing his first game of the season, Underhill back from injury, Watson back from the (alleged) dead! All go for this game.

Puja

Freddie must be starting to get pi55ed off now.

[Mikey Brown]

Very interesting Bath team from an EQP perspective. Walker keeps his place over EPS trainer Dunn, Henry Thomas back from injury, Zach Mercer playing his first game of the season, Underhill back from injury, Watson back from the (alleged) dead! All go for this game.

Puja

Freddie must be starting to get pi55ed off now.

I was thinking that, though he pulled out with a late injury last week right? Maybe he's not been at full fitness. I'm hoping it's just that as I feel he really deserves a good run.

[Which Tyler]

Very interesting Bath team from an EQP perspective. Walker keeps his place over EPS trainer Dunn, Henry Thomas back from injury, Zach Mercer playing his first game of the season, Underhill back from injury, Watson back from the (alleged) dead! All go for this game.

Puja

Freddie must be starting to get pi55ed off now.

He needs to be fit to play before getting upset that he's not playing much

[fivepointer]

Very good to see Thomas back.

Like that Bath back row. Interesting to see how Mercer and Underhill go.

[Banquo]

Very interesting Bath team from an EQP perspective. Walker keeps his place over EPS trainer Dunn, Henry Thomas back from injury, Zach Mercer playing his first game of the season, Underhill back from injury, Watson back from the (alleged) dead! All go for this game.

Puja

Freddie must be starting to get pi55ed off now.

He needs to be fit to play before getting upset that he's not playing much

Well he must be, given that he is on the bench. You yourself said Priestland wasn't playing well. He has come on for Priestland at least once that I've seen.

[Puja]

Freddie must be starting to get pi55ed off now.

He needs to be fit to play before getting upset that he's not playing much

Well he must be, given that he is on the bench. You yourself said Priestland wasn't playing well. He has come on for Priestland at least once that I've seen.

But he has pulled out late unfit twice recently, hasn't he? He might just be on the bench cause Bath have got bugger all left fit.

Puja

[Banquo]

He needs to be fit to play before getting upset that he's not playing much

Well he must be, given that he is on the bench. You yourself said Priestland wasn't playing well. He has come on for Priestland at least once that I've seen.

But he has pulled out late unfit twice recently, hasn't he? He might just be on the bench cause Bath have got bugger all left fit.

Puja

Putting an unfit player on the bench is remarkably dim if that's the case. In any case, I might have been saying he is pi55ed off because he is struggling for fitness

[Raggs]

Depending on injury, an unfit player on the bench can be all that's left. Unfit doesn't always mean unable to play, just sometimes you'd rather have rested them given the chance. Wasps are almost certainly in that position, and have been in the past this season too.

[Banquo]

Depending on injury, an unfit player on the bench can be all that's left. Unfit doesn't always mean unable to play, just sometimes you'd rather have rested them given the chance. Wasps are almost certainly in that position, and have been in the past this season too.

Its a bad move almost always- if he has to come on after 5 minutes you are screwed ;and just sticking him on the bench just in case, fails a duty of care for me...if he needs rest, rest him.

[Raggs]

Depending on injury, an unfit player on the bench can be all that's left. Unfit doesn't always mean unable to play, just sometimes you'd rather have rested them given the chance. Wasps are almost certainly in that position, and have been in the past this season too.

Its a bad move almost always- if he has to come on after 5 minutes you are screwed ;and just sticking him on the bench just in case, fails a duty of care for me...if he needs rest, rest him.

Very few players are 100% fit, it's always varying degrees. If you have a full squad of fit players, you can afford to rest those with the worst niggles (assuming you have the depth), if you're already 3 top locks down with serious injury, well then you don't have much choice (to use Wasps' example).

[Banquo]

Depending on injury, an unfit player on the bench can be all that's left. Unfit doesn't always mean unable to play, just sometimes you'd rather have rested them given the chance. Wasps are almost certainly in that position, and have been in the past this season too.

Its a bad move almost always- if he has to come on after 5 minutes you are screwed ;and just sticking him on the bench just in case, fails a duty of care for me...if he needs rest, rest him.

Very few players are 100% fit, it's always varying degrees. If you have a full squad of fit players, you can afford to rest those with the worst niggles (assuming you have the depth), if you're already 3 top locks down with serious injury, well then you don't have much choice (to use Wasps' example).

Unfit has a clear meaning to me (unless you are meaning short of games, not conditioned for 80 mins); not fully fit is different. As a former player and coach, I do understand that you can play with a niggle, though in my case it usually lead to retiring hurt after about 30 mins with a pulled hammy

[Peej]

Wasps desperately need to win this to make up for the shit show they served up against Quins. But that injury list is pretty bad, to the extent that I think it's the only reason Haskell is still being picked.

I can see a Bath win, unfortunately

[TheNomad]

Lovely back row for Bath. Would be great is Mercer could provide a 6 option for England but he looks an 8 to me, though a very promising one! Line out option too I think

[Which Tyler]

It's gng to be an interesting one; both teams denuded of critical players; I'd have to go with home advantage determining the result.

I also worry that Bath's leadership group is absent en masses (Attwood, Garvey, Louw, Fotuali'i)

[Beasties]

Even so Which Bath still have a lot of decent players in that team and the bench is none too shabby. I'm starting to get worried about how Wasps are going to go this year. We're not looking anything like a top two team so far.

[Timbo]

Teams look pretty evenly matched to me. Despite injuries both 23's have plenty of quality.

I think Wasps will be fine, although it might be a case of some short term pain until some of the injuries clear up.

[Scrumhead]

Lovely back row for Bath. Would be great is Mercer could provide a 6 option for England but he looks an 8 to me, though a very promising one! Line out option too I think

Yes and no. I think that could be a lovely back row in a couple of years time, but right now, it's one world-class player and two very promising young players up against a much more experienced/established back row. I think the Wasps back row edge it personally. It'll be a very interesting test of where Underhill and Mercer are at for sure.

Good to see Henry Thomas back for Bath and interesting to see young Walker keeping Dunn out of the side given how much praise Blackadder's given Dunn.

[Which Tyler]

Even so Which Bath still have a lot of decent players in that team and the bench is none too shabby. I'm starting to get worried about how Wasps are going to go this year. We're not looking anything like a top two team so far.

That could easily be said exactly the other way around.

I don't think there's much in it; and both teams are capable of running away with this if they get the chance; both are equally capable of crumbling if it doesn't go their way. Anything from Wasps by 25 to Bath by 25 would seem a reasonable prediction for tomorrow.
I'll still go with Home Advantage giving Wasps "more to play for"; and getting the win.

[Banquo]

Priestland lucky boy. Not sure why that TMO intervention took so long, or even that they got the right answer.

[Mellsblue]

Forearm for me. The closed fist is the clincher - no handoff intended.

[Banquo]

Forearm for me. The closed fist is the clincher - no handoff intended.

reaction time for me, moot now.

[Which Tyler]

I've see those given all 3 ways, personally think penalty only is fair, whilst yellow is "harsh but fair".
"Reaction time" excuse for me is rubbish. He should have known he didn't have time to get a proper fend in, and rode the impact, then pushed through afterwards. He took the time himself by transferring the ball, and still trying to get the arm up and out.

Rhys's attempt looked genuine but missed, so another "harsh but fair" yellow. NB I'd reserve the right to change my mind on replay

[Banquo]

I've see those given all 3 ways, personally think penalty only is fair, whilst yellow is "harsh but fair".
"Reaction time" excuse for me is rubbish. He should have known he didn't have time to get a proper fend in, and rode the impact, then pushed through afterwards. He took the time himself by transferring the ball, and still trying to get the arm up and out.

Rhys's attempt looked genuine but missed, so another "harsh but fair" yellow. NB I'd reserve the right to change my mind on replay

I don't agree tbh, slowed down doesn't help. Easy for you in an armchair to make these decisions , he's got players coming at all angles and prob less than a second to decide and do.