RugbyRebels

Saracens: Goode; Williams, Bosch, Barritt (c), Wyles; Lozowski, Wigglesworth; M. Vunipola, George, Figallo, Isiekwe, Kruis, Itoje, Clark, Wray.

Replacements: Tolofua, Thompson-Stringer, Koch, Day, Conlon, Spencer, Farrell, Taylor.

Wasps: Le Roux; Watson, Daly, Macken, Bassett; Miller, Simpson; Mullan (capt), Johnson, Moore, Garratt, Rowlands, Haskell, Willis, Young.

Replacements: Cruse, Harris, Cooper-Woolley, Gaskell, Willis, Robson, De Jongh, Wade.

Wasps so short on back row that they're playing Willis twice?

Puja

oh, no Launch...

Hard to see past a comfortable home win. Wasps are absolutely decimated by injuries. Its the Willis brothers, one of whom is just 18 or 19.

Oh, and Itoje still doesnt get a break.

Think Wasps are part hurting from injuries and part looking at Ulster away 5 days later.

Timbo wrote:Think Wasps are part hurting from injuries and part looking at Ulster away 5 days later.

yep, i daresay there's one or two who might have made it if the fixture list had been a touch kinder.

isn't it time that any team playing on Sunday doesnt get a game the following Friday? that shouldnt be that hard to organise and would give players a bit longer to recover.

fivepointer wrote:

Timbo wrote:Think Wasps are part hurting from injuries and part looking at Ulster away 5 days later.

yep, i daresay there's one or two who might have made it if the fixture list had been a touch kinder.

isn't it time that any team playing on Sunday doesnt get a game the following Friday? that shouldnt be that hard to organise and would give players a bit longer to recover.

Think the issue here is that it's two different competitions. A rumour was going round that Wasps had requested bringing the game forward to Saturday to give them a bit more of a break but were rebuffed.

Sarries by 25 points.

Miller at ten? When was the last time that happened?

Last season against Wuss.

When Cips isn't playing, Miller (if playing 15) often steps in at first receiver, and to my eyes, performed more like Cips than Gopperth managed, Gopperth was too deep, and effectively removed a large number of the options (and therefore defence fixing runners) that our structure has, when Daly or Miller stepped in at first receiver, it looked far more regular.

fivepointer wrote:Hard to see past a comfortable home win. Wasps are absolutely decimated by injuries. Its the Willis brothers, one of whom is just 18 or 19.

Oh, and Itoje still doesnt get a break.

Willis the younger is very much worth keeping an eye on. He’s been exceptional through schools level.

In other Sarries news Ali Crossdale makes him comeback from injury for Ampthill today. He’s very well thought of in the Sarries camp but had a cack year and a half with injuries.

I can only see this going one way TBH. Wasps are obviously hit by injuries, but they seem to be resting players for the Ulster games.

I hadn't really appreciated what a difficult run they've got too. If they lose today, they could conceivably stay 10th with their next AP games away at Saints and Newcastle. With those two playing well and home wins very much being the order of the day, it's not inconceivable to think that Wasps could still be down in 10th going in to round 9.

Wasps don't look dysfunctional mind, they mostly look like they're missing Beale and now Cips in attack. Which isn't really a surprise. They've good players, and it would seem good coaches, and I'd back them to deal with a bit of adversity in the short term

Add another to the list of late withdrawals. Farrell not able to take his subs spot with Malins drafted in.

How did they concede that.

Haskell really looking like a spent force at the moment.

I was worried for Wasps in the first 15 minutes, but to be fair they've made more of a game of it after that.

A bit of inaccuracy has cost Sarries at least a try or two though. Conceding a turnover and a knock 5m out were definitely avoidable. Not quite as ruthless as normal.

Bit of a brutal lesson for the young forwards Wasps have chucked in today.

Anyone got Jamie George captained today?

True, but I think Jack Willis has had a good game. He's been better than Haskell anyway.

Scrumhead wrote:He's been better than Haskell anyway.

As was I, and I spent the match ironing the kids' school clothes.

Good effort from Jack Willis. Didnt let anyone down today.

Things panned out pretty much as expected. Saracens had far too much for a Wasps side lacking too many regulars.

Scrumhead wrote:I was worried for Wasps in the first 15 minutes, but to be fair they've made more of a game of it after that.

True, Wasps were abysmal in the opening quarter, scrum under pressure, lost lineout, couldn't kick properly on exit plays, kicked the ball dead, missed pen to touch, switched off in defence, wearing flashy boots, their restarts couldn't be contested allowing Sarries easy exit plays. And really these problems aren't just about injuries, it's a group of pro rugby players just not focused

Digby wrote:

Scrumhead wrote:I was worried for Wasps in the first 15 minutes, but to be fair they've made more of a game of it after that.

wearing flashy boots

For breast cancer awareness, I believe. Normally I'd agree that anything other than black boots should be a straight red and a five game ban, but I think we should let them off this time.

Mellsblue wrote:

Digby wrote:

Scrumhead wrote:I was worried for Wasps in the first 15 minutes, but to be fair they've made more of a game of it after that.

wearing flashy boots

For breast cancer awareness, I believe. Normally I'd agree that anything other than black boots should be a straight red and a five game ban, but I think we should let them off this time.

Not all flashy boots were pink. Mullan, Willis, Simpson, Daly, possibly someone else were neither wearing black nor pink booties. And I don't mind flashy boots, Dan Carter had a gold pair after all and if it's good enough for him..., the only caveat I have is you either play as well as Carter or go and find yourself a black pair of boots.