RugbyRebels

Exeter: Turner; Nowell, Slade, Whitten, Woodburn; Steenson (capt), White; Rimmer, Taione, Williams, Lees, Skinner, Dennis, Armand, S Simmonds.

Replacements: Malton, Moon, Francis, Salmon, Salvi, Townsend, Hendrickson, Bodilly.

Wasps: Miller; Wade, Daly, De Jongh, Bassett; Gopperth, Simpson; Mullan, Cruse, Cooper-Woolley, Launchbury (capt), Symons, Johnson, Haskell, Hughes.

Replacements: Willis, McIntyre, Moore, Rowlands, Young, Hampson, Macken, Watson.

I'm really not sure what to expect from this one? I fancy Chiefs to get a home win, but I can't tell whether it's going to be an end-to-end, high-scoring game or more attritional?

Scrumhead wrote:I'm really not sure what to expect from this one? I fancy Chiefs to get a home win, but I can't tell whether it's going to be an end-to-end, high-scoring game or more attritional?

impressive that wasps can still field a decent looking side, despite chunky injury list.

Exe missing one or two as well. Expect a real ding dong, it usually is when these sides play. Looking forward to seeing how Simmonds goes.

Yeah, both teams stretched hugely by injuries but still loads of class.

Timbo wrote:Yeah, both teams stretched hugely by injuries but still loads of class.

Who in a normal Exeter 1st XV is injured? LCD I see, Yeandle too I guess in terms of depth from hooker. Waldrom, or has Simmonds overtaken him?

My entire weekends has been planned round this. It had better be a belter.

Is Devoto injured?

Raggs wrote:

Timbo wrote:Yeah, both teams stretched hugely by injuries but still loads of class.

Who in a normal Exeter 1st XV is injured? LCD I see, Yeandle too I guess in terms of depth from hooker. Waldrom, or has Simmonds overtaken him?

They rotate a lot so not sure about 1st XV as such, but off the top of my head; Hepburn, LCD, Yeandle, Johnny Hill, Ewers, Waldrom, Maunder, Devoto, Sam Hill, Campagnaro, Dollman, Short...most of those would make a first choice 23 I'd say. Wasps worse off, Exeter not great though.

Symonds in the Wasps pack is reassuring for this match, but I imagine Exeter will ultimately grind it out, they're rather good at it.

I'm knackered just watching.

lol, cat burglar Johnson

That was crossing surely.

won't help Hask's cause much

On the evidence of some of the head knocks over the last few weeks, it looks like the whole league could do with some remedial sessions on where to put your head when tackling.

16th man wrote:On the evidence of some of the head knocks over the last few weeks, it looks like the whole league could do with some remedial sessions on where to put your head when tackling.

indeed. shed loads of injuries in all, but an awful lot of concussion. It could also be they aren't having time to react to a change in direction, ie line speed is increasing and they aren't adjusting.

Nasty for sam.

Didn't look good at all. Not sure Hughes was helping, as good as his intentions were. Awful technique from Simmonds.

great paaass by slade, great finish.

Wasps look a bit porous up front

Slade looks like he might be just about fully back to his best after that leg break. Now he'll probably get injured again, that seems to the way this season is going.

That's twice now the Ref's ignored Wasps players kicking the ball forward in the ruck. Neither were big connections but it's either an offence or not.

Exeter's power game is showing up the glaring issues in Wasps' defence.

That Slade guy is a good runner, eh? A centre who can run and pass?

Exeter are just so brilliant to watch when they're in this mood.

I wonder if this league has become so attritional and physically demanding it might make sense to start "heavily rotating" for certain away games.

I mean, Wasps' squad is on its knees, they've had 2 days less rest than Exeter and they have a very winnable game at home next week. They've already lost Mullan.

Slade and Nowell very impressive, but Wasps pretty soft and clearly struggling w injuries