[2013 Premiership] Round 1

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

I presuming Haskell and Launchbury have been injured? I know Daly broke his toe a few weeks back.

This I did not know - which confirms Masi at 15, T.Bell or Southwell on the bench.

As for the others, I just looked at the most recent Wasps injury news and it was as follows:

James Haskell is continuing his rehab from a knee procedure underwent earlier this summer. He is making good progress, though he is likely to miss the first few games of the season, with a return likely in October.

James Bailey is continuing his rehab from a serious leg operation last year.

Elliot Daly is making good progress on his recovery from an operation on a broken metatarsal. He is on course for a return to play within 8 weeks.

Ashley Johnson (hamstring), Joe Launchbury (neck and shoulder) and Hugo Southwell (hamstring) are receiving treatment on various ****les. While their involvement in pre-season games is expected to be minimal, they are all expected to be fit for the opening competitive game of the season

That was beginning of august, so Haskell won't be back for a while, and Daly not for another 3 weeks.

As for the captaincy, I really wanted it to be given to Ashley to try and 'insitutionalise' him even further and perhaps give us swaying power in getting him to stay - he's the first name on the teamsheet and a good leader.

 

[j'nuh]

Does anyone know for sure whether Premiership Rugby are still going to put up full match replays on their website?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'm fairly sure I've read that they are, but no idea where.

The website still exists, and has all of the JP Morgan 7s on there (which was broadcast by BT Sport) so all signs are pointing in the right direction!

 

[04perryo]

Why do they have to put the worcester leicester game on bt sport, it just gives the public the opportunity to laugh at us :/

 

[Tony Manx]

........... it just gives the public the opportunity to laugh at us :/

Not that many then!!

 

[ratsapprentice]

Don't worry... Irish are on the day before.

 

[j'nuh]

Why do they have to put the worcester leicester game on bt sport, it just gives the public the opportunity to laugh at us :/

Hey, that's not the optimism I come to expect from you.

There are gonna be a bunch of dead Tigers, with the Warriors walking away with a try bonus, don't you worry.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Why do they have to put the worcester leicester game on bt sport, it just gives the public the opportunity to laugh at us :/

Looking at your squad you could put out a very compeptative team this year, you've made loads of decent signings and if Dean Ryan gets your style sorted you should be able to kick on.


[TABLE="width: 143"]
<TBODY>[TR]
[TD]1.Ofa Fainga'anuku</SPAN>[/TD]
[/TR]
</TBODY><COLGROUP><COL></COLGROUP>[/TABLE]
2. Creevy
3. Murray
4. James Percival
5. Dean Schofield
6. Jonathan Thomas C
7. Sam Betty/ or Abbott
8. Leonardo Senatore
9. Jeremy Su'a
10. Igacio Mieres
11. Josh Drauniniu
12. Josh Matavasi
13. Alex Grove
14. David Lemi
15. Paul Warwick

16. Chris Brooker
17. George Porter
18. Rob O'Donnel
19. Mike Williams
20. Semisis Taulava
21. Paul Hodgson
22. Danny Gray
23. Chris Pennell

Slightly weak on the bench but i think a very good 15 to start, i always wanted Worcester to kick on as they ahve good fans and a nice stadium and they do have proper support in the area. If aonly they get back into the top 6.

 

[04perryo]

Hey, that's not the optimism I come to expect from you.

There are gonna be a bunch of dead Tigers, with the Warriors walking away with a try bonus, don't you worry.

Nope im full of negativity this year, we looked rubbish in pre season and i don't think we have ever beaten the tigers away from home. Obviously if i were in charge of the warriors we would probably be the best team in the world.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Bath team is up:


15. Anthony Watson
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Kyle Eastmond
11. Matt Banahan
10. George Ford
9. Peter Stringer
1. Paul James
2. Rob Webber
3. David Wilson
4. Stuart Hooper ( c )
5. Dave Attwood
6. Matt Garvey
7. Mat Gilbert
8. Leroy Houston

Replacements

16. Ross Batty
17. Nathan Catt
18. Anthony Perenise
19. Dominic Day
20. Alafoti Fa'osiliva
21. Micky Young
22. Gavin Henson
23. Tom Biggs

Pretty happy with that. Henson showing his value covering 10,12 and 15 from the bench.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Worcester made JT their captain?!
He's not good enough to start, let alone captain, the side :huh:



That's an incredibly strong looking Bath side, as well.

 

[j'nuh]

That's an incredibly strong looking Bath side, as well.

It's okay, but I hope they put the same side up when they play Glos. Morgan and Kalamafoni could tear through Stringer-Ford-Eastmond-Joseph. Such a tiny 9-10-12-13 combination. They average about 5'8 and less than 13st... makes the Glos backline look like a bunch of Tuilagis! Plus the inexperienced Watson at the back. And no recognised kicker other than Ford, who can have 'mares.

 

[ratsapprentice]

It'll be interesting for sure.

How Watson does under the high ball is going to be crucial, from what I've heard he was pretty weak in that area in pre-season and it's forecast to rain.
He was supposedly on fire going forward though.
Banahan on the wing should be entertaining too, I think he's a far better winger than centre.
How Kyle and Ford work together and how the pack go are both issues that have the potential to put Bath fans at ease or cause alarm.
I want the likes of Attwood, Houston, Garvey, Webber and Wilson to carry aggressively around the fringes for Stringer to ship it out to George or Kyle quickly.
Simple enough, but with the players they have it should be effective.
Garvey in particular has been exciting the locals in pre-season.

It's okay, but I hope they put the same side up when they play Glos. Morgan and Kalamafoni could tear through Stringer-Ford-Eastmond-Joseph. Such a tiny 9-10-12-13 combination. They average about 5'8 and less than 13st...

...Yet Eastmond and Ford both have better defensive records than 36 and Burns respectively!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It's okay, but I hope they put the same side up when they play Glos. Morgan and Kalamafoni could tear through Stringer-Ford-Eastmond-Joseph. Such a tiny 9-10-12-13 combination. They average about 5'8 and less than 13st... makes the Glos backline look like a bunch of Tuilagis! Plus the inexperienced Watson at the back. And no recognised kicker other than Ford, who can have 'mares.

Size isn't everything, and you could say that those players would have a whale of a time running circles around Gloucester's lumps.

I think their backline (- tugboat) + bench looks insanely good - get them some good ball and they'll run in tries for fun.

 

[j'nuh]

...Yet Eastmond and Ford both have better defensive records than 36 and Burns respectively!

Having a better tackle completion ratio doesn't equal the best defensive record. Some defensive patterns cause more missed tackles, and that's not necessarily a problem. I'm not saying Morgan/K would break often when hitting that backline, but they'll regularly make meters beyond the gain line and set up quality ball for the next phase.

Size isn't everything, and you could say that those players would have a whale of a time running circles around Gloucester's lumps.

I think their backline (- tugboat) + bench looks insanely good - get them some good ball and they'll run in tries for fun.

We're talking about Glos here... Glos don't have lumps.

Apart from the expected front row lumps that every team has, of course.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Let's not pretend that Trinder is a brilliant defender either
Bath may not have the muscle to bash over the line (apart from HMS Banahan) but they've got enough pace/agility to tie a lot of defences in knots.

 

[j'nuh]

Let's not pretend that Trinder is a brilliant defender either

I was hoping we'd all conveniently ignore that...

 

[dasNdanger]

I am totally screwed. Currie Cup. ITM. RC. And now Aviva. My DVR is gonna 'splode!!!!!!

However do I choose which matches/competitions to watch? And it's just not right having Biggs not starting for Bath. I need my eye candy!!! (Unless he cut his hair...if so, he can sit on the bench all day!)

One of these days I'm going to stop picking my favorites based on looks (though it sure doesn't stop any of you ol' blokes from drooling over that Ha'penny feller. ;-) )

das

 

[ratsapprentice]

Bath may not have the muscle to bash over the line (apart from HMS Banahan) but they've got enough pace/agility to tie a lot of defences in knots.

They do now have a load of good ball carriers in the forwards with Sisi, Garvey, Houston, Fa'osiliva (potentially) added to what they had before.

 

[Draggs]

I am totally screwed. Currie Cup. ITM. RC. And now Aviva. My DVR is gonna 'splode!!!!!!

One of us...