Bath v Bristol @The Rec, Sat, May 8th (4.30pm KO)

[jimKRFC]

BATH:
15. Tom de Glanville, 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Max Clark, 12. Cameron Redpath, 11. Will Muir, 10. Orlando Bailey, 9. Ben Spencer; 1. Juan Schoeman, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Josh McNally ©, 5. Elliott Stooke 6. Josh Bayliss, 7. Miles Reid, 8. Taulupe Faletau

REPLACEMENTS
16. Jacques du Toit, 17. Jamie Bhatti, 18. Christian Judge, 19. Charlie Ewels, 20. Tom Ellis, 21. Will Chudley, 22. Rhys Priestland, 23. Alex Gray

Bristol:
15. Charles Piutau; 14. Luke Morahan, 13. Semi Radradra, 12. Siale Piutau, 11. Max Malins; 10. Callum Sheedy, 9. Andy Uren; 1. Yann Thomas, 2. Bryan Byrne, 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. Dave Attwood, 5. Chris Vui, 6. Steven Luatua (c), 7. Ben Earl, 8. Nathan Hughes.

Subs: 16. Jake Kerr, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. John Afoa, 19. Ed Holmes, 20. Jake Heenan, 21. Tom Kessell, 22. Ioan Lloyd, 23. Alapati Leiua.

Should be a good game! Surprised Kerr is straight in though when Capon and Kloska are both not listed as injured. Very happy to Semi, Sheedy and Hughes back in the side.

[Banquo]

Be nice for Bath to actually play to their potential. Bristol have to be strong favourites.....Malins at wing looks a bit of a shoehorn.

[Peej]

Jesus, POC not playing?

[jimKRFC]

Jesus, POC not playing?

He's not missed a minute of the season yet so is due a break, however it would have been good see if he could play every minute of every game!

[Peej]

I'm just surprised it's taken this long for him to have a break!

[Which Tyler]

Be nice for Bath to actually play to their potential.

Oh come on, that's just the stock copy/paste reply for the last what? 20 years? 25?

[Banquo]

Be nice for Bath to actually play to their potential.

Oh come on, that's just the stock copy/paste reply for the last what? 20 years? 25?

. More so now, looking at that team sheet. I'd start Priestland tho.

[jimKRFC]

Well that was a frustrating first half.. Bristol seem out of form and intent on keeping Bath in it. Bath competent and scoring off Bristol's mistakes.

Hopefully a better Bristol performance after half time!

[twitchy]

Good game.

[FKAS]

Well that was a frustrating first half.. Bristol seem out of form and intent on keeping Bath in it. Bath competent and scoring off Bristol's mistakes.

Hopefully a better Bristol performance after half time!

Well you got that. They've battered Bath for periods. The Bath scrum has fallen apart as well.

Dunn with a moronic red card that might actually kills his chances with England this summer.

[Mellsblue]

Anyone else want to put an arm round Sinckler and take him for a pint?

[FKAS]

Anyone else want to put an arm round Sinckler and take him for a pint?

Perfect way for him to respond. Sounds like he's got a good support group round him at Bristol. For those that doubt how much the Lions means to the players show them that interview.

[p/d]

Anyone else want to put an arm round Sinckler and take him for a pint?

No

[Mellsblue]

Anyone else want to put an arm round Sinckler and take him for a pint?

No

Porn Star Martini?

[Dan. Dan. Dan.]

Anyone else want to put an arm round Sinckler and take him for a pint?

Perfect way for him to respond. Sounds like he's got a good support group round him at Bristol. For those that doubt how much the Lions means to the players show them that interview.

Bless him. Still think it's the most insane call...

[Mikey Brown]

Malins on the wing with Piutau at 15? How did he go?

[fivepointer]

Malins a bit of a waste out on the wing i felt.

Sinckler was outstanding in a scrum that just ground the Bath pack into the mud. There are always players hard done by in every selection, but he is possibly the most unlucky not to be a Lion this year.

[TheNomad]

Yeah, definitely feel for Sinckler. I can't think of a part of his game that isn't at least top level standard for an international prop...and in some respects he's world class.

On a purely playing level, it's pretty difficult to make an argument for him being outside of the 23, let alone the broader squad.

He might still get there due to injury, but it feels pretty rough on the guy.

Malins was obviously just shoe horned there because they want him in the 15, but let's face it, he's someone you want on the ball really, whether at 10 or 15. Such a talented player - like Goode with pace, only better

[Mellsblue]

Malins is wasted on the wing but Piutau is the better 15. That said, there was some lovely link up play on a couple of occasions so it might be worth preserving with. It would also help Malin’s game in the long term to experience the wing’s role first hand. Whether Bristol are thinking long term with him, given he’s back with Sarries next season....

[twitchy]

[FKAS]

Malins is wasted on the wing but Piutau is the better 15. That said, there was some lovely link up play on a couple of occasions so it might be worth preserving with. It would also help Malin’s game in the long term to experience the wing’s role first hand. Whether Bristol are thinking long term with him, given he’s back with Sarries next season....

A winger never just has to be a winger. The concept of hugging the touchline is entirely optional. As you say and Twitchy points out he came off the wing and linked with some nice touches. Something I entirely approve of and hope Bristol keep going with because I think it'll provide some real entertainment and give Lam some interesting tactical variations in attack which I'm sure he'll use well.

[Banquo]

Malins a bit of a waste out on the wing i felt.

Sinckler was outstanding in a scrum that just ground the Bath pack into the mud. There are always players hard done by in every selection, but he is possibly the most unlucky not to be a Lion this year.

Discipline, apparently. 13 penalties in the 6N merely reinforced Gatlands opinion.

[Puja]

Malins a bit of a waste out on the wing i felt.

Sinckler was outstanding in a scrum that just ground the Bath pack into the mud. There are always players hard done by in every selection, but he is possibly the most unlucky not to be a Lion this year.

Discipline, apparently. 13 penalties in the 6N merely reinforced Gatlands opinion.

And yet Hill is going...

How many of those 13 penalties were on the scrum roulette wheel? I don't recall Sinckler being particularly ill disciplined in the loose.

Puja

[Dan. Dan. Dan.]

It's mad. Mako's side was the one struggling in the scrum to my, and I think everyone else's?, mind. Add to that that Mako was part of the England scrums capitulation in the WC final, whereas Sinckler going off in the first minute is generally held up as a huge blow in that area. Because it was!
The main thing for me is that Furlong clearly, and rightly, starts. But do you really fancy Porter or Fagerson as an impact sub? Not convinced either is particularly better as a scrummager, maybe Porter, but it's marginal. And Sinckler is better than both at... everything else.
It's the only decision that makes me a bit angry. I can understand the Conan decision, don't necessarily agree that all your 8's should play a similar way, but understand it might be easier with limited time. I can understand Daly, who could be genuinely good if used in the right way. Ford was never going to go and hell, even Aki is not as bad a player as people seem to be saying and Tuilagi has been slow to get back firing after injury (especially remembering where to stand in the defensive line!).

[Timbo]

I think a certain narrative can grow around a prop and scrummaging that often belies the truth. If a prop has a few struggles, particularly early in their career it tends to stick that they can’t scrummage. Or if you look the part, particularly big/aggressive/fit a certain profile etc poor performances get overlooked.

Can’t say I’ve ever focussed too much on Fagerson, but Porter has definitely had his ups and downs at the scrum. It’s only 7 months or so ago that he was playing tighthead when Mako and the Sarries pack plundered about 8 penalties out of the Leinster scrum. It was one of the worst batterings I’ve ever seen. Sinckler, because of how he’s perceived, would still be struggling to live down such a humiliation, but it’s not even mentioned with Porter.