Weekend Headache

[Hymenoptera]

Who to play where..tough game, what's the approach. Miller at 10? Cruise and Barberry at 2 obviously.
Go for a win or rest for the next midweek.
Biggest question, how to watch 80 mins of whooping Sarries. I don't watch any of their games so it's a bit of a tough situation for me...will have to shower straight after.

[MarleyWasp]

Even with a full strength side it's uncertain we would beat Saracens at Allianz Park. Saracens are also no direct threat to us. I'd therefore rather we prioritised next week's games instead. I'm also not sure it's fair to expect yesterday's team to play again so soon.

I'd therefore go with:

15 - Miller
14 - Odogwu
13 - de Jongh
12 - Booj
11 - Sirker/Simmonds
10 - Atkinson
9 - Wolstenholme

1 - Zhvania/Harris
2 - Barbeary
3 - Owlett
4 - Cardall
5 - Vukasinovic
6 - Douglas
7 - Morris
8 - Vailanu

16 - TBC
17 - Hunt
18 - Alo
19 - Edwards
20 - Academy
21 - Robson or academy
22 - Spink
23 - Williams or Anderson from the academy

[NellyWellyWaspy]

It will obviously be our 'second' team, and if Sarries play their 'first' team (revenge is sweet), it will be a hard day at the office.

Being sneaky, I would play Tommy at first hooker, who will go down after a minute or two, and then bring on Cruse, who will similarly go down after a short while, and have trained up someone else to do the lineout throws and bring them on, like another lock or back row.

Then the rest of the game is uncontested scrums, thus negating a lot of what will be an advantage that Sarries would have had.

[WonkyWasp]

Will Tommy by fit enough to play?

[Rifleman Harris]

Will Tommy by fit enough to play?

No, I think that is the point.  He goes down after 2 minutes then soon after we end up in the same place as vs Bath.

[HDAWG]

I've been asking myself this too. Reckon we will send the kids out. If it wasn't midweek games I'd want to go full strength obviously. But perhaps it could be value experience for the youngsters to play a strong Sarries team? We'll probably lose anyway so try to turn a bad situation into something positive?

[Raggs]

Definitely kids against Sarries, then strongish team, with a strong bench against Tigers, with the intent to win. Then strong as possible against Bristol.

[JonnyD]

Yep agree send out a weakened team against Sarries to then focus on beating Tigers and Bristol at home and then maybe Quins away, Exeter then hopefully won’t matter too much.
Doesn’t have to be a demoralising afternoon for kids however, plenty of other guys who need a game and still a chance at some bonus points.

Miller,
Odogwu
De Jong
Booj
Watson
Gopperth
Vellacott
Harris
Cruse
Owlett
Rowlands
Edwards/vukasinovic
Morris
Cardall (struggling a bit for back rowers)
Vailanu

Zhvania/McIntyre
Barbeary
Alo/JTA
Edwards/Vukasinovic
T Willis??
Woolstenholme/Porter
Atkinson
Spink/Simmonds/Anderson

[Shugs]

Yes, difficult to see many that played yesterday taking part.

Front row : Harris/Zhvania Cruse/Barbeary Alo/Owlett

Locks Rowlands, Cardall, Vukasinovic

Back row Vailanu, Morris, Douglas, T Willis.

SH Vellacott, Wolstehholme

FH Miller, Atkinson

Centres Le Bourgeois, Spink

Wing Odogwu, Bassett, Sirker(if fit)

FB Simonds

[MarleyWasp]

Mills, Minozzi, Umaga, JTA and Vellacott have to miss one of the next three matches as they have played in every game so far.

[Raggs]

Mills, Minozzi, Umaga, JTA and Vellacott have to miss one of the next three matches as they have played in every game so far.

They can't start 3 games in a row, or play more than 180 in total over 3 games. Not sure which players meet this.

[MarleyWasp]

Players cannot feature in all seven matchday squads for the matches between 14th August and 14th September.

Umaga has played 181 minutes of the last 3 games, but given our injuries, I doubt we'll be hung drawn and quartered for going a minute over.

[Neils]

Is it not guidance rather than mandatory? Thought I heard Dimes pontificate on it.

[MarleyWasp]

Do you really want them playing in four matches in 14 days?

[wasps]

Will Tommy by fit enough to play?

No, I think that is the point.  He goes down after 2 minutes then soon after we end up in the same place as vs Bath.

Then in a week or 2, get the pizza order in early


It's beginning to sound remarkably familiar