Team for Quins?

[Raggs]

So what are people thinking?

I'm reckoning 1st choice from here on out, resting/rotating to clear niggles, but no great switches.

Gaskell and Moore should be fit right? And was Sam Jones meant to be fit now?  How about big Mac?

Mullan, Taylor, JCW
Gaskell, Launch
Hask, Thompson, Hughes
Robson, Cips
WLR, Gops, Daly, Wade
Beale

Johnson, McIntyre, Moore, Symons, Jones, Simpson, Leiua, Bassett

The 9, 10, 12 (and by extension Bassett on the wing) will obviously be argued.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

This is, in effect, THE game. Get 5 points and clinch top spot have a home SF, probably against Tigers. Jones should be back, as will Miller. So, I will look at just the backs. Dai has already said he is sticking with what works. He has already said he wants the team to slow it down in the first 10 and earn the right to attack. I am thinking this will be throw the kitchen sink at them time.

9. Simmo - slow and steady; great in defence
10. Gopperth. This is Dai's pairing choice. Every point counts and Gopperth scores way too many not to be on the team.
11. WLR. He has been so dangerous for us on the wing.
12. Kurtley Beale. He and Gopperth seems to be humming along nicely now. They are a world class pairing in the middle.
13. Daly. Not a lot to be said.
14. Wade. England and the Lions might not want him, and you can bet Quins won't want him on the wing either
15. Miller. Just to show the world that England has a class full back who can catch, tackle, kick, run AND pass.

On the bench for the backs Robson and Leiua yes, but is Cipriani 100% fit? I do not think he has been for a few games now and it shows, and that cannot do his confidence any good. So, I am going to throw a wild card in here - Jacob Umaga. He is missing from tonight's A League clash with Gloucester. Bristol fielded an even younger player at 10 (4th choice #10) and he played really well. So here they are:

21. Dan Robson
22. Jacob Umaga
23. Alapati Leiua

Forwards. I agree with the selection you made Raggs. I just wonder if Young would be fit to start? I guess we will find out at noon on Thursday.

[Brandnewtorugby]

I think that unfortunately for Cipriani, the Gopperth and Beale combination is becoming a threat to him starting. I wonder if Cipriani was protected more by Sam Jones at the start of the season? No chance to try things now though unless the Sarries game is a dead rubber. Sadly for Bassett that he has ended up with WLR slotting into his spot best if Miller is fit, but Dai doesn't normally bring players straight back to a starting spot though and this is a key game.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I think we miss Symons out of the starting XV at our peril. I probably wouldn't have selected him even a couple of weeks ago, but he is solid in every way and has yet to out a foot wrong.

[Raggs]

That was one call I was unsure of VV, I really like Symons, and do think he could be the starter over Gaskell. But I thought just for the comeback, better to let Gaskell blow himself out, and bring Symons on to shore up.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I am hoping that the first XV will be looking to be in Quins' faces. When Quins are under pressure is when they tend to leak turnover ball, so we should be looking for players who do just that. The backs lineup I picked are good at going forward and keeping the oppo attack behind the gainline. But, look who you have in those backs for counter attacking. If you were kicking out of trouble, would you want those backs bring the ball back at you?

To have some really disruptive, scavenging forwards who can tighten the edge of the ruck/scrum will be key. Haskell and Jones are just that. TT, JCW and MM are excellent ruck scavengers.

Despite their lack of recent game time, if Jones and Miller can start, they should start.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

This tweet https://twitter.com/WaspsRugby/status/856539817953419269 is interesting. It has a video, with 10 players training. Who are they (spot the players in the misty gloom):

Umaga
Beale
Wade
Gopperth
WLR
Simpson
Bassett
Robson
Daly
Cipriani

Did I get them right?

[Raggs]

Backs doing sprint training. Interesting it's likely all but leiua in a normal line-up and no umaga in the a league.

[Raggs]

Just looking at the Bristol team news, it looks like there's potential for everyone to be in training by now (including Jones) except for the season ending injuries.  That's McIntyre, Jones, AJ, Moore and Miller.  That's a good boost towards the end, especially since we can probably expect another injury or two still to come.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

It'll be nice to see some of them back in the team, but I hope the week off doesn't affect us the way it's seemed to a few times recenty.

[Raggs]

I'm a bit worried about that too, however I think that players had a few days off to eat easter eggs, and since then have been in training, rather than them actually have a week off on holiday.

[Brandnewtorugby]

If we can win this game then there is a chance to get players back into the team for the Sarries game.

Sarries could end up a very weird game if a dead rubber. Certainly wouldn't want injuries from it, winning wouldn't matter, but losing the home winning run in the last game before knock out rugby against potentially the same team would be a psychological problem at least. If we beat them I'd also be worried that they would 'work us out'. I guess one step at a time, throw everything at Quins.

[Raggs]

Depending on what else happens, Sarries may be stuck with 3rd place regardless, and could play a similar side to the one they put out against saints.  For me it's 1sts regardless, they need to play.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Team injury news:

Nathan is 'hopeful' for Quins, but not certain.
Ash will be back for $orries
James Gaskell is back in full training, but no indication if he is ready for Quins.
Marty Moore and Rob Miller are not ready for Quins.

Dai suggests there may be one or two changes. Cips is now fully fit also. No mention of Jones.

[Gaz]

Agreed, best possible team for the run in. Hate to rush players back, the temptation is to give returning players  until next season, but if Sam Jones is anywhere near ready we should get him back asap.