Aviva Premiership - Round 2

Table:




Fixtures:

Friday 9th September

19:45 Worcester Warriors v Gloucester Rugby   BT Sport
20:15 Sale Sharks v Harlequins  

Saturday 10th September

15:00 Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons    
15:00 Leicester Tigers v Wasps    BT Sport


Sunday 11th September

15:00 Bristol Rugby v Northampton Saints
15:00 Exeter Chiefs v Saracens    BT Sport



Previews

Yet again Gloucester feature in the Friday night televised fixture. Having capitulated last week, after playing so well for 50 minutes, they will be seeking an 80 minute performance as they take the short trip to near neighbours Worcester. The Warrioirs were game gainst a misfiring Saracens at twickenham last week, but never really threatened and like their visitors ran out of steam in the last 30 minutes. With their absence list unlikely to recede any, the home team will have to rely on spirit and determination against a side with more class - but a fragile core. Gloucester should have too much ability for the Warriors, but it is easy to foresee another implosion. If Warriors can keep this tight they can prey on Glaws nerves - but do they have the firepower to score the points when needed?

Friday evening concludes in Salford as two sides have been castigated by either the coaches or the fans for poor performances meet. Main difference of course is that Sale lost while Harlequins won. Friday nights at home usually see Sale fired up and usually victorious. It will need a much better performance than they saw last week from the forwards, but there is every chance that they will be too organised for a Quins team that seemed strangely lethargic. Quins fans will want to see much more from their backs, starting with skipper Care showing the verve they are used to.

Saturday starts at the wreck where hosts Bath entertain a Falcons team who also won last week. Both teams struggled for attacking fluency last week, and both sides could see major changes in personnel. Todd Blackadder will be looking at the physio's room with some trepidation due to the volume of injuries suffered last week, while Dean Richards is almost famous now for rotating his team for away fixtures. Even short of certain players, and with their issues at 12, on 2015 form Bath would win this game with some ease. That form has not been seen for a while though and Falcons fans will believe they can cause an upset. In the end it coudl well come down to which team has the individual who creates something from nothing. Sinotti v Roku, Joseph v Goneva if you will.

The M69 derby (less sniggering from Saints fans at the back please) will see both teams looking for more of the good stuff they showed last week, and much less of the bad and the ugly.  Leicester spent 50 minutes showing all the frailties of execution that bedeviled them in the big games last season. Not wanting to take anything away from Gloucester who showed exemplary hands and support running in that spell, it could be argued that Tigers gifted 3 of the tries with two interceptions (Tait and Betham) and Manu's crass attempts to charge out of the line. Defence coach Scott Hansen will be drilling the big man all week it is to be hoped. Meanwhile Wasps showed some good invention in the backs but looked a little light of firepower up front, especially at the breakdown. They will need to see a big improvement in that area if they are not to be over-run by tigers, while the home team will need to improve their support running and just play with a little more nous rather than trying to force everything.

On Sunday we will see what may be the first AP match at Ashton Gate, the lastest groundshare for premiership new boys Bristol. Having played about as well as they could have hoped at Twickenham, yet lost, they host a Saints team smarting from a home defeat in Round 1. Unlike Bristol, it would be hard for anyone to say Northampton played well, yet they still managed to secure the LBP and their defence was strong. Saints fans will hope that DoR Mallinder gives them the midfield they desire and that the pack fronts up. They were seriously poor last week. Saints will need to put in a big performance this week and if they play anything close to their ability they will be too strong. Come up short on that though and Bristol will look for the upset.

Sunday's televised game gives us a repeat of last seasons Premiership Final. Exeter looked strong up front at the Ricoh, but seemed to struggle for fluency in the backs. Everything seemed very direct and was meat and drink for the Wasps defence. Chiefs certainly have the forwards to put the champions under pressure, but may need to play a more territorial game if they want their first win of the season. Despite being some way under par against Worcester, Saracens still won easily, demonstrating their strength and overall class across the pitch. Even if Exeter can gain the upper-hand up front they have that fearsome defence that will force errors from even the best teams and enough players who can thrive on the counter-attack to score the tries needed for victory. Exeter will look to use their driving lineout which has worked so well against ?Saracens in the past, Saracens will try and make Exeter run from deep.



Predictions:

Gloucester by 7
Sale by 5
Bath by 10
Wasps by 30
Saints by 7+
Sarries by 6

Glos
Quins
Bath
Leicester
Bristol
Exeter

Another quality preview LT

Lineout and backs are key bit for Quins.

Both were shot for the first 40 against Bris and put us ubder too much pressure, sort our lineout out and we'll have a platform. Sort the backs out and we'll defend and attack a lot better.

The Bath back row took a battering at Franklin Gardens. Looks like Garvey, Ellis and Sisi will be the combination on Saturday.
Ellis from the Academy, has been groomed by Danny Grewcock as a Lock but has played both flanker roles and his athletic versatility is going to be a necessity this season, with far too few back rowers in the squad given the sporadic Test call ups in the season.
Sisi also has a real opportunity to step up this season and realise his undoubted potential. Another big athletic bruiser of a flanker from the Academy is Levi Douglas who will clearly also get a chance this season as Garvey cannot go another season of playing in virtually every fixture.

LondonTiger wrote:15:00 Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons  

Saturday starts at the wreck where hosts Bath entertain a Falcons team who also won last week. Both teams struggled for attacking fluency last week, and both sides could see major changes in personnel. Todd Blackadder will be looking at the physio's room with some trepidation due to the volume of injuries suffered last week, while Dean Richards is almost famous now for rotating his team for away fixtures. Even short of certain players, and with their issues at 12, on 2015 form Bath would win this game with some ease. That form has not been seen for a while though and Falcons fans will believe they can cause an upset. In the end it coudl well come down to which team has the individual who creates something from nothing. Sinotti v Roku, Joseph v Goneva if you will.

Dean does indeed like to rotate but I have a suspicion you will see minimal changes if any (unless there are injuries).

It wasn't perfect on Friday but there was significant evidence that this side could be very good if we just keep working together.

We have nothing to lose...we just need to go there and match our physicality and aggression from the Sale match...especially at the breakdown where we were very good indeed. Improve our support for the players making a break like (Lawson and Welsh did on Friday) and bring in a little more control in the backs in general to unleash Sinoti and Goneva and we'll give ourselves one hell of a chance.

Bath may well edge this one...but they'll come out battered and bruised that's for sure!

Worcester
Sale
Bath
Leicester
Bristol
Saracens

Worcester Warriors
Sale Sharks
Bath Rugby
Leicester Tigers
Northampton Saints
Saracens

No one backing Exeter at the moment

Hard to back against Sarries yappy, they are just a machine.

yappysnap wrote:No one backing Exeter at the moment

Exeter have to play to their full potential, and even then hope Sarries are slightly off colour. chiefs looked so disjointed in the backs last week that play like that again and they open themselves up to the Sarries counter attack.

Sarries are such a powerful cohesive unit that it's hard to see them getting beat at the minute. Last week we saw them bring in yonder options Lozowski and Spencer (from the bench) and they slotted in well and offered a little more attacking threat. Even after the humping they gave Worcester McCall was unhappy with the performance. Very much the team to beat.

Exeter looked loose in the backs and underpowered in the scrum. If you're going to beat Sarries you can't have obvious weaknesses.

I fancy Exeter at home tbh.

Looking forward to Sale v Quins, hopefully we've blown the cobwebs out. The weather forecast is looking fine so should suit our game.

I do hope that's right gimp - Quins have never really handled bad weather well!

Gloucester
Sale
Newcastle
Wasps
Saints
Chiefs

Without looking at the teams this is my gut feeling. Will probably change my mind on most of those on Friday when the teams are announced.

Glaws shall be 70 points up at half time and will then lose, as always, to Wuss at Sixways. This will be followed by wins for Sale, Bath, Tigers, Saints and Sarries.

Heart says a Quins win, in a close game where our Internationals make the difference in the end.

Head says Sale win in a close game where the home advantage and their organisation compounded by our errors gift them points.

I'd drop Clifford and Chisholm for this one, the former to the bench and the latter out of the 23. Firstly because both had poor games last week, Clifford is struggling with the 8 position and I think we have better beefier players who could start there, he's better cover at the moment. Chisholm had a very poor game and I'd like to see the coaching team lay down a marker that they're not going to be as chummy as CoS was, everyone gets a chance but if you don't take it then you'll have to work hard to get it again. I'd try Morris or Jackson at 15 instead. I'd also have Walker at 23, he's a proven try scorer and deserves some game time.

Otherwise I hope Rowntree gives the forwards a roasting for the Poopie lineouts last week, you can't balls up 4 on the trot at this level, it's unnaceptable. I'd start Collier as he's better technically at the scrums and Sale are very smart there.

Lastly I hope someone tells Care to chill, the game isn't won in the first 20 minutes but it can be lost.

Sale weren't great last week Yappy, however I would like to think that was in part to us actually playing well and really physically getting at them.

Especially at the breakdown where I felt they were quite weak or we were really good.... Mark Wilson alone got 3 turnovers!

Mind that TJ Ioane at 7 is quite some player!

Any team that looses Braid in the back row is going to loose a bit at the breakdown - and with Seymour on the bench last week. TJ Ioanne looks to be very useful though - How did Beaumont get on?

I agree with what you said Yappy - Clifford didn't look comfortable and Chisholm was right up there with Tait for muppet of the week.
Would you be dropping Alofa Alofa from the bench to accommodate Chalie walker? We didn't really get to see anything he has to offer so I suspect he will be in the bench again - doubt Kingston would drop Visser or Yarde! Although they too didn't see much ball (apart from when Yarde popped up at the back of a maul.

From what I gather Chisholm was a last min drop in as Brown was out with a Chest infection.
Would you rather Loumanu starts in the back row?

Worcester Warriors:
15 Jackson Willison
14 Dean Hammond
13 Wynand Olivier
12 Ben Te'o
11 Cooper Vuna
10 Ryan Lamb
9 Jonny Arr
1 Val Rapava Ruskin
2 Niall Annett
3 James Johnston
4 Donncha O'Callaghan
5 Darren Barry
6 Alafoti Faosiliva
7 Marco Mama
8 Phil Dowson (C)

Replacements
16 Jaba Bregvadze
17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga
18 Mike Daniels
19 Christian Scotland-Williamson
20 Carl Kirwan
21 Luke Baldwin
22 Tom Heathcote
23 Perry Humphreys

Gloucester unchanged from Last week:

Marshall, Sharples, Scott, 36, Purdy, Burns, Laidlaw, Morgan, Kvesic, Moriarty, Galarza, Savage, Afoa, Hibbard, thomas

Davyduck, Orr, PDJ, Latta, Rowan, Heinz, hook, Atkinson

Sale Sharks:

15. Byron McGuigan, 14. Will Addison, 13. Sam James, 12. Johnny Leota, 11.Paolo Odogwu, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Mike Phillips, 1. Eifion Lewis-Roberts, 2. Neil Briggs, 3. Halani Aulika, 4. Bryn Evans, 5. Jonathan Mills, 6. TJ Ioane, 7. David Seymour, 8. Josh Beaumont (c)

Replacements: 16. Cameron Neild, 17. Ross Harrison, 18. Kieran Longbottom, 19. Andrei Ostrikov, 20. Laurence Pearce, 21. James Mitchell, 22. Dan Mugford, 23. Nev Edwards.


Back row balance looks much better with Seymour in for Pearce. 3 other changes with Webber injured and Ostrikov & Edwards dropping to the bench

Harlequins team
15. Ross Chisholm
14. Marland Yarde
13. Joe Marchant
12. Jamie Roberts
11. Tim Visser
10. Nick Evans
9. Danny Care (c)

1. Joe Marler
2. Rob Buchanan
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. Sam Twomey
5. James Horwill
6. Chris Robshaw
7. Luke Wallace
8. Jack Clifford

Replacements
16. Dave Ward
17. Owen Evans
18. Will Collier
19. James Chisholm
20. Mat Luamanu
21. Karl Dickson
22. Ruaridh Jackson
23. Winston Stanley


Starting XV unchanged, bench sees two changes with Chisholm & Stanley replacing the ill and injured Merrick & Alofa

Given the sheer number of first team players Wuss are missing Glaws really must win this... We've reverted back to the normal 5-3 split on the bench. It's great to see Burns back in and fit, as his half-time departure was definitely a significant part in last week's capitulation.

Worcester will be looking to rough up Glaws, and the recall of DOC certainly does not make them less confrontational. However the likes of Afoa, Hibbard, Morgan & Moriarty will not be easily cowed. So long as ickle Billy can survive you should have far too much for them.

Disappointed by the selection for Quins. Who is covering the 2nd Row? Who is covering the wing spots?
I do hope that Kingston has read the riot act and these guys are given a chance again to improve on last week.

Will be interesting to see what happens re Quins V Sale i would say Quins should attack Odogwu with high balls but i'm not sure Yarde and Visser are up to it defensively if Odogwu gets it in space without pressure.

Odogwu looked quite sharp at the 7s.

Disappointing Walker's not even making the 23, he's one of our best players imo, we'll never hang on to him if he doesn't get game time outside international windows.

Decent squad otherwise, barring Brown missing at 15.

Welly wrote: Will be interesting to see what happens re Quins V Sale i would say Quins should attack Odogwu with high balls but i'm not sure Yarde and Visser are up to it defensively if Odogwu gets it in space without pressure.

This high balls had better be contestable. Kicking it down his throat with the chance to run it back will not go well for Quins. Odogwu has got bags of pace, a low centre of gravity and the ability to beat a tackler in a narrow space. If the high balls are contestable then that's not an area of strength for him and Quins could use that.

Odogwu may enjoy Visser's matador style defence.

LondonTiger wrote:Odogwu may enjoy Visser's matador style defence.

I'd assume that the Quins wingers will try and line up such that Yarde is facing Odogwu. Though Visser would have a height advantage for crossfield kicks.

LondonTiger wrote:Harlequins team
15. Ross Chisholm
14. Marland Yarde
13. Joe Marchant
12. Jamie Roberts
11. Tim Visser
10. Nick Evans
9. Danny Care (c)

1. Joe Marler
2. Rob Buchanan
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. Sam Twomey
5. James Horwill
6. Chris Robshaw
7. Luke Wallace
8. Jack Clifford

Replacements
16. Dave Ward
17. Owen Evans
18. Will Collier
19. James Chisholm
20. Mat Luamanu
21. Karl Dickson
22. Ruaridh Jackson
23. Winston Stanley


Starting XV unchanged, bench sees two changes with Chisholm & Stanley replacing the ill and injured Merrick & Alofa

That makes pretty depressing reading tbh.

Yes on paper a very good team, but there are a number of players given a free pass after not performing, which is a continuation of the CoS style zero accountability approach, I really hoped the new coaches would be a bit more cut throat and drop players who didn't grab their chance a the shirt. Can only echo others with some of the bench options, Where is the lock cover? Why isn't Walker getting picked?

Obviously it's only the second game in, and the coaches know a lot more then me, but it just keeps looking like a continuation of the last regime. Don't get me wrong, I Frak loved CoS as a coach and we all owe him a Poopie ton, but we need to move on, Quins have very obvious issues, in particular the squad mindset, tactics and selection and so far Kingston and co haven't even come close to addressing them.

Its a bit harsh on team tactics Yappy - No one really knew what Bristol were about in the 1st game!
However, you would have hoped that a prem team like Quins would have been able to impose their own stamp on the game rather than scrap it out.
Sale are a slightly better known entity....not to say that knowledge will make the game any easier as I predict a bit of a dog fight, as games against Sale usually are.

The lineout was an issue last week - lets hope that's been worked on, along with the breakdown. I would have preferred Ward to start over Buchanan. Does anyone know if Grey is injured?

Wing cover is presumably Marchant and Stanley will come on.
Jackson covers 15 and 10, so that allows 2 back rows on the bench.
Who covers 2nd Row? Can Loumanu play there or does Robshaw shift into the engine room?

Loumanu has played lock before, can't remember how it went tbh but I can't see him being as good as an actual lock. Not sure if Grey is injured or just not selected, he's never managed to be as good as his 11/12 season form, and is the least influential of the three.

Tactics are probably the most depressing thing about Quins right now PD_L. We went from being the smartest, most effective team out there to being one of the least efficient. We have the players to frighten all teams, but even our basics have gone down hill. There's very little in the way of gameplan, our best tactics were the season winning ones of punching a hole and flooding that channel with players offloading in tight spaces, while having a smart and gnarly pack that could scrap and fight it out with the best when the backs couldn't do their jobs.

We then decided that as that'd been (hugely) successful we needed to change it, completely.

So we seem (I say seem as it's still pretty vague) to have gone for passing the ball wide as quickly and as often as possible, with negative gain and no one drawing the opposition defence, while having a lightweight pack that are mobile but unable to counter bigger teams. Now we originally changed tactics after 1 season because they were successful and we didn't want to be caught out by teams countering us. That was 4 seasons ago, we're still playing that pass the ball wide tactic now, the one that doesn't and hasn't ever worked for us, and we don't seem to look like changing. Does any one else see how stupid that is?!

Rant over.

LondonTiger wrote:Odogwu may enjoy Visser's matador style defence.

This is just incredible. So Tigers let him go having not made the required progress to brake in to the 1st team squad and hey presto Sale pick him up and he's staring against Quins in round 2.

One of Cockers or Dims is going to have egg on their face over this. My money says that Wade has competition!

Tough year for Quins with Kingston in charge. He's not my favorite chap.

Odogwu could be a very good p[layer. He showed flashes when playing for us last season, but in the end his attitude to attending training sessions meant it was right for the club and him to settle elsewhere.

LondonTiger wrote:Odogwu could be a very good p[layer. He showed flashes when playing for us last season, but in the end his attitude to attending training sessions meant it was right for the club and him to settle elsewhere.

That is a shame. Lets hope he settles and his talent is not lost from the game. He's still a very young man.

kingelderfield wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:Odogwu could be a very good p[layer. He showed flashes when playing for us last season, but in the end his attitude to attending training sessions meant it was right for the club and him to settle elsewhere.

That is a shame. Lets hope he settles and his talent is not lost from the game. He's still a very young man.

Steve Diamond is excellent at getting the best from awkward people. Look at what he did with Cips. Judging by his progression into the first team I'm guessing that Odogwu has taken to the systems at Sale.

yappysnap wrote:No one backing Exeter at the moment

Gloucester by 15
Sale by 7
Newcastle by 3
Leicester by 14
Saints by 40
Exeter by 7

Falcons v Bath

15 Simon Hammersley
14 Vereniki Goneva
13 Chris Harris
12 Juan Pablo Socino
11 Sinoti Sinoti
10 Mike Delany
9 Sonatane Takulua
1 Alex Rogers
2 Scott Lawson
3 Jon Welsh
4 Calum Green
5 Will Witty
6 Evan Olmstead
7 Will Welch (captain)
8 Mark Wilson

Replacements:
16 Ben Sowrey
17 Sam Lockwood
18 Paddy Ryan
19 Sean Robinson
20 Ally Hogg
21 Michael Young
22 Joel Hodgson
23 Dominic Waldouck

Leicester Tigers (v Wasps, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)
15 Mathew Tait
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Peter Betham
12 Matt Smith
11 J P Pietersen
10 Freddie Burns
9 Sam Harrison
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs (c)
3 Dan Cole
4 Ed Slater
5 Mike Fitzgerald
6 Luke Hamilton
7 Brendon O'Connor
8 Lachlan McCaffrey

Replacements
16 George McGuigan
17 Ellis Genge
18 Greg Bateman
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Mike Williams
21 Ben Youngs
22 Owen Williams
23 Jack Roberts

Wasps team to play Leicester Tigers on Saturday

15. Rob Miller
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Jimmy Gopperth
11. Josh Bassett
10. Danny Cipriani
9. Joe Simpson

1. Simon McIntyre
2. Tommy Taylor
3. Marty Moore
4. Joe Launchbury ©
5. Matt Symons
6. Sam Jones
7. Thomas Young
8. Guy Thompson

Replacements
16. Ashley Johnson
17. Matt Mullan
18. Jake–Cooper Woolley
19. James Gaskell
20. Nathan Hughes
21. Craig Hampson
22. Brendan Macken
23. Frank Halai

Unavailable for selection through injury:
Forwards – Phil Swainston, James Haskell
Backs – Dan Robson, Guy Armitage, Kurtley Beale, Kyle Eastmond, Alapati Leiua
Willie Le Roux – to arrive February from Cannon Eagles, Japan.

ath Rugby team to face Newcastle Falcons

15. Tom Homer
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Max Clark
11. Matt Banahan
10. George Ford ( c )
9. Kahn Fotuali’i
1. Nick Auterac
2. Ross Batty
3. Kane Palma-Newport
4. Luke Charteris
5. Dave Attwood
6. Charlie Ewels
7. David Sisi
8. Zach Mercer

Replacements

16. Tom Dunn
17. Beno Obano
18. Max Lahiff
19. Elliott Stooke
20. Levi Douglas
21. Chris Cook
22. Rhys Priestland
23. Jeff Williams

Not selected due to injury/international absence: Taulupe Faletau, David Denton, Guy Mercer, Tom Ellis, Matt Garvey, Anthony Watson, Henry Thomas, Nathan Catt, Jack Walker, David Wilson, Niko Matawalu, Francois Louw.

Bristol Rugby team to face Northampton Saints on Sunday, 11 September (3pm KO):

15. Jack Wallace; 14. Ryan Edwards, 13. Will Hurrell, 12. Ben Mosses, 11. Tom Varndell; 10. Tusi Pisi, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Soane Tonga’uiha, 2. Ross McMillan, 3. Gaston Cortes, 4. Ian Evans, 5. Ben Glynn, 6. Jon Fisher, 7. Jack Lam (c), 8. Jordan Crane.
Replacements: 16. Chris Brooker, 17. Kyle Traynor, 18. Anthony Perenise, 19. James Phillips, 20. Olly Robinson, 21. Mitch Eadie, 22. Rhodri Williams, 23. Adrian Jarvis.

SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY BRISTOL
Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 2
Ashton Gate
Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Kick off 3pm

15 Ahsee Tuala
14 Ken Pisi
13 George Pisi
12 Luther Burrell
11 George North
10 Stephen Myler
9 Lee Dickson
1 Alex Waller
2 Dylan Hartley
3 Kieran Brookes
4 Courtney Lawes
5 Michael Paterson
6 Tom Wood (capt)
7 Teimana Harrison
8 Louis Picamoles

16 Mikey Haywood
17 Campese Ma’afu
18 Paul Hill
19 Sam Dickinson
20 Jamie Gibson
21 Nic Groom
22 Harry Mallinder
23 Ben Foden

CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE SARACENS
15 Phil Dollman
14 Lachie Turner
13 Ollie Devoto
12 Sam Hill
11 Ian Whitten
10 Henry Slade
9 Will Chudley
1 Ben Moon
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Greg Holmes
4 Geoff Parling (capt)
5 Damian Welch
6 Don Armand
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom

16 Jack Yeandle
17 Alec Hepburn
18 Harry Williams
19 Mitch Lees
20 Dave Dennis
21 Dave Lewis
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Max Bodilly

Saracens team to face Worcester Warriors !!!!!!!! (Sarries website seems to have forgotten who they are playing)


15 Alex Goode 210
14 Chris Ashton 100
13 Marcelo Bosch 68
12 Brad Barritt (C) 172
11 Sean Maitland 1
10 Alex Lozowski 1
9 Richard Wigglesworth 156

1 Mako Vunipola 101
2 Jamie George 150
3 Petrus Du Plessis 132
4 Maro Itoje 53
5 George Kruis 125
6 Jackson Wray 144
7 Schalk Burger 1
8 Billy Vunipola 61

Replacements

16 Schalk Brits 172
17 Richard Barrington 83
18 Juan Figallo 35
19 Jim Hamilton 49
20 Michael Rhodes 28
21 Ben Spencer 73
22 Duncan Taylor 93
23 Mike Ellery 24