Bath vs Wasps Fri 8th 19.45

[Raggs]

Wasps (First-team appearances)

15 Lima Sopoaga (50)
14 Paolo Odogwu (15)
13 Juan de Jongh (63)
12 Michael Le Bourgeois (42)
11 Josh Bassett (134)
10 Jacob Umaga (34)
9 Dan Robson (127)
1 Tom West (41)
2 Tom Cruse (89)
3 Kieran Brookes (47)
4 Joe Launchbury (154) (c)
5 Will Rowlands (97)
6 James Gaskell (127)
7 Thomas Young (127)
8 Jack Willis (65)

Replacements
16 Tommy Taylor (76)
17 Simon McIntyre (176)
18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen (28)
19 Brad Shields (35)
20 Tom Willis (27)
21 Will Porter (24)
22 Jimmy Gopperth (113)
23 Marcus Watson (49)


And Bath:

15. Tom de Glanville, 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Cameron Redpath, 11. Ruaridh McConnochie, 10. Rhys Priestland, 9. Ben Spencer; 1. Beno Obano, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Josh McNally, 5. Charlie Ewels (C), 6. Taulupe Faletau, 7. Sam Underhill, 8. Zach Mercer

REPLACEMENTS
16. Jack Walker, 17. Juan Schoeman, 18. Christian Judge, 19. Elliott Stooke, 20. Josh Bayliss, 21. Will Chudley, 22. Josh Matavesi, 23. Gabriel Hamer-Webb

[Beasties]

That's a good looking Bath team on paper. Let's hope they don't turn up.

[Peej]

Interesting battle between West and Stuart!

Nearly an unchanged XV from Wasps. Interesting to see if the strategy of having Gaskell at lock continues to have an impact.

[TheNomad]

Eddie surely has to be watching this. You could pick about 20 names out of that list who (whether reasonably or not) are likely trying to catch his eye.

This is a passable international side I reckon:

Obano
Dunn
Stuart
Launch
Ewels
Underhill/Shields
Willis
Mercer

Robson/Spencer
Umaga
McConnochie/Bassett
Redpath
Joseph/Odogwu
Watson
De Glanville


It does beg the question why Bath aren't better than their results suggest though

[Peej]

Without wanting to open the back row debate again, it would be:

6.Mercer
7. Underhill
8. T Willis (Jack is injured)

[Mikey Brown]

He's starting, but injured?

[TheNomad]

Without wanting to open the back row debate again, it would be:

6.Mercer
7. Underhill
8. T Willis (Jack is injured)

No he's not

I can compromise on:

Willis
Underhill
Mercer

But if you have J Willis and Mercer in the same side, Mercer plays at 8, Willis at Flanker

[Epaminondas Pules]

He's starting, but injured?

He truly is the messiah!

[Peej]

He's starting, but injured?

God my apologies, my day of Zoom-doom has left me actually screen blind.

[Peej]

Without wanting to open the back row debate again, it would be:

6.Mercer
7. Underhill
8. T Willis (Jack is injured)

No he's not

I can compromise on:

Willis
Underhill
Mercer

But if you have J Willis and Mercer in the same side, Mercer plays at 8, Willis at Flanker

Yeah this makes absolute sense - see the above post. I'm a moron for missing it. I won't start a "Jack Willis at 8 for England" movement either....

[TheNomad]

Ace

[Beasties]

Without wanting to open the back row debate again, it would be:

6.Mercer
7. Underhill
8. T Willis (Jack is injured)

No he's not

I can compromise on:

Willis
Underhill
Mercer

But if you have J Willis and Mercer in the same side, Mercer plays at 8, Willis at Flanker

Yeah this makes absolute sense - see the above post. I'm a moron for missing it. I won't start a "Jack Willis at 8 for England" movement either....

Don't worry, jngf won't be interested. He's already played at 8.

[twitchy]

Really enjoying this.

[I R Geech]

Umaga is determined to avoid any form of contact tonight. Disgraceful bottling.

[Raggs]

Need to give up on getting penalties out of the breakdown with Carley. He's reffing to the old rules.

[Mellsblue]

Disappointed with this match. Both Stuart and Booj have had their hair cut.

[Mikey Brown]

Disappointed with this match. Both Stuart and Booj have had their hair cut.

Didn't even recognise Shields without the beard.

Looks so young and aerodynamic now.

Great game though.

[twitchy]

lol

[Scrumhead]

Need to give up on getting penalties out of the breakdown with Carley. He's reffing to the old rules.

I was about to say more or less the same thing. Some strange decisions to say the least.

Decent watch for a neutral though.

[twitchy]

Quality.

[Mikey Brown]

Jesus.

[Peej]

Wasps are making some really poor decisions but when they want to turn it on they are lethal

[twitchy]

Amazing game.

[Mikey Brown]

Cruse is a serious handful in the loose.

[twitchy]

I want more tries please.