Teams Up for Edinburgh - Josh Back

[Rossm]

15 Rob Miller, 14 Zach Kibirige, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Michael Le Bourgeois, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Dan Robson (c); 1 Zurabi Zhvania, 2 Tommy Taylor, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 Theo Vukasinovic, 5 Tim Cardall, 6 Jack Willis, 7 Nizaam Carr, 8 Sione Vailanu

Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Tom West, 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19 Brad Shields, 20 Thomas Young,  21 Ashley Johnson, 22 Will Porter, 23 Jimmy Gopperth

Wasps will hand a European debut to summer signing Theo Vukasinovic while Wales back-row Thomas Young is set to make his long-awaited comeback from injury on Friday night against Edinburgh Rugby, in Round 3 of the European Challenge Cup at BT Murrayfield (kick-off 7.35pm).

Flanker Young suffered a pelvis injury at Leicester Tigers back in March and has since endured foot and ankle knocks which have kept him out of action for the past nine months, and is expected to make his first appearance of the season off the bench this Friday.

Wasps have made eight changes to the starting line-up for the trip to Scotland with Vukasinovic in the second-row alongside Tim Cardall, who makes his first European start, with fellow locks Joe Launchbury (calf), Will Rowlands (knee), James Gaskell (shoulder), Charlie Matthews (shoulder) and Thibaud Flament (concussion) all missing through injury.

Elsewhere in the pack, hooker Tommy Taylor is restored to the starting line-up to partner Zurabi Zhvania and Kieran Brookes in the front-row while Tongan powerhouse Sione Vailanu is back fit in the back-row to join Jack Willis and Nizaam Carr.

Dan Robson will lead the side in the half-back combination where Lima Sopoaga steps in for Jacob Umaga at stand-off, while Malakai Fekitoa has also recovered from a hand injury to start in the centres with Michael Le Bourgeois.

Rob Miller starts at full-back while Josh Bassett joins the back-three alongside Zach Kibirige.

Tom West and Jeff Toomaga-Allen are named among the replacements and could make their European debuts while boss Dai Young has named six forwards on the bench with Brad Shields, returning from injury, named as replacement lock.

Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “If you get the results in these back-to-back games then you’re in a strong position. If you don’t then you’re struggling.

“Edinburgh have shown over the last couple of seasons that they’re a formidable team so we’re going to have to be at our best. We’re going there to win but I feel we do need to come away with something.

“They have a big kicking game. They do a lot of kick-chase games and pressurise you so we expect we’ll have to be very good in the air on the weekend because they go to the air quite a lot with a real structured high-press chase.

“They have a very good set-piece and play a predominantly field-position-orientated game, while they’ve got a good drive and are a very good pick-and-go team, so we have to deny them entry into our 22. If we can get the ball away, we can cause them problems.”

[Neils]

Edinburgh quite a strong selection. Them by 20 with no injuries please.

[Rossm]

15. Blair Kinghorn (82)

14. Darcy Graham (24)

13. James Johnstone (43)

12. George Taylor (12)

11. Duhan van der Merwe (48)

10. Simon Hickey (25)

9. Henry Pyrgos (29)

1. Pierre Schoeman (31)

2. Stuart McInally (138) CAPTAIN

3. Simon Berghan (70)

4. Ben Toolis (113)

5. Grant Gilchrist (141)

6. Jamie Ritchie (64)

7. Hamish Watson (101)

8. Nick Haining (5)



Replacements: 16. Michael Willemse ( 17. Jamie Bhatti (7) 18. Pietro Ceccarelli (18) 19. Sam Thomson (4) 20. Viliame Mata (63) 21. Nic Groom (4) 22. Jaco van der Walt (46) 23. Damien Hoyland (68)

[backdoc]

We have a 6/2 bench. Shields covering 2nd row presumably. And Gopps covering the outside backs!

[DGP Wasp]

Strong looking side.  No real sign of players being rested, bearing in mind that those are all the fit locks we have.  Watson / Minozzi injured?  No mention of it.  Wonder if that forced Dai's hand in the 6/2 bench split or whether that is just a reflection of the fact that he expects our forwards to have to put in a hell of a shift due to the very inexperienced second row.

[Neils]

I suspect it is forwards putting in a hell of a shift. The Edinburgh pack looks very good.

[westwaleswasp]

A W will lift a ton of gloom.
Here is to it.
Shields covering second row might benefit us all...

[mike909]

So - an interesting selection

International front row - who should more than hold their own, assuming having yet another SR combi doesn't undermine them. A fantastic starting and bench backrow - the envy of most club sides - and (though prob forced) a great flexible bench

Backs. Combinations take time to bed in and going forwards, the centres looked good in France, but its test another selection that will have otherwise rarely if every played together.

This can be used as a bridge to the more important Prem games. If we can keep the centres playing and Robson gets some form over this Euro period, then we'll be better placed to meet Quins next Prem game.

I'd hope we play a game tailored to the strengths of the side and bench - which does mean keeping it tighter than usual and using the back row and forwards power we do have to best effect.

I'd hope we can put out the same front row, Launch and Mathews and a backrow to die for vs Quins....and that is enough to win.

[Neils]

Hope we remember the size of the Murrayfield pitch which is huge

[WickedWasp]

No more injuries and I will be happy. I'm concerned Shields and a few others might still be carrying knocks and in an ideal world would still be rested.
I've liked what I have seen from Minotzi(msp) but was disappointed he didnt finish that try against Exeter.

[Shugs]

Strong looking team apart from the second row which is all we've got. Gopperth covering everything after 9 it seems. I think I'd have slotted an extra back in rather than Johnson just for balance.