Team for the week-end

[backdoc]

I suspect I have this completely wrong, but here goes:

Miller
Odogwu
De Jong
Le Bourgeois
Basset
Gopperth
Vellacot
McIntyre
Cruse
Owlett
Rowlands
Edwards
Cardell
Morris
Vailanu

Harris B
Barbeary
Alo
TV3
Wolstenholme
Simonds
Sirker

[Neils]

Sirker isn't quite there yet is he?

[Shugs]

Yes, that would pretty much be it for me. I'd swap Simonds for Miller at FB with Miller at FH and rest JG. 2nd Row would be Cardall and Rowlands with Douglas back row. Also, I don't think Vellacott can play as he's been involved in all 4 so far.

[Raggs]

Yes, that would pretty much be it for me. I'd swap Simonds for Miller at FB with Miller at FH and rest JG. 2nd Row would be Cardall and Rowlands with Douglas back row. Also, I don't think Vellacott can play as he's been involved in all 4 so far.

As long he hasn't started 3 in a row, or will be doing 180+ minutes in 3 consecutive games, he can play.

He's barely played any minutes, so definitely should be OK.

[backdoc]

Yes, that would pretty much be it for me. I'd swap Simonds for Miller at FB with Miller at FH and rest JG. 2nd Row would be Cardall and Rowlands with Douglas back row. Also, I don't think Vellacott can play as he's been involved in all 4 so far.

Simonds is down as a centre, but if he is flexible enough to play FB then I would agree with that. I wanted Gopps as the controlling FH in order to keep the score respectable! Then Miller is the back-up.

Struggling to find another back 3 if Sirker is not yet ready.

[JonnyD]

I’d play Miller at the back under the Sarries box kicking, harsh to throw a young lad into that.
Odogwu will play I imagine and Watson could use some minutes, Minozzi and Bassett have some to spare as well, just depends on who Blackett what’s to keep back for the next game

[MarleyWasp]

Given Sirker picked up his ACL injury on a plastic pitch, I'm not sure I'd want him making his comeback at Allianz Park.

[HDAWG]

MarleyWasp, you're not wrong, especially after Willis

[InBetweenWasp]

I'm not sure how I coped with weekly matches before.  Even though it was Monday that we played, i'm itching to watch another game already!

Not sure the players from Monday would be quite as enthusiastic about playing though!

[DGP Wasp]

What's up with ZZ? Not featured since the restart, nor has he been mentioned in any of the injury updates.  Surely he has to start this one?  Owlett's not featured much either, so that'd be my starting props with TJ / Barbeary as the 2 hookers.  There's a bunch of props in the academy who could then take the bench spots and give the rest of the front row a proper rest.  Don't know much about any of them, but the academy does seem well stocked there, so a good opportunity for a couple of them.

Scrum half is a bit of an issue too as we are down to just 3 with none listed in the academy.  Robson I'm sure will sit this one out entirely, with Wolstenholme presumably getting the start.

Assuming he's come through training OK and is not fit and raring to go, then JdJ has to start.  Would like to see Sirker and Spink given a go at some point, but as someone said above, the plastic pitch may not be ideal for Sirker after such a bad injury.  His chance will come I'm sure.

I suspect Sarries will be under strength tomorrow too, but their under strength is in a different league to everyone else's, so I don't expect much from this one.

[Neils]

ZZ was mentioned in an injury update probably (fast season this) about 10 days ago as being injured - seem to think it was short term though. Owlett is fit (as far as we know!) and played a short while a couple or so games ago. If fit I would expect to see both in todays squad.

[PestNproud]

I read on the Sarries site that McCall plans to put out the test side, pre-Europe, which doesn't make sense to me if we're only fielding a scratch XV... unless they're seeing it as a run out.

I guess they have the challenge of how to minimise injury risk while maximising readiness.

Wouldn't it be fun to use the game as an unpredictable training match and, on a good day, yet again stuff the crowing so-and-sos and remind Daly about the difference between Class and Crass.

Tough to admit, but I'd like them to beat Leinster, though, so wouldn't mind helping harden up... better our ringers than theirs in the Euros.

From over there::

Re: Quarter final selection headaches
Roger G 04 September, 2020 09:03

bargepole

Barnesy
It was mentioned on commentary when talking about Faz and Mako's injures that they should be fit for the wasps game which McCall had said would be the final run out for the team to play Leinster.

Given that Wasps are likely to field a distinctly 2nd/3rd XV side for this game, it won't be much of a run-out and warmup for your 1st XV to prepare for the Leinster game.

We won't be expecting anything from this, but will want to keep our best players fit for the home game against Tigers midweek, so enjoy your semi-opposed training run, while clocking up the expected 60 points.

A bit like the Valentine's Day massacre in reverse then. Maybe Daly can kick a penalty restart this time as well.