Would you swap?

[hopwood]

Just getting a measure of where this incredible squad of players are right now.
I mean...there are some real Wasps stars coming through.

* this is just a bit of fun.

Two questions.

1) Which players would you parachute in from 2004 to win the title and be successful in Europe next season?

2) If you played the two teams against each other (obviously the game has changed and evolved a bit)...but which team would win? 2004 or 2020?

(I still can’t believe it’s 14 years ago since I was in Dublin. Time flies far too quickly!!)

Here we go...

2004
M Van Gisbergen; J Lewsey, F Waters, S Abbott, T Voyce; A King, R Howley; C Dowd, T Leota, W Green, S Shaw, R Birkett, J Worsley, P Volley, L Dallaglio (capt).
Replacements: T Payne, B Gotting, M Purdy, M Lock, P Richards, M Denney, A Erinle

2020
Matteo Minozzi; Zach Kibirige, Malakai Fekitoa, Jimmy Gopperth, Josh Bassett; Jacob Umaga, Dan Robson; Simon McIntyre, Tommy Taylor, Kieran Brookes; Joe Launchbury (c), Will Rowlands; Jack Willis, Thomas Young, Brad Shields.
Reps: Gabriel Oghre,Tom West, Biyi Alo, James Gaskell, Alfie Barbeary, Tom Willis, Ben Vellacott, Michael Le Bourgeois.


* the current squad are simply amazing. 

But, fans....who would you pick as your composite side?
And would 2020 beat 2004?

Thoughts?

[hopwood]

And which match-ups between the 2 sides would you pay a huge amount of money to see?

Fekitoa v Waters?

I’ve got my popcorn all ready!

[Shugs]

Although not in direct competition I'd pay to see Alo v Leota. Really difficult to say who would replace who so I'm going for a few who would definitely make a composite team and they are Dallaglio, Waters, MVG, Lewsey, Willis, Launchbury, Fekitoa and Worsley.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Its difficult to avoid recency bias, but from what I remember I would add Simon Shaw to that composite team.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

The thing that 2004 team has had over all the subsequent teams bar this season is 100% commitment.

You knew they were a single unit and not one of them would take a step back.

Thats what we have again, for the first time in a decade and a half. I'd want LOL, but would I drop Shields? Maybe not. I'd want Lewsey but would I drop Bassett? Maybe not.

I genuinely can't pick.

[PestNproud]

Keeping it simple, i.e. position-for-position, I'd only swap in Lewsey + Dallaglio (and wouldn't do much the other way arond, either) -- both combine massive impact with extraordinary determination -- not meaning to disrespect Kibirige and Shields, but they're not yet deities, and those two would add something truly special.

Head-to-head would be an extraordinary match, but I think the class of '04 would edge it, if only due to more big game experience. Then again, the 2020 bench is something special, too.

V surprised to find myself giving Waters (v Fekitoa), King (v Umaga), Howley (v Robson), Shaw (v Launch!), Worsley (v Willis!) and others only parity for the match-ups. All hall-of-famers, and one-on-one each '04 would wipe the floor, but as a team 2020 have their own wow factor and still growing.

[PestNproud]

Much easier extra question: 2004 Wasps v 2020 Chiefs? (Would love to see Worsley doing his own tomahawk chop.)

[wasps]

The thing is, Willis is Worsley and Volley in one body.

I'd definitely have Dallaglio. His leadership matches or pips Shields and he's a better 8 in my opinion (Shields is primarily a 6 for me)

Launchbury and Shaw in the engine room.

My heart wants Trevor, my head wants Tommy


I think my back line would be
Robson, Kinga, TV, Jimmy, Fekitoa, Lewsey, MVG
With Howley, Umaga, Minozzi on the bench

For the pack, I'll go with
Dowd, Tommy, Brookes, Launchbury, Shaw, Worsley, Willis, Dallaglio
And a bench of Chesty, Big Trev, Alo, Gaskell, Shields


It's hard. It hurts to not even have Waters in the squad.
Jacob has been immense for us, but he's not Kinga yet.
Kinga and Jimmy working together would be incredible

There aren't many bigger fans of Simon McIntyre than me, but I've gotta put Craig Dowd in there.
I still want to start with Trevor


My main concern in the pack is that it feels power heavy if Willis goes off, so maybe Young on the bench instead of Gaskell and have Shields cover 2nd row

I'm not as big a fan of Kibirige (yet) or Bassett as some others here, so it's gotta be Voyce on one side. And I feel it's impossible to leave Lewsey out


Pretty much whoever you pick, it's an immense team

[DGP Wasp]

Although not in direct competition I'd pay to see Alo v Leota.

In a KFC Family Bucket eating contest?? 

(Apologies to Alo as I'm sure he is in supreme physical shape, but those who remember big Trev will know that he is absolutely bang to rights!)

[matelot22]

What a challenge this is! Lol in for Shields, Alex for Jacob and I'd have to find room for Lewsey somewhere in the back 3.

[Steve from Cov]

It’s interesting to see debate of King v Umaga. No mention of Cips yet.

[InBetweenWasp]

I think this is an easy one for me.

- Dallaglio for Shields
- Lewsey for anyone of the Back 3
- Shawsey in for Rowlands and Rowlands goes to the bench

[DGP Wasp]

I think this is an easy one for me.

- Dallaglio for Shields
- Lewsey for anyone of the Back 3
- Shawsey in for Rowlands and Rowlands goes to the bench

I think we may be forgetting just how good that team of the mid 00s was.  3 Premierships on the spin; 2 Heineken Cups and more besides.   To find room for only 3 of them in the current team which has sadly, so far, won diddly squat does them a disservice.

I'd certainly add Dowd for McIntyre and Worsley for Young.

King/Umaga and Waters/Fekitoa too tight to call.

[matelot22]

I think this is an easy one for me.

- Dallaglio for Shields
- Lewsey for anyone of the Back 3
- Shawsey in for Rowlands and Rowlands goes to the bench

I think we may be forgetting just how good that team of the mid 00s was.  3 Premierships on the spin; 2 Heineken Cups and more besides.   To find room for only 3 of them in the current team which has sadly, so far, won diddly squat does them a disservice.

I'd certainly add Dowd for McIntyre and Worsley for Young.

King/Umaga and Waters/Fekitoa too tight to call.

This is probably a fair point and we're getting carried away on a wave of euphoria after the bad start to the season compared to where we are now, but I have no doubt that this team will win things, if not this season, then certainly in the non too distant future.

[InBetweenWasp]

It’s interesting to see debate of King v Umaga. No mention of Cips yet.

Cips wasn't in the 2004 Team and he isn't in the squad now