teams up

[baldpaul101]

Lee Blackett has named his side to host London Irish in Gallagher Premiership Round 11 on Sunday.

There are four personnel changes and three positional switches from the team that was named to take on Toulouse, before it was postponed.

Jacob Umaga, Elliott Stooke, Ali Crossdale and Tom Willis all return to the starting team.

Willis is in line to make his 50th Wasps appearance, as he starts at number eight.

The side is captained by Brad Shields, who switches to openside flanker, after he had his ban overturned on appeal. Alfie Barbeary completes the back row at blindside flanker.

Stooke is joined by Vaea Fifita in the second row. Tom West and Biyi Alo start as the props again. They pack down alongside hooker Dan Frost.

Crossdale starts at full-back and is joined in the back three by Francois Hougaard and Luke Mehson.

Umaga starts at fly half, as he hooks up with half-back partner Sam Wolstenholme.

Jimmy Gopperth and Josh Bassett form the centre partnership.

On the bench, prop Rodrigo Martinez is in line to make his Wasps debut. Tom Cruse and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen return from injury to make up the other front row replacements.

Michael Le Bourgeois is in line to make his 50th Premiership appearance from amongst the substitutes. He is joined by Tim Cardall, Thomas Young, Will Porter and Zach Kibirige as the other replacements.

Wasps team to face London Irish at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Boxing Day (kick-off 3:00pm)

Wasps (First-team appearances)

15 Ali Crossdale (7)

14 Francois Hougaard (4)

13 Josh Bassett (159)

12 Jimmy Gopperth (137)

11 Luke Mehson (4)

10 Jacob Umaga (58)

9 Sam Wolstenholme (23)

1 Tom West (58)

2 Dan Frost (6)

3 Biyi Alo (23)

4 Vaea Fifita (

5 Elliott Stooke (9)

6 Alfie Barbeary (17)

7 Brad Shields (62) (c)

8 Tom Willis (49)

Replacements

16 Tom Cruse (103)

17 Rodrigo Martinez (0)

18 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (54)

19 Tim Cardall (38)

20 Thomas Young (148)

21 Will Porter (37)

22 Michael Le Bourgeois (66)

23 Zach Kibirige (57)

Unavailable (18): Charlie Atkinson, Malakai Fekitoa, James Gaskell, Ben Harris, Robin Hislop, Joe Launchbury, Elliot Millar-Mills, Ryan Mills, Matteo Minozzi, Ben Morris, Paolo Odogwu, Gabriel Oghre, Dan Robson, Will Simonds, Sam Spink, Theo Vukasinovic, Marcus Watson, Jack Willis.   

[Shugs]

Interesting selection. It will be nice to see Martinez. The centre combination has to improve. I’m pleased Mehson keeps his place. Watson injured again - just not happening for him. I’m actually nervous for Barbeary every time he starts or plays now - really hope he can get a string of games. Pack looks really strong now and Cardall adds to that on the bench for me.

[JonnyD]

Strong side actually and perhaps a timely kick up the back side for Kibirige and Le Bourgeois.

Irish have been very very good this season, especially against the top sides but this is a real chance for us to turn things around.
If the weather is kind this could be good fun and a really open game!

[Heathen]

To play :

London Irish:
15 Tom Parton, 14 Kyle Rowe, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Benhard van Rensburg, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Nick Phipps, 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 2 Agustin Creevy, 3 Ollie Hoskins, 4 Steve Mafi, 5 Rob Simmons, 6 Matt Rogerson (c), 7 Tom Pearson, 8 Olly Cracknell.

Replacements:
16 Tadgh McElroy, 17 Allan Dell, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 George Nott, 20 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 21 Ben White, 22 Matt Williams, 23 Lucio Cinti.

[bigad82]

Rest of the family have tested bloody positive.Just hope rugby pass has it on.Gutted.

[WonkyWasp]

Very happy with that.  WIsh we could go (love the Christmas Cracker)  but daughter and g/son  are going  and will shout and yell for us.  Is Bobby B doing his Cov Tel bit or has he got the day off?

[Rossm]

Very happy with that.  WIsh we could go (love the Christmas Cracker)  but daughter and g/son  are going  and will shout and yell for us.  Is Bobby B doing his Cov Tel bit or has he got the day off?

Bobby has been isolating courtesy of +test. He posted this on twitter yesterday. That’s me out of jail, and out of office, until the 28th. Have a good one all and enjoy your rugby

[Steve from Cov]

Interesting selection in the backs but strong forwards selection and bench.

Really looking forward to this one and I’d swap all my Xmas presents for an injury free home win.

COYW.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Looks like a good side given the circumstances. Defence is going to be key to this game, Irish are top of the tries scored, metres gained and defenders beaten leagues with Hassell-Collins top of the clean breaks player stats.

On the plus side Tom Willis is top of the defenders beaten stats, closely followed by Hassell-Collins.

We've got our son and his soon to be wife round for lunch and presents so probably won't get to see or listen to any of it.

[mike909]

As an old prop - I'm really pleased with the starting and bench front row which is linked to a v solid SR - used to playing together and one of our many fab back row selections.

Great to see Ali at 15, we will need good game management from 10 and 12 so that the excellence up front can make the most of the possibilities.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the bench mean that we end up with MleB at 13, Josh back at wing with options from their.

[Rossm]

Rest of the family have tested bloody positive.Just hope rugby pass has it on.Gutted.

Can't speak for rugby pass but it's on Peacock and I'll be watching there. There has been a link to some kind of site in Russia which shows the Prem games. You'll have to search a bit on earlier game posts and you might find it there.

[Rossm]

Really pleased to see Ali back. Hougaard will be opposing Hassall Collins and after his try saving tackle on Jonny May, I hoping (if necessary) more of the same to keep him out. Luke Mehson could be a surprise for everyone, particularly LI.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Irish are gonna be a handful and I am not confident. They are growing in confidence all the time and have several very good players in that line up.

But we could well win this. It would certainly be exactly what we need right now.

[bigad82]

Rest of the family have tested bloody positive.Just hope rugby pass has it on.Gutted.

Can't speak for rugby pass but it's on Peacock and I'll be watching there. There has been a link to some kind of site in Russia which shows the Prem games. You'll have to search a bit on earlier game posts and you might find it there.

Cheers mate.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I suspect that it is going to be a cold, wet, greasy ball type of day.