Teams Up for Exe - Jacob starts

[Rossm]

15 Matteo Minozzi (3)

14 Zach Kibirige (

13 Michael Le Bourgeois (22)

12 Jimmy Gopperth (83)

11 Marcus Watson (36)

10 Jacob Umaga (13)

9 Dan Robson (C) (104)

1 Zurabi Zhvania (31)

2 Tom Cruse (70)

3 Kieran Brookes (26)

4 Charlie Matthews (19)

5 Will Rowlands (80)

6 Jack Willis (43)

7 Nizaam Carr (44)

8 Tom Willis (13)




Replacements

16 Tommy Taylor (55)

17 Ben Harris (51)

18 Jack Owlett (3)

19 Tim Cardall (

20 Ashley Johnson (193)

21 Will Porter (12)

22 Lima Sopoaga (31)

23 Sam Spink (3)

Wasps have made five changes to the starting line-up to take on Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on Saturday in Round 5 of the Gallagher Premiership (kick-off 3pm).

Zurabi Zhvania, Tom Cruse, Charlie Matthews, Nizaam Carr and Jimmy Gopperth all return to the starting line-up as Dai Young’s men chase their second win of the league season.

Club captain Joe Launchbury, who signed a new deal with the Club this week, misses out with a calf injury (3-4 weeks) while Malakai Fekitoa is absent with a knee knock. Brad Shields is still recovering from a groin problem and should return to action next week.

Simon McIntyre and Thibaud Flament (concussion) also miss out while Sione Vailanu and Sam Wolstenholme only returned to training on Thursday. Juan de Jongh is out for two weeks with a groin issue.

Jacob Umaga, who also signed a new first-team contract this week, keeps his place at fly-half after last weekend’s man-of-the-match performance in the win over Agen.

Jack Owlett has earned a place on the bench against his former club and could make his Premiership debut, as could Academy graduate and centre Sam Spink who is added to the matchday 23.

Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “When we won there last season, we stayed in the game. We took our opportunities and if we get them this time, we have to take them.

“They don’t lose too many down there so we’ll have to be somewhere near our best again if we’re to get the win.

“They’ll challenge us with their width, physicality and set-piece as well. You’ve got to look at your 22 as the tryline, because if they get inside your 22, they tend to come away with points through driving lineouts or pick-and-gos. Field position is going to be very important.”

[Rossm]

Exe

15 Phil Dollman
14 Jack Nowell
13 Ian Whitten
12 Sam Hill
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Nic White
1 Ben Moon
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Harry Williams
4 Dave Dennis (capt)
5 Jannes Kirsten
6 Dave Ewers
7 Don Armand
8 Matt Kvesic

16 Elvis Taione
17 Alec Hepburn
18 Marcus Street
19 Sean Lonsdale
20 Sam Simmonds
21 Jack Maunder
22 Joe Simmonds
23 Tom Hendrickson

[Rossm]

Wasps selection headlines...

by Bobby Bridge

Jacob Umaga starts ahead of Lima Sopoaga
Zurabi Zhvania, Tom Cruse, Charlie Matthews, Nizaam Carr and Jimmy Gopperth all return
Juan de Jongh OUT for two weeks (groin)
Malakai Fekitoa OUT with a knee knock
Thibaud Flament and Simon McIntyre OUT with concussion
Joe Launchbury OUT for three to four weeks with calf injury
Michael Le Bourgeois moved to 13
Academy graduate and centre Sam Spink who is added to the matchday 23
Sione Vailanu and Sam Wolstenholme only returned to training on Thursday

[Neils]

We really are hitting the injury stakes again this year. Launch gone till probably Quins.

[wasps]

I'm absolutely fascinated at how the breakdown goes.

Exeter often build on a strong platform where they know they'll recycle phase after phase.

Although Kvesic was previously always known as a jackling type 7, he's now playing 8 and their back row feels like a power based one.
Our back row with 2 Willis's and Carr is very mobile and caoable of a huge number of turnovers. We really could cause them problems at ruck time.



I unfortunately expect their all round power and control to be too much for us, but I'll be happy if we can disrupt their phase play and if Jacob can inspire a few fancy scoring plays

[mike909]

To be a bit "glass half full" - to come away with a LBP would be a success. My concerns, looking at the Exeter side and their recent games, is that this isn't a game (post Bristol) that they are going to take lightly and their team just bursts with power. This can seen at centre where Sam Hill - a long time favourite player of mine since watching U-20 England and Whitten will provide a gainline challenge that will be hard to resist. ditto, as others have noted, their pack. A pack perhaps only lacking the jackling expertise of Willis, but Matt K at 8 is really only in number only and excellent at the breakdown

The good news is that down here in the SW its dry and sunny today and expected to be mainly dry, if a little windy tomorrow. Against a larger team, its important to keep moving and also not to think we can play the same as any other week - where we've worked well at the maul off lineout. Ditto, their front row is pretty decent and we'll need to be at 100%

A game you need to keep in. Its great to see Jacob starting, but with an untried centre partnership and vs a powerful pack, we'll really need to be at 100% all game to keep up with what is mainly a slick and well tried team. Its good Slade isn't playing, but a fit and keen Nowell is no one's fool. As I said, a LBP and a good performance will feel like a win. 

[BG]

Slightly ironic that the week Ross Neale decides to move onto pastures new due to lack of game time our two 1st choice 13's are injured.

We seem to be picking up a lot of 2 - 4 week niggly injuries but hopefully the larger squad Dai has built is better equiped to deal with that than previous seasons.

Hopefully we can catch them off-guard this saturday like we did last time.

[Peej]

I worry about Booj at 13, I just don't think he has the pace to play there.

Great that Umaga keeps his spot, and excited to see Spink get on too

[Westy68]

Really pleased that Jacob has started and I'm not going to judge him too much on this game, as unfortunately we are going to be up against it.

I do think our squad depth is not great but as least Dai is trying the youngsters which is great.

I'm more interested in our youngsters making a make at the moment but would like 3/4 quality signings announced next year, if we want to be a top 6 side.

[Hymenoptera]

BigMac out with concussion again...this is becoming a problem, months out, back for 1-2 games then out again.
Booj at 13 in terms of pace is fine as neither Whitten nor Hill have any but his tackle will be tested...ship it on to the wide boys as soon as.
Ex have a big old pack and man for man there is a notable difference...I'd hate to see us try to maintain forward play, I hope we have the guile and intelligence to recycle and get it to the backs as that's where we have a greater chance. Nowell aside, our backs look as good.

[Neils]

Agree on Mac - very worrying again.

[welsh wasp]

I assume our injuries history is little different from other teams. We don’t read their sites, so don’t know who also have niggles for a couple of weeks or so.

[mike909]

Wasps starting XV International caps 72
EA's starting XV International caps 529

Indeed - Wasps have less caps starting than Farrell by himself

Salary cap, what's that?

Sops has 15, Launch 62, Fek, 24, Allen 1, Ash 3, Brad 9, Tom 2, SV 2, J de J 19, so barely many!

[Brandnewtorugby]

Nelly will be happy about Jacob! So am I!

That many injuries would have crippled us in previous seasons, the rotation means we bring in a decent looking team. Also worried when I read the sentence about Big Mac, tried reading a couple of times in the hope it didn't mean he was concussed as well. Has Booj played for us at 13 before, or is this new?

[Shugs]

Really worried about McIntyre. Many more and he could be forced to give up for his own good. Sod's law that both our 13's are out. I'd take an LBP right now - then again I said that last year.