Teams Up for Aints - Charlie Starts, Jacob Benched, Lima Dropped.

[RBB]

This team is good enough to win I think, provided they go in with the correct mid set. Last weeks game was lost before they got on the pitch IMO.

+1, we also need to be wise to the fact that Saints use Naiyaravoro as a battering ram, something we have overlooked in the past (losing to 13 men, clock in the red try). Zach has his work cut out for him. I also sense that Lima's lack of tackling ambition would be too much of a liability to accommodate when Naiyaravoro is on the field.

[Chunky24]

This team is good enough to win I think, provided they go in with the correct mid set. Last weeks game was lost before they got on the pitch IMO.

+1, we also need to be wise to the fact that Saints use Naiyaravoro as a battering ram, something we have overlooked in the past (losing to 13 men, clock in the red try). Zach has his work cut out for him. I also sense that Lima's lack of tackling ambition would be too much of a liability to accommodate when Naiyaravoro is on the field.

Think it will more likely be Charlie who has his work cut out for him, would think Naiyaravoro, Addendorf etc will be sent down his channel, big role for Oghre getting off set piece to support him.

[Montague Withnail]

That's a pretty young Saints back division as well - Freeman on debut at 19 so I suspect Charlie will give him a few little welcome gifts. Sleightholme's 20, Dingwall's 21 I think, Mitchell 22 or 23, Grayson 22 I think. Hutchinson 23 or 24. Francis and that huge Fijian are their only real seasoned pros.

All much older than Charlie though obviously and Wolley's only 21 so youth all round.

Will Porter will be gutted he doesn't get a chance to match up against Mitchell - currently the highest ranked "young" scrum half on Jones' radar. Not that Porter is anywhere near thinking about England yet but he'd have loved a crack at it to at least get him on the agenda. Wolley gets the crack instead so he'll be made up. I like where we are on our scrum halves, there is no established pecking order behind Dobby. Perform and you keep the shirt. If not, someone else gets the chance.

I am worried about the platform from the forwards, we always miss Will and Joe so much in the seconds when they're away, but if we can get something near parity there, I think our backs can win this.

[hookender]

KISS to start with,

And there was me thinking It was our version of the Haka, but realised it wasn’t allowed under present protocols

[13thWarrior]

T Willis is going to have to do a lot of carrying, need the other forwards to step up to support him

[MarleyWasp]

That's a pretty very Saints back division as well - Freeman on debut at 19 so I suspect Charlie will give him a few little welcome gifts. Sleightholme's 20, Dingwall's 21 I think, Mitchell 22 or 23, Grayson 22 I think. Hutchinson 23 or 24. Francis and that huge Fijian are their only real seasoned pros.

Freeman has first team appearances 4 and Sleightholme has 17. However Dingwall has 43, Mitchell 54, Grayson 51 and Hutchinson 69 + three Scotland caps.

Young? Yes. Inexperienced? Not really.

[baldpaul101]

Bobby Bridge has a XV composed of unavailable (for any reason) Wasps players:

10. Lima Sopoaga

is Lima injured then?

[Montague Withnail]

That's a pretty very Saints back division as well - Freeman on debut at 19 so I suspect Charlie will give him a few little welcome gifts. Sleightholme's 20, Dingwall's 21 I think, Mitchell 22 or 23, Grayson 22 I think. Hutchinson 23 or 24. Francis and that huge Fijian are their only real seasoned pros.

Freeman has first team appearances 4 and Sleightholme has 17. However Dingwall has 43, Mitchell 54, Grayson 51 and Hutchinson 69 + three Scotland caps.

Young? Yes. Inexperienced? Not really.

Thanks. Don't think I said inexperienced.

[mike909]

It's mostly what I would have selected - given who is available. It was only looking back that I realised how many were low on game time, last week, or just back from injury. Many will be a lot better off for the game time, result aside....

What will be important is that the defensive alignment and communication is improved and that the back three - now with a habitual FB in place, will also be decisive regarding receipt of ball.

Up front - Brad will lead - hopefully making sure that everyone follows....

Going to be a hard game regardless. Need to play a little sensible rugby for the first 20, so that we don't provide Saints with a way in to the game.....

[DGP Wasp]

I like where we are on our scrum halves, there is no established pecking order behind Dobby. Perform and you keep the shirt. If not, someone else gets the chance.

I would agree if the other 3 were all stepping up and making a strong case for themselves, even putting a bit of pressure on Robson, but so far none of them has with any consistency.  Unfortunately it's gone from having the least good of the 3 pretenders left out of the 23 to having the least bad of them start.  Wolstenholme improved things off the bench last week after the game was lost, so he becomes the man in possession.  Porter's disappointing game costs him a spot in the 23, and in comes Velacott who has not shown the best of form of late.  Really need at least one of them to put his hand up this weekend and show that he's the man when Dan is away.

[hookender]

Just hope the ref doesn’t let things fly (almost literally) this weekend , for either side.

[Shugs]

I think it's the right selection from Blackett. Forwards wise there's not a lot of scope to do anything different. I think Porter had to come out for a while. Personally I'd have gone with Vellacott but you can see why he's gone with Wolstenholme. Atkinson over Umaga (and Sopoaga) is a big call. But why not. I just hope if he performs Lee keeps him in. Happy with Miller at FB. The balance of what Lima offers in attack versus what he costs us in defence has swung a little too far to the negative for me. And Miller is a threat going forward himself.

[Steve from Cov]

Im not confident about our chances tomorrow and fear that Saints have the better balanced squad.

I’m hoping Gaby is back to where he was last season.

[Chunky24]

Bobby Bridge has a XV composed of unavailable (for any reason) Wasps players:

10. Lima Sopoaga

is Lima injured then?

He has posted on Twitter this morning after a gym session including #teamrehab #backsoon