Teams Up for Oirish

[Rossm]

Lee Blackett has named his side to travel to London Irish in Gallagher Premiership Round 24 on Sunday.

There are three personnel changes and one positional switch to the starting line up from the Gallagher Premiership win against Worcester Warriors last week.

Following an impressive two tries against Worcester, Gabriel Oghre starts at Hooker alongside Tom West and Biyi Alo.

Tom Willis also makes a start at 8 following his try in the 80th minute last week. He forms the back row alongside Brad Shields and Jack Willis while captain Joe Launchbury lines up alongside Elliott Stooke in the second row.

Francois Hougaard returns to the starting line up at 14 with Josh Bassett at 11. They are joined by Zach Kibirige at full-back completing the back three line up.

Jimmy Gopperth and Malakai Fekitoa form the centre partnership. 

The half-back partnership is formed by Dan Robson at scrum half and Charlie Atkinson at 10.

James Gaskell is joined on the bench this weekend by Dan Frost, Ben Harris, Elliot Millar-Mills, Thomas Young, Will Porter, Jacob Umaga and Paolo Odogwu.

Wasps team to face London Irish at Brentford Community Stadium on Sunday 1 May (kick off 3pm)

 

1          T. West (71)

2          G. Oghre (65)

3          B. Alo (37)

4          J. Launchbury (C) (168)

5          E. Stooke (23)

6          B. Shields (75)

7          J. Willis (73)

8          T. Willis (60)

9          D. Robson (153)

10       C. Atkinson (31)

11       J. Bassett (174)

12       J. Gopperth (151)

13       M. Fekitoa (45)

14       F. Hougaard (

15       Z. Kibirige (62)

 

Replacements

16       D. Frost (16)

17       B. Harris (87)

18       E. Millar-Mills (13)

19       J. Gaskell (150)

20       T. Young (152)

21       W. Porter (52)

22       J. Umaga (67)

23       P. Odogwu (36)

 

Unavailable (4): Alfie Barbeary, Tom Cruse, Vaea Fifita and Rodrigo Martinez

[Peej]

Zach brings frightening speed at the back, but I'm not sure this was the best time to rest Jacob. Hope Alfie is nothing more than a knock

[Shugs]

Interesting. Barbeary injured. Umaga to bench and Odogwu still there is interesting. Kibirige’s kicking will be a worry. Forwards still look strong.

[baldpaul101]

Anyone know whats up with Alfie?

Seems some odd selections with Hougard coming straight back in & Zac at 15, but we'll see how successful they are at the weekend

[JonnyD]

Umaga is still running back up blind alleys and giving away cheap penalties, think there was two against Worcester.
Think his link play picks up each game like a WLR or Beale and he’s looking better under the high ball but the knowledge he isn’t a shoe in could be good for him.
Kibirige ahead of a fit Crossdale, Watson, Minozzi and Miller is interesting though. Think his kicking  is actually alright and played well at FB last time.

[WonkyWasp]

Very happy to see T. Willis  back in the right place.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Interesting. Barbeary injured. Umaga to bench and Odogwu still there is interesting. Kibirige’s kicking will be a worry. Forwards still look strong.

Maybe the plan is not to kick as much and gift Irish possession as they cab de deadly with a lot of possession?

[WonkyWasp]

 . . . .  and Hooray . . . .  Thomas Young  is back!!  So very happy to see that.

[Rossm]

Maybe (fingers crossed) Alfie has a slight knock and is being rested for the Edinburgh game

[mike909]

VG pack - if Dan and the inside backs control matters - we ought to be in with a shout. Probably a game where we need to look towards a "power game" and use the advantages we have up front rather than try and play fast and loose....vs the Prem team that's probably as good as any at fast and loose. Really a game to manage field position as a priority, early doors and for Paulo and others to come on later on to add a positive finish.

That's as good a pack than we've put out in a long time. Need to deliver both ball in hand and at set piece.

[Rossm]

London Irish line-up
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 George Nott, 5 Rob Simmons, 6 Matt Rogerson (c), 7 Tom Pearson, 8 Sean O’Brien.

Replacements:
16 Matt Cornish, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Ciaran Parker, 19 Steve Mafi, 20 Albert Tuisue, 21 Ben White, 22 Will Joseph, 23 Henry Arundell.

[HDAWG]

Kibirige ahead of a fit Crossdale, Watson, Minozzi and Miller is interesting though. Think his kicking  is actually alright and played well at FB last time.

+1

[Steve from Cov]

Strong selection but I'm really surprised to see Zac at 15 and, to a slightly lesser extent, Hougaard at 14. This would suggest Crossdale is leaving us wouldn't it?

Very pleased to see James Gaskell and Thomas on the bench. Both teams have a strong bench.

It's going to be a cracker. 

[Rugbyintheblood]

Lot of experience in this team and a bench full of impact.

We’ll need to keep 15 players on the pitch and play for 80 minutes, because LI are flying, full of confidence and they’re sure to fancy a home win.

The forwards have been heroic all season and I’m sure they'll carry on in the same way. But the backs will need to stop the LI backs in their tracks if we’re to get the W.

Kibirige looked good at 15 last time he played there and is stronger defensively than alternatives - so he merits his selection. Houggard is a fantastic winger and again very strong defensively. As long as Fekitoa has been practicing tackling low and stays on the pitch, we should be in good shape.

[bournender2]

Good to see a strong squad out and hope the game turns out to be as exhilarating as last year

A gang of us went to Brentford last year, with some restrictions still in place. It was in glorious sunshine, and it took to the final play for us to steal an unlikely win.

But, the amount of ale consumed that day - only in celebration of having been allowed in to a stadium to see a live match of course - means there is a bit of a haze in the memory. Pretty sure that early in the first half we were 3 tries down....