Cup 1st Round

Scarlets vs. Montpellier Herault
Stade Francais vs. Newcastle Falcons
Connacht vs. London Irish
Exeter Chiefs vs. Gloucester

Teams in by 12.00am Thursday morning please! Then predos open till 9am Monday

Mark

Connacht Rugby

Manager – Fluxy

01. Rodney Ah You	09. Kieran Marmion
02. Jason Harris-Wright	10. Johnny Sexton (k)
03. Owen Franks
04. Michael Swift	11. George North
05. Sam Whitelock	12. Bundee Aki
06. Willie Faloon	13. Robbie Henshaw
07. Richie McCaw (c)	14. Tiernan O'Halloran
08. Sean O'Brien	15. Mils Muliaini

16. Dave Heffernan 17. JP Cooney 18. Denis Buckley 19. Quinn Roux 20. Andrew Browne 21. Ian Porter 22. Jack Carty 23. Fionn Carr

CJ

01. Marcos Ayerza	09. Danny Care
02. Richard Hibbard	10. Billy Burns
03. John Afoa
04. Tom Savage	11. Jordan Williams
05. Paul O'Connell (c)	12. Matt Giteau (c)
06. Sione Kalamafoni	13. Johnny May
07. Chris Robshaw	14. Charlie Sharples
08. Ben Morgan	15. Mike Brown

16. Sila Puafisi 17.  Dan Murphy 18. Darren Dawiduk 19. Elliott Stooke  20. Matt Kvesic 21. Ross Moriarity  22. Dan Robson  23. Billy Twelvetrees
Tactics:

At the breakdown, look to approach as a whole pack, piling in on turnover able ball, and committing just a few players for secure ball to keep/slow it. Robshaw will be looking to make the odd steal but I'd rather focus on keeping our ball quick and we can do that with him and the clearers hitting the rucks at speed rather than numbers.

In attack, we will keep slow ball in the forwards with drives and mauls. Be ready to attack the fringes at any moment with players like Care, Morgan and Big K special there. Care attacking the line will force te defence to focus on him, allowing him to pass quickly to a flat standing Burns and Giteau like last 6N's England. With playmaking off 9, 10 and 12 and 13, we will look to play multiphase rugby with runners coming into te line out of position at angles. Look to use attacking kicks to our rapid back 3 too. Giteau will take the pressure off Burns with his playmaking, experience and kicking. Robshaw will be a linking man today. I want our powerful forwards to come into the line in free play too (as we are committing few men to rucks) to add carrying power that we lack in the backs.

We will run back kicks where we can, that's what our back 3 is about and we are playing attacking rugby

We have the strongest scrum around, and will look to dominate here. O'Connell to call the lineout and to look to disrupt their lineout.

Defence- blitz with Care sweeping and a great counter attacking back 3 to dissuade the chip and kick through. Aggressive fringe defence from the backrow and POC

Overall- we have great subs and leaders across the pack and field. We will keep the ball alive and play the attacking rugby that suits our backline

1. Rob Evans
2. Ken Owens
3. Rhodri Jones
4. Jake Ball
5. Eben Etzbeth 
6. Marmuka Gorgodze
7. John Barclay 
8. Duane Vermuelen
9. Will Genia
10. Rhys Priestland
11. JP Pieterson
12. Scott Williams 
13. Jonathan Davies
14. Liam Williams
15. Willie Le Roux 

16. Emyr Phillips
17. Phil John
18. Samson Lee
19. Johan Snyman
20.  Aaron Shingler
21. Gareth Davies
22. James Hook
23. Harry Robinson

Exeter Chiefs


Manager – BamBam

01. Ben Moon	09. Aaron Smith
02. Stephen Moore	10. Aaron Cruden (k)
03. Tomas Francis
04. Joe Launchbury	11. Matt Jess
05. Dean Mumm	12. Sam Hill
06. Dave Ewers	13. Henry Slade
07. Tom Johnson	14. Jack Nowell
08. Kieran Read	15. Israel Folau

16. Brett Sturgess 17. Jack Yeandle 18. Moray Low 19. Damian Welch 20. Ben White 21. Dave Lewis 22. Gareth Steenson 23. Sireli Naqalevuki

Set piece - use scrum as a restart, quick ball with a front row used to playing together. Mumm to call lineout, use Read and Johnson as second options. Target their lineout as they lack an established caller

Breakdown - work in pairs, one to take on Robshaw and second man in to secure ball. On their ball be selective, look to maintain a strong defensive line and only look for the turnover when its on, Launchbury and Read to support the flankers

Attack - Ewers as our primary tight carrier, go tight to the ruck and tie in their defenders then spin out with Cruden and Slade both able to playmake, with runners like Hill and Folau off their shoulder

Defence - no weak link in the backs, use the boots to get us into the right areas, target the young fly half as we would expect him to defer to Giteau, so be prepared to target Gits if Burns starts feeling the heat. Go after May with the high ball

Anyone else getting a team in, Ozzy/freemo?

I know Bathite said he was away for a couple of weeks, will leave open for a couple more hours then will open predos

I'll get tactics in now that you have a side in!