Saracens V Wasps: Post Match Thoughts.

[Wombles]

Unfamiliarity leads to lack of unity

Kept trying for every second

Injuries have decimated us.

First off, hats off to a fully loaded Saracens. Ruthless, effective. That many caps and that much time together was always going to be too much for us. However equally I will also say hats off to our team...They kept at it from minute 1 to minute 80, and did us all proud.

Unfortunately injuries have once more appeared with a frightening regularity, that what has already led us to put a mix and match team together disrupted the already disrupted! And that leads me to my main point. Rugby is a team game, and at this level it needs every player being on the same page, understanding their role and that of their team mates. With this you can go from defence to attack, work as a unit and know what you need to do. When you select this week as we have then there is not that unity, that understanding there. There was never going to be as there was never enough time both on the training field, and also in match play, to create that.

There are things to be pleased with. Gopps just keeps going. Carr looked good. Kibirige was rapid. However Sholtz is a major problem. No professional forward should have to be pulled after 30 minutes and out on his feet. His fitness is embarrassing, and unless that changes rapidly we need to terminate his contract as fast as possible. He should be ashamed of himself to be in the state he is.

But lets be honest, this was a battle we were never looking to win. We are looking towards Bath and next week is our next goal. The season is long and we need all our players coming back. But our S&D need to really assess how they are preparing our players as the injuries are just to high and too decimating.

Chris

Once a Wasp ALWAYS a Wasp. 

[NellyWellyWaspy]

It went pretty much as expected. I do not like Itoje. His professional lineout fouls are the same every game. He does just enough not to get the ref annoyed, but as many as he can to disrupt.

[HDAWG]

Can we just sort out these injuries? Is it luck? It's worse than 2017-18 and that was appalling. Alternatively find a way to have a break of 6 months. Why is this happening?

[mike909]

That a team with damn all experience across the piece and so many debutant went a load better than an international studded Bath team ought to be to our credit. Sarries were good, but, we showed the sort of tenacity that makes coaching teams very proud of their people on the pitch and also probably showed the positives of having Mitchell as well.

It was probably a bit closer than the score, it may be bad form to mention the officials when you lose, but blimey...."random" hardly describes the ineptitude and at times plain being wrong. They must get Prem refs to ally the Laws - the key ones around breakdown and offside ought to be their focus and too often today - if seemed like those Laws and the WR guidance from 2020 exist only in another universe.....

Credit to Jimmy - really good under pressure and led well - McHenry looks a good prospect and Porter looked at the races too. One to put down to experience and to remember next time we play them,  with a near full side (I hope) so we can show what we can do.

[Wombles]

20 first team players injured. Not wider squad players...Its an injury list packed with senior players and top performers!

[Shugs]

Much as expected. Can’t believe our injury luck. Carr, who was exceptional, the latest. I was looking for those who would put their hand up. Young, Gopperth and Carr were their usual excellent selves. But from the others I thought both locks did well and Porter clearly put himself ahead of Hougaard. Kibirige and Crossdale along with Hislop looked useful. McHenry made some tackles. On the minus side Minozzi did nothing to change my opinion of him. Scholtz fitness is a real shock and Hougaard played his way out of the team. As a cameo I love Stooke’s aggression - a brilliant addition.

[HDAWG]

Is there a genuine link between the newer training methods (e.g. Quins) and injuries? If so is that something to look into?

[Steve from Cov]

Much as expected. Can’t believe our injury luck. Carr, who was exceptional, the latest. I was looking for those who would put their hand up. Young, Gopperth and Carr were their usual excellent selves. But from the others I thought both locks did well and Porter clearly put himself ahead of Hougaard. Kibirige and Crossdale along with Hislop looked useful. McHenry made some tackles. On the minus side Minozzi did nothing to change my opinion of him. Scholtz fitness is a real shock and Hougaard played his way out of the team. As a cameo I love Stooke’s aggression - a brilliant addition.

+1

[Heathen]

Did not see the match.

Injuries : Carr, Cruse, anyone else. Nature of the injuries?

Promising newbies?

Standout performers against all the odds?

[Bloke in North Dorset]

I was hoping for some positives, and we got some:

If Ali Crossdale hasn't made the 15 shirt his own and his name isn't one of the first on the team sheet he must be injured.

Will Porter has obviously been modelling himself on Dan. He's staying out of trouble and getting to the breakdown with his head up. When we get a fit squad and can't start playing front foot rugby he'll be a real handful.

Zach Kibirige looks to be getting back to his very best. He's hunting for for work and getting stuck in defensively. I wonder if he could be a stop gap 13?

McHenry is looking like a good find. We need to see a bit more of him but has potential.

Sebastian de Chaves just about held his own given who he was playing against, lots of potential there.

Elliott Stooke again showed strong leadership skills and lots of aggression when he came on.

Jimmy continues to give Peter Pan a run for his money. He looked like he's got another season in him if he can stay injury free and needs to be around just as a talisman.

And as usual YY, Nazeem Carr, Tom West and Tom Cruse gave good solid performances.

No point dwelling on the negatives, that's for another day.

[Shugs]

Yes, Carr, Cruse, Simonds, Morris all injured. Carr - hard to say. Morris - knee. Cruse - head knock. Simonds - looked like leg. Of the newbies De Chaves and McHenry looked decent but difficult to shine in such a changed and inexperienced side.

[JonnyD]

However Sholtz is a major problem. No professional forward should have to be pulled after 30 minutes and out on his feet. His fitness is embarrassing, and unless that changes rapidly we need to terminate his contract as fast as possible. He should be ashamed of himself to be in the state he is.

This is a bit OTT.
If he wasn’t fit enough to feature Lee and his coaches wouldn’t put him in.
As I mentioned in the match thread post and as Lee mentioned last year before we even signed Scholtz, there is benefit to playing your starting prop flat out for 30 mins, knowing he can come back on recharged if the replacement prop is injured. I’m sure this was the tactic rather than him being ‘hauled off’.
I agree Scholtz needs to improve on this but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t warrant his contract being terminated.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Did not see the match.

Injuries : Carr, Cruse, anyone else. Nature of the injuries?

Promising newbies?

Standout performers against all the odds?

Cruse failed an HIA. Given he's just got back from head injury protocols I guess that means he'll be out for a couple of weeks.

I didn't see what happed to Carr, it was the commentators who announced it was injury and not tactical. He didn't seem to be in any distress when they showed him on the bench.

Ben Harris looked like knee ligaments. He tried to play on but didn't last long.

[Rossm]

Bobby Bridge tweeted: Will Simonds is on crutches with his right knee in a brace.

Please not another long term injury.

[Horusthewasp]

Did not see the match.

Injuries : Carr, Cruse, anyone else. Nature of the injuries?

4 more injuries today:

Simmonds is walking around with crutches and a knee brace. A 7th ongoing knee injury. Struggling to see how we will manage 12/13 over the next few games.

Morris is a hamstring injury so joins Barbeary and Spink in that regard. Hope it’s not a 3-4 month recovery like the latter two…

I doubt Cruse will be in contention any time soon given he only just came back from his first head injury. You’d have to hope Oghre completed the HCPCI so in contention for next week.

Carr was walking around post match so hopefully just a niggle.