Aviva Premiership Round 2

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Friday 7th September

Harlequins v London Welsh

Preview

Harlequins Team
15. Mike Brown, 14. Tom Williams,13. George Lowe,12. Jordan Turner-Hall,11. UgoMonye,10. Nick Evans,9. Karl Dickson
1. Joe Marler,2. Joe Gray,3. James Johnston,4. Olly Kohn,5. George Robson,6. MaurieFa'asavalu,7. Chris Robshaw ©,8. Tom Guest

16. Rob Buchanan,17. Darryl Marfo,18. Kyle Sinckler,19. Charlie Matthews,20. Nick Easter,21. Danny Care,22. Ben Botica,23. Matt Hopper


London Welsh Team:
15. Tom Arscott, 14. Phil Mackenzie*, 13. Sonny Parker*, 12. Hudson Tonga’uiha*, 11. Joe Ajuwa, 10. Gordon Ross*, 9. Tyson Keats,
1. Frank Montanella*, 2. Neil Briggs, 3. Paulica Ion*, 4 Jonathan Mills ©, 5. Matt Corker, 6. Daniel Browne, 7. Mike Denbee, 8. Ed Jackson.

16. Dan George, 17. Tom Bristow, 18. Arthur Joly, 19. Kirill Kulemin*, 20. Alfie To’oala*, 21. Nick Runciman, 22. Seb Jewell, 23. Nick Scott.



Saturday 8th September

Bath v London Wasps 14:15 ESPN

Preview

Bath Team:
Abendanon; Eastmond, Hipkiss, Banahan, Biggs: Barkley, Claassens
Catt, Mears, Wilson; Hooper (capt), Day, Taylor, Fearns, Skirving.

Batty, James, Palma-Newport, Attwood, Ovens, McMillan, Devoto, Cuthbert.


Wasps Team:
Southwell (capt); Varndell, Daly, C Bell, Wade; Robinson, Simpson;
Payne, Lindsay, Stainbano; Palmer, Wentzel; Haskell, Poff, Vunipola.

Rhys Thomas, McIntyre, Taulafo, Launchbury, Johnson, Davies, T Bell, Mayor.


Leicester Tigers v Worcester Warriors

Preview

Leicester:
Murphy (capt); Hamilton, Tuilagi, Allen, Goneva; Flood, Harrison; Stankovich, T Youngs, Castrogiovanni; Kitchener, Parling; Mafi, Salvi, Waldrom.

Replacements: Hawkins, Mulipola, Cole, Andrew, Crane, Phibbs, Ford, Smith.


Worcester:
Pennell; Drauniniu, Grove, Matavesi, Lemi; Goode, Perry; Mullan, Lutui, Andress, Percival, Schofield (capt); C Jones, Betty, Taulava.

Replacements: Hayes, C Jones, Currie, Gillies, Kvesic, Arr, Carlisle, Howard.


London Irish v Gloucester

Preview

London Irish:
Homer; Ojo, Joseph, Tagicakibau, Yarde; Shingler, O'Leary; Lahiff, Lawson, Halavatau; Skivington, Evans; Danaher (capt), Treviranus, Fisher.

Replacements: Blaney, Aulika, Ryan, Low, Gray, Watson, Geraghty, Moates.


Gloucester:
May; Sharples, Trinder, Twelvetrees, Simpson-Daniel; Burns, Robson; Wood, Dawidiuk, Knight; James, Hamilton (capt); Savage, Hazell, Morgan.

Replacements: Edmonds, Murphy, Harden, Kalamafoni, Qera, Lewis, Tindall, Thomas.


Sale Sharks v Saracens 16:30 ESPN

Preview

Sale:
Miller; Addison, Leota, Tuitupou, Cueto; Cipriani, Peel; Lewis-Roberts, Ward, Cobilas; Gray, Myall; Gaskell, Seymour (capt), Vernon.

Replacements: Taylor, Dickinson, Thomas, McKenzie, Easter, Cliff, Macleod, Uys.


Saracens:
Goode; Ashton, Tomkins, Barritt, Wyles; Hodgson, Wigglesworth; Vunipola, Brits, du Plessis, Borthwick (capt), Botha, Brown, Fraser, Joubert

Replacements: George, Saunders, Nieto, Hargreaves, Wray, De Kock, Farrell, Short.



Sunday 9th September

Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs 15:00 Sky

Preview

Northampton:
Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Waldouck, Artemyev; Lamb, Dickson; Tonga'uiha, Hartley (c), Mujati; Manoa, Day; Dowson, Wood, van Velze.

Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Mercey, Sorenson, Oakley, Roberts, Myler, Burrell.

Exeter Chiefs Team:
15 Luke Arscott 14 Josh Tatupu 13 Ian Whitten 12 Phil Dollman 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Will Chudley;
1 Brett Sturgess 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (capt) 5 Aly Muldowney 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter

16 Simon Alcott 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 James Hanks 20 James Phillips 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Sireli Naqelevuki

That Gloucester backline looks awesome.

Interesting that May is still our starting full back, despite Thomas and Cook in the squad (well not the travelling squad, but you know what I mean).

Other than that, loving it. Come on big Jim!

HongKongCherry wrote:Glaws' team is:
Jonny May; Charlie Sharples, Henry Trinder, Billy Twelvetrees, James Simpson-Daniel; Freddie Burns, Dan Robson; Nick Wood, Darren Dawidiuk, Shaun Knight; Will James, Jim Hamilton (capt); Tom Savage, Andy Hazell, Ben Morgan

Replacements:

Huia Edmonds, Dan Murphy, Rupert Harden, Sione Kalamafoni, Akapusi Qera, Dave Lewis, Mike Tindall, Martyn Thomas

Surprised Q has been dropped, but from all reports Hazell was excellent in the A game this week. That is a monster front 5 that could really cause Irish problems and to have the likes of Edmonds, Q & K coming off the bench we have some real impact subs.

I should add Will James is often lamented for his ability, but he is looking fitter than ever (thank you Paddy Anson) and he was another who realy made an impact against Saints last week.

I'm just glad he didn't lamp someone in the dying seconds, although I guess we weren't winning this time.

Irish side:
15. Tom Homer; 14. Topsy Ojo; 13. Jonathan Joseph; 12. Sailosi Tagicakibau; 11. Marland Yarde 10. Steve Shingler; 9. Tomás O'Leary;
1. Max Lahiff; 2. Scott Lawson; 3. Leo Halavatau; 4. George Skivington; 5. Bryn Evans; 6. Declan Danaher (Captain); 7. Ofisa Treviranus; 8. Jon Fisher.

Replacements: 16. Brian Blaney; 17. Halani Aulika; 18. John Ryan; 19. Kieran Low; 20. Alex Gray; 21. Anthony Watson; 22. Shane Geraghty; 23. Jack Moates.

ER, that certainly wasn't one of Will James' finer moments!

That is a fine looking Glaws backline, all English as well if i'm not mistaken...

I'm slightly disappointed with that Irish selection. I know we are missing a few players and wholesale changes are no the answer to last weeks defeat, but one player who should be starting is Alex Gray.

Bath Rugby team to face London Wasps

15. Nick Abendanon

14. Kyle Eastmond

13. Dan Hipkiss

12. Matt Banahan

11. Tom Biggs

10. Olly Barkley

9. Michael Claassens

1. Nathan Catt

2. Lee Mears

3. David Wilson

4. Stuart Hooper (c)

5. Dominic Day

6. Simon Taylor

7. Carl Fearns

8. Ben Skirving

Replacements

16. Ross Batty

17. Paul James

18. Kane Palma-Newport

19. Dave Attwood

20. Josh Ovens

21. Mark McMillan

22. Ollie Devoto

23. Jack Cuthbert



This will be Mears' 250th appearance for Bath, interesting to see young Catt getting a start over Paul James, possibly a plan to bring him and Attwood on to try and put the pressure on the Wasps pack later on.
Devoto gets another place on the bench too, I'm not sure if Vesty is injured?

Should be a great weekend for running rugby, its like a summers day here!

Ozzy3213 wrote:I'm slightly disappointed with that Irish selection. I know we are missing a few players and wholesale changes are no the answer to last weeks defeat, but one player who should be starting is Alex Gray.

I was quite pleased to see him on the bench! 2 teams with lots to prove. It's forecast to be a hot, sunny day so hopefully we'll see the 2 backlines throwing it about a bit.

Effervescing Elephant wrote:That is a fine looking Glaws backline, all English as well if i'm not mistaken...

Certainly is. This should be our 1st choice backline until Jimmy Cowan arrives.

London Wasps team to play Bath
1 Tim Payne
2 Tom Lindsay
3 Fabio Staibano
4 Tom Palmer
5 Marco Wentzel
6 James Haskell
7 Jonathan Poff
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Joe Simpson
10 Nick Robinson
11 Christian Wade
12 Chris Bell
13 Elliot Daly
14 Tom Varndell
15 Hugo Southwell (c)
Replacements
16 T Rhys Thomas
17 Simon McIntyre
18 Zak Taulafo
19 Joe Launchbury
20 Ashley Johnson
21 Charlie Davies
22 Tommy Bell
23 Chris Mayor

Masi just misses out through injury but great to see Chris Bell back after a long absence due to an Achilles injury. His younger brother Tommy is on the bench.

HongKongCherry wrote:Glaws' team is:
Jonny May; Charlie Sharples, Henry Trinder, Billy Twelvetrees, James Simpson-Daniel; Freddie Burns, Dan Robson; Nick Wood, Darren Dawidiuk, Shaun Knight; Will James, Jim Hamilton (capt); Tom Savage, Andy Hazell, Ben Morgan

Replacements:

Huia Edmonds, Dan Murphy, Rupert Harden, Sione Kalamafoni, Akapusi Qera, Dave Lewis, Mike Tindall, Martyn Thomas

Surprised Q has been dropped, but from all reports Hazell was excellent in the A game this week. That is a monster front 5 that could really cause Irish problems and to have the likes of Edmonds, Q & K coming off the bench we have some real impact subs.

I should add Will James is often lamented for his ability, but he is looking fitter than ever (thank you Paddy Anson) and he was another who realy made an impact against Saints last week.

Really pleased to see Shaun Knight getting a chance in the first team. He's a good young prop and more importantly he is a tighthead. I will be looking forward to see how he goes this season. With the way England are with tightheads, he could make very quick progress towards international rugby if he goes well.

Leicester Tigers (v Worcester Warriors, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)
15 Geordan Murphy (c)
14 Scott Hamilton
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Toby Flood
9 Sam Harrison
1 Boris Stankovich
2 Tom Youngs
3 Martin Castrogiovanni
4 Graham Kitchener
5 Geoff Parling
6 Steve Mafi
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom

Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Logovi'i Mulipola
18 Dan Cole
19 Rob Andrew
20 Jordan Crane
21 Pat Phibbs
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith

Worcester Warriors
15 Chris Pennell
14 Josh Drauniniu
13 Alex Grove
12 Josh Matavesi
11 David Lemi
10 Andy Goode
9 Shaun Perry
1 Matt Mullan
2 Aleki Lutui
3 John Andress
4 James Percival
5 Dean Schofield (c)
6 Chris Jones
7 Sam Betty
8 Semisi Taulava

Replacements
16 Ollie Hayes
17 Ceri Jones
18 James Currie
19 Craig Gillies
20 Matt Kvesic
21 Jonny Arr
22 Joe Carlisle
23 Ben Howard

Cumbrian wrote:Leicester Tigers (v Worcester Warriors, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)
15 Geordan Murphy (c)
14 Scott Hamilton
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Toby Flood
9 Sam Harrison
1 Boris Stankovich
2 Tom Youngs
3 Martin Castrogiovanni
4 Graham Kitchener
5 Geoff Parling
6 Steve Mafi
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom

Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Logovi'i Mulipola
18 Dan Cole
19 Rob Andrew
20 Jordan Crane
21 Pat Phibbs
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith

Worcester Warriors
15 Chris Pennell
14 Josh Drauniniu
13 Alex Grove
12 Josh Matavesi
11 David Lemi
10 Andy Goode
9 Shaun Perry
1 Matt Mullan
2 Aleki Lutui
3 John Andress
4 James Percival
5 Dean Schofield (c)
6 Chris Jones
7 Sam Betty
8 Semisi Taulava

Replacements
16 Ollie Hayes
17 Ceri Jones
18 James Currie
19 Craig Gillies
20 Matt Kvesic
21 Jonny Arr
22 Joe Carlisle
23 Ben Howard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRsLnR-ddqU

Cracking tune

Cumbrian wrote:

Really pleased to see Shaun Knight getting a chance in the first team. He's a good young prop and more importantly he is a tighthead. I will be looking forward to see how he goes this season. With the way England are with tightheads, he could make very quick progress towards international rugby if he goes well.

Totally agree. Knight's performances recently have been excellent and he deserves this starting spot. Harden has not moved on in the last 6 months and this could be an extended run for him in the 1st team. Seeing him take on Tiny last week was great!

13 EQed players for Gloucester I think, 12 for Quins, 12 for Bath, 10 for Wasps (including Vunipola, who looks a lot fitter even if he has more work to do), 10 for Sarries, but only 8 for Sale, Saints and Tigers.

So, not bad but plenty of room for improvement.

Plus 7 on the bench!

I believe Botica can become EQed, although if you had Clegg there you'd have the full 8! Exciting young front-row there. I don't know much about Marfo but the other two are likely to play for England. I also really rate Matthews. No doubt that Quins are doing plenty for English rugby.

Hopefully one day 12 or 13 EQed players will be typical in AP starting line-ups.

Marfo is very promising, funny to think we can put out 4 young talented props!

I like the look of the Glos back row...nice balance. Youth exoerience, power, ball carrying, breakdown...nice.
In fact Glos are looking a very useful side.....

I think Youngs is Tigers starting hooker now.
Nice to see Kitchener starting aswell

Interesting that Banahan is again at 12.

This could get ugly...

DaveM wrote:13 EQed players for Gloucester I think, 12 for Quins, 12 for Bath, 10 for Wasps (including Vunipola, who looks a lot fitter even if he has more work to do), 10 for Sarries, but only 8 for Sale, Saints and Tigers.

So, not bad but plenty of room for improvement.

Actually 9 EQ starting for Tigers - Manu, Allen, flood, Harrisson, Stanko, Youngs, Kitchener, Parling & Thomas. Not brilliant I know, but could have been more with Cole rested, Benjamin and Croft injured etc.

Whats happened with Slater? He looked brilliant for long stretches of last season. Is he injured?

Cumbrian wrote:Whats happened with Slater? He looked brilliant for long stretches of last season. Is he injured?

I believe so, but as we have started two England players in the second row I did not include him nor Deacon in my list of people who could have boosted the EQ nymber.

I don't tend to think of Stankovich as Eqed, but I guess he is.

I just think Tigers have a lot to learn from Quins in terms of bringing through, and then playing, EQed academy players. I suspect you may need a change of coach before the numbers get much better though.

GeordieFalcon wrote:I like the look of the Glos back row...nice balance. Youth exoerience, power, ball carrying, breakdown...nice.
In fact Glos are looking a very useful side.....

I think Youngs is Tigers starting hooker now.
Nice to see Kitchener starting aswell

Interesting that Banahan is again at 12.

After last weeks performance it's interesting that they bothered putting anyone at 12, the possibility of getting the ball in hand is borderline zero.

With a back row of Taylor, Fearns & Skirving, I can't see where Bath's ball retention is going to come from.

Expect a sore neck if you're going to the Rec today.

I'm off to work.

DaveM wrote:I don't tend to think of Stankovich as Eqed, but I guess he is.

I just think Tigers have a lot to learn from Quins in terms of bringing through, and then playing, EQed academy players. I suspect you may need a change of coach before the numbers get much better though.

Tigers have been very good at developing players for England though. Dan Cole is the best example for me of an England Player learning from a quality overseas signing. If Fraser Balmain can do the same on the Loosehead, learning from Marcos Ayerza there will be a cracking all EQ front row at WR.

Actually it's 12 EQed players for Sarries, as Joubert and du Plessis are EQed.

Tigers have been very good at producing England players, but Quins are just producing player after player and are giving them game time. Cockerill just doesn't seem to really trust his academy, giving maybe one player a chance per year. Look at Armes - decent prospect but how many first team starts did he have over the last 3 years before he was released?

DaveM wrote:I just think Tigers have a lot to learn from Quins in terms of bringing through, and then playing, EQed academy players. I suspect you may need a change of coach before the numbers get much better though.

I'm not Tigers have anything to learn on that one - we have a reasonable academy system mostly utilising lower league clubs as proving grounds, as well as nicking a few from other academies

There's less incentive to develop England players under the current EPS payment system so until that changes, I suspect Tigers will take a "balanced portfolio" approach...

You have a massive academy with a terrible conversion rate to regular first team rugby. Quins don't need bigger payments to develop EQed players, and they are the Champions. Looking at Quins bench I just see them getting stronger over the next few years. If Tigers would rather bring in southern hemisphere journeymen as part of a balanced portfolio rather than trust your academy then that's your choice, but my sympathies with be with sides like Quins and Gloucester (and even Sarries!??).

PJHolybloke wrote:
After last weeks performance it's interesting that they bothered putting anyone at 12, the possibility of getting the ball in hand is borderline zero.

With a back row of Taylor, Fearns & Skirving, I can't see where Bath's ball retention is going to come from.

Expect a sore neck if you're going to the Rec today.

I'm off to work.

I predicted in pre-season that Bath would be a kick chase team, but still hope that today they will prove me wrong. If Sarries have moved on we really don't need anyone to replace them in the dull rugby role.

DaveM wrote:You have a massive academy with a terrible conversion rate to regular first team rugby. Quins don't need bigger payments to develop EQed players, and they are the Champions. Looking at Quins bench I just see them getting stronger over the next few years. If Tigers would rather bring in southern hemisphere journeymen as part of a balanced portfolio rather than trust your academy then that's your choice, but my sympathies with be with sides like Quins and Gloucester (and even Sarries!??).

Tom Armes isn't the only example, look at what happened with Sam Harrison and Jason Spice. What about the recruitment of Rob Andrew in the second row? Leicester already have Louis Deacon, Geoff Parling, Graham Kitchener, Ed Slater and Steve Mafi as first teamers who can play there. Why wouldn't they give one of their academy second rowers like Harry Wells (England U20), Tom Price (England U20) or Joe Cain a chance to play back up? Teams like Quins and Wasps throw guys like Charlie Matthews and Launchbury in at the deep end off the bench, why not Leicester anymore?

I would say that this could really negatively affect Leicester's academy in the future and particularly their 'recruitment' from other academies. I mean if they get a reputation for being mistrustful of youth, potential young players may look at them and decide to go elsewhere. I believe it has already happened in the case of Charlie Walker. All this genuinely worries me from an international point of view because Leicester academy has traditionally been such a contributor. Don't get me wrong, they still are for the moment... it's the future that bothers me.

I have to say though that my real ire is reserved for Sale. Remember at the end of last season when they played 15 EQed players which just happened to get them an RFU bonus by getting the average number of EQed players over the course of the season over a certain level? And then their next game sees then start 5 EQed players. I think that's completely out of order. Also, the all English side performed much better than the mercenary one they put out last week.

Things like that make me wonder if there should be a minimum number of EQed players required in starting XVs (say 12) and squad (say 18). There would be some interesting spin offs:

- it would be much harder to qualify on residency as the clubs would be more reluctant to hire you and even if you were employed you might get considerably less game time and decide to move on.
- any EQed player who was approached by another nation (Gloucester's two non-EQed players are actually English) would give more thought to moving as they might be ending their English club career as well as their international one.

Cumbrian wrote:

DaveM wrote:You have a massive academy with a terrible conversion rate to regular first team rugby. Quins don't need bigger payments to develop EQed players, and they are the Champions. Looking at Quins bench I just see them getting stronger over the next few years. If Tigers would rather bring in southern hemisphere journeymen as part of a balanced portfolio rather than trust your academy then that's your choice, but my sympathies with be with sides like Quins and Gloucester (and even Sarries!??).

Tom Armes isn't the only example, look at what happened with Sam Harrison and Jason Spice. What about the recruitment of Rob Andrew in the second row? Leicester already have Louis Deacon, Geoff Parling, Graham Kitchener, Ed Slater and Steve Mafi as first teamers who can play there. Why wouldn't they give one of their academy second rowers like Harry Wells (England U20), Tom Price (England U20) or Joe Cain a chance to play back up? Teams like Quins and Wasps throw guys like Charlie Matthews and Launchbury in at the deep end off the bench, why not Leicester anymore?

I would say that this could really negatively affect Leicester's academy in the future and particularly their 'recruitment' from other academies. I mean if they get a reputation for being mistrustful of youth, potential young players may look at them and decide to go elsewhere. I believe it has already happened in the case of Charlie Walker. All this genuinely worries me from an international point of view because Leicester academy has traditionally been such a contributor. Don't get me wrong, they still are for the moment... it's the future that bothers me.

Deacon and Slater are both still out injured and Kitchener was last week. With Mafi playing 6 to cover for Croft being out if Tigers hadn't signed Andrew there would have only been Parling available to play. Tigers can be criticised for the likes of Armes and Everard leaving but not so much in the sceond row situation.

So you would have had to go one game without two senior locks? Your academy boys couldn't cover for one game against LW?

Speaking of EQ players...Vunipola at 8 for Wasps is playing like a man possesed. He looks much fitter...and hes getting through the work...big carries and big tackles...

And what a frustration Tom Varndell is. If he had a real work ethic ....he really could have been a special player...

Manu has 2 tries 14 - 3 to the tigers

10-6 to Bath, 2nd half just underway.

Tigers game live on BBC Radio Leicester > http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_leicester

Come on Wasps, your ruining my Superbru scores.

Biggs, you need to get your hair cut son!

Varndell gets a try. 20 - 13 to Bath

Palmer really isn't looking good for Wasps.

lots of little errors from Leicester, Think Parling has knocked it on a couple of times now.

Simpson very cynical there to take Biggs off the ball. Definite yellow card missed by the ref, Wasps penalty instead of a Bath try.

PJHolybloke wrote:Simpson very cynical there to take Biggs off the ball. Definite yellow card missed by the ref, Wasps penalty instead of a Bath try.

didn't see it

Baths fans can't believe it, theyv'e scored again!

Eastmond dazzles to make it 27-13. Bonus point win on for Bath now.

punch up at the Tigers!