Team for Sarries game

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Well, this is it. What the season has been about. Ticket sales are still ticking over. West block looks sold, only a few tickets look to remain in North and East block, and maybe half of South Block is sold. Maybe 4000 tickets left then.

Notice I didn't title this post 'Players for Sarries game'? We have a lot of excellent players, but somehow for the last games, they haven't quite got it together as a team. It takes time for players to get to know each other and play off each other. Injuries have kept many out of the loop for too long (Haskell and Jones?). Newness has made it hard to settle (WLR and KB). WLR must have been playing pretty much non-stop now for well over a year. A tough ask.

We have mini teams of players that have to work well in certain plays. Scrums, mauls, lineouts, defensive line, kick receipt, and so on.

For example, scrum halves can only play well if the back row is working well in front of them and the 10 is tuned to them. Don't say Robson has a poor game, or doesn't start well. The mini team he is in isn't gelling well. For the Quins game, that was a mini team of:

Haskell, Young, Thompson, ROBSON and Gopperth.

There is talk that Ash will be back. Cipriani is now recovered. The fact is, Robson may well start, and he is best with Ash and Nathan (at least) in front of him and Cipriani outside him. So would that mini team be:

Johnson, Thompson, Hughes, ROBSON and Cipriani.

With maybe Jones (if he is fit again), Haskell and Simpson on the bench for that mini team?

The Front five pack mini team was clearly disrupted in the Quins game by Symons dropping out at the last minute. I can see this mini team being the same:

Mullan, Taylor, Swainston, Launchbury and Symons,

with the same bench support (less Cruse):

McIntyre, Cooper-Woolley and Myall

In the backs, whilst Kurtley Beale has done some good work at 12, he doesn't seem to gell with Daly outside him, nor with Wade cutting inside. But at 15 he has been great. So that's where I would put him. With him, Wade and WLR as the kick receiving mini team, we have looked very dangerous. Remember, Sarries do a lot of that.

So that's my 11, 14 and 15. And that leaves the centre backs, 12 and 13, and the bench for them.

In good conscience, I cannot leave Gopperth out. He has not done so well at 10, but at 12 he has been stellar. More importantly, he seems to be on the same wavelength as Daly, and in free play with WLR, KB and Wade. He is good in defence also.

The last two places on the bench? Leiua and who else? Miller or Bassett? Or Macken or .... ? I don't know.

3 points or more gets us a home semi final for sure. I can see Exeter walking their game against Glaws. Glaws fell apart last weekend, and they will be focussed on their European game, so will rest players. So Exeter have a home SF pretty much 'in the bag' (famous last words).

A big game to come. Let's hope that the Wasps that run out on to that pitch can step up and play as a team, and that means those mini teams need to work. Remember that when you are picking your fantasy team. Look at the mini teams and ask yourself if they will work.

Oh, and who for captain? I get no vote in that, but for me it has to be someone who will be firm but not too noisy with the ref. Too often I wonder if that is Joe, and I am not sure it is. Jimmy just seems to see the game and its flow. For me he is the right choice.

But, what do I know? Only what I see. But I do see a lot sitting up there in the stands, far more than can be seen watching on TV.

I ache for Wasps to win, truly I do. #COYW

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I don't know if it is a good way to look at things, but I tend to look at which position provides ball for which other position, and which players have to communicate with which in order to function at their best.

Theoretically the back row forwards provide ball to the 9 from the loose, but in reality all of our pack does that pretty well.  Which might be the problem.  Two of our best have been TT and Youngyoung.  Both seem a little off the pace since spending time with their respective international squads.  I guess it's down to  the fact that the style of play that works so well for us doesn't fit so nicely in the international team, and they are trying to show they can do what they have been told they need to do.  Hopefully this is now in the past and they can concentrate on doing what they do best for us.

The front row picks itself if fit.  Mullan, Taylor, JCW.  Though Chesty, Ash/Fester/Cruse and Moore can all fit in perfectly well and offer something of their own. 

The second row needs to have Launch and A N Other.  For me it's a toss up between Myall and Symons.  Probably the latter based on his physicality, but the former if we suspect the lineout might be an area of weakness.

The back row is tougher.  Nate was off the pace earlier, but looks to be coming back to his best, so I'd have him, I don't think Hasks is right at all and doesn't make the team for me.  I'd play Thompson and Youngyoung as starters, possibly Ashley if YY isn't firing.

My 9-10 combo is Simmo and Cips.  They communicate well together and I think Cips instructs the 9 better than Gopperth.  Robson I think is indeed less in form than he was and it can;t be completely laid at the door of the rest of the team.  I think getting Simmo on and having him run himself into the ground over 50-60 minutes and then bring Robson on is as good as we can do.

The next question is who runs off Cips best.  I think Gopperth and Leiua both offer the same powerful hard lines, and whilst Gopperth always has half an eye on what the rest of the team is doing, Leiua runs better lines.  I'd put him at 12.  Daly picks himself at 13.  It;s where he's been best for us, and having him on the pitch is scary for the opposition if for no reason other than his ability to pop penalties over from anywhere within 60m.

Wings are equally simple for me.  Wade and WLR have both played well on the wing, come infield often and look for work.  Wade can score from anywhere if he gets the ball, and WLR - whilst he doesn't have the sheer blinding ability of Wade seems to partner extremely well in the back three with Beale who imho is our best 15.  He isn't as secure under the high ball than Miller (who may or may not be fit) but his vision, ability to offload, and the way he partners with WLR means he should start for me.

Simpson
Cipriani
WLR
Leiua
Daly
Wade
Beale
Mullan
Taylor
JCW
Launch
Symons
Thompson
Young
Hughes

Chesty
Johson
Moore
Myall
Reider
Gopperth
Robson
Bassett

Would be my choice, but that is based on both assumed fitness, and not having seen any training.

[Raggs]

First (and likely only) viewing only, I thought Robson was very good against Quins.  Looking for the break keeping the guard honest, passing was long and accurate, and driving the pace very well.  Took his try very well too.

Simpson against Bristol looked a lot slower at clearing ball at the breakdown.  He can play fast, but waits for it to be a fast part of the game, Robson drives it, and I think that is what we need.  I like the pairings Dai seemed to setup at the start of the season, with Robson and Cips, and Simpson and Gops.