Prem Cup - This weekend

Friday
Bristol v Bath
L.Irish v Quins
Newcastle v Leicester

Saturday
Sale v Wasps
Exeter v Worcester
Saracens v Northampton

Newcastle Falcons team v Leicester Tigers (Friday, 7.45pm, Kingston Park Stadium, live on BT Sport)

Some injury combacks and a few of the kids get a run out...looking forward to seeing Blackett another young 9 coming through.

15 Alex Tait,
14 Ollie Lindsay-Hague,
13 Max Wright,
12 Luther Burrell,
11 Nathan Earle,
10 Brett Connon,
9 Louis Schreuder;

1 Adam Brocklebank,
2 Charlie Maddison,
3 Richard Palframan,
4 George Merrick,
5 Rob Farrar,
6 Callum Chick (captain),
7 Freddie Lockwood,
8 Tom Marshall.

Replacements: 16 Robbie Smith, 17 Conrad Cade, 18 Mark Tampin, 19 Matthew Dalton, 20 Jamie Blamire, 21 James Blackett, 22 Joel Hodgson, 23 Zach Kerr.

Tigers

15 Kini Murimurivalu [33]
14 Kobus van Wyk [17]
13 Jaco Taute (c) [18]
12 Juan Pablo Socino [6]
11 Hosea Saumaki [8]
10 Dan Lancaster [2]
9 Jonny Law [3]
1 Francois van Wyk [13]
2 Archie Vanes [2]
3 Will Hurd [4]
4 Josh Poullet [1]
5 David Douglas Bridge *
6 Tomiwa Agbongbon [2]
7 Olly Robinson (vc) [4]
8 Sean Jansen *

REPLACEMENTS
16 David Aniebonam *
17 Dan Richardson [2]
18 Nephi Leatigaga [61]
19 Chester Owen *
20 Nathan Tweedy *
21 Sam Edwards [1]
22 Morgan Meredith *
23 Jacob Cusick [2]

A weak Tigers side but to be expected with injuries, Six Nations callups in both seniors and U20s plus European knockouts coming up with Clermont.

The backs actually have a lot of experience and quality but haven't played together much and a few have barely played this season. Brilliant that Taute is getting back on the pitch though as I feared that may never happen again.

Second row is extremely weak. Three loan locks in the squad. Poullet is a good player but really a number 8 who frankly looked a bit undersized playing flanker on loan in an earlier PRC game. I'd expect Merrick and Farrar to cause issues there with greater experience and physicality.

Archie Vanes is a cracking prospect so excited to see him start.

Will Hurd was rated at age grade but seems to have ridden the bench a lot on loan at Coventry. I've heard from fans that he's put some good scrummaging displays in as a sub though. Interested to see how he goes alongside an experienced but not the best scrummaging LH in van Wyk and young Vanes with a lightweight second row. A good test.

I know very little of Lough students signing Agbongbon or short term signing Jansen so will be good to get a look at them starting.

It should be a big mismatch but that isn't uncommon with how the PRC is run. Hopefully Tigers youngsters can take plenty from it regardless.

Douglas-Bridge the other second row is listed as backrow on the Loughborough University website so could be a tough night at the set piece. Can find very little on the borrowed Uni hooker Aniebonam.

Quins away at London Irish.

A fair bit to be excited about there - Riley, Jurevicius, Hammond, Beard and David have all looked good in their first XV games this season. Edwards at 15 and Chisholm at 10 is clearly experimenting with options given the nasty injury to Green last week. Anyanwu, Hyde and Trenholm are perhaps a little further from the 1st XV but are highly rated.

But the big news is Will Evans being back after his horrible spiral fracture last season. If he can get his form and match fitness back he would be a huge boost to Quins' run in.

Harlequins Starting XV
1. Santiago Garcia Botta
2. Sam Riley
3. Mak Wilson
4. George Hammond
5. Matas Jurevicius
6. Will Trenholm
7. Will Evans
8. Viliami Taulani
9. Scott Steele - Captain
10. Ross Chisholm
11. Hayden Hyde
12. Lennox Anyanwu
13. Oscar Beard
14. Nick David
15. Will Edwards

Impact Players
16. Jack Musk
17. Jordan Els
18. Rhys Litterick
19. George Head
20. Luke Wallace
21. Lewis Gjaltema
22. Huw Jones
23. Jack Stafford

And Irish, for comparison. I'm not as familiar with the players but it looks like they have more regular 1st team players on show, especially in the backs:

London Irish:
15 Tom Parton
14 Cillian Redmond
13 Lucio Cinti
12 Phil Cokanasiga
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins
10 Noel Reid
9 Hugh O’Sullivan

1 Facundo Gigena
2 Mike Willemse
3 Marcel van der Merwe
4 Jack Cooke
5 George Nott
6 Matt Rogerson (c)
7 Tom Pearson
8 Albert Tuisue

Replacements:
16 Tadgh McElroy, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Luke Green, 19 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Caolan Englefield, 22 Jacob Atkins, 23 Kyle Rowe

king_carlos wrote:A weak Tigers side but to be expected with injuries, Six Nations callups in both seniors and U20s plus European knockouts coming up with Clermont.

The backs actually have a lot of experience and quality but haven't played together much and a few have barely played this season. Brilliant that Taute is getting back on the pitch though as I feared that may never happen again.

Second row is extremely weak. Three loan locks in the squad. Poullet is a good player but really a number 8 who frankly looked a bit undersized playing flanker on loan in an earlier PRC game. I'd expect Merrick and Farrar to cause issues there with greater experience and physicality.

Archie Vanes is a cracking prospect so excited to see him start.

Will Hurd was rated at age grade but seems to have ridden the bench a lot on loan at Coventry. I've heard from fans that he's put some good scrummaging displays in as a sub though. Interested to see how he goes alongside an experienced but not the best scrummaging LH in van Wyk and young Vanes with a lightweight second row. A good test.

I know very little of Lough students signing Agbongbon or short term signing Jansen so will be good to get a look at them starting.

It should be a big mismatch but that isn't uncommon with how the PRC is run. Hopefully Tigers youngsters can take plenty from it regardless.

We are always puzzled why Farrar always plays lock...he's only 6'3 and is a 6. It must be something like when Mark Wilson played nearly a season at lock ...

Hes a good physical young player though.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

king_carlos wrote:A weak Tigers side but to be expected with injuries, Six Nations callups in both seniors and U20s plus European knockouts coming up with Clermont.

The backs actually have a lot of experience and quality but haven't played together much and a few have barely played this season. Brilliant that Taute is getting back on the pitch though as I feared that may never happen again.

Second row is extremely weak. Three loan locks in the squad. Poullet is a good player but really a number 8 who frankly looked a bit undersized playing flanker on loan in an earlier PRC game. I'd expect Merrick and Farrar to cause issues there with greater experience and physicality.

Archie Vanes is a cracking prospect so excited to see him start.

Will Hurd was rated at age grade but seems to have ridden the bench a lot on loan at Coventry. I've heard from fans that he's put some good scrummaging displays in as a sub though. Interested to see how he goes alongside an experienced but not the best scrummaging LH in van Wyk and young Vanes with a lightweight second row. A good test.

I know very little of Lough students signing Agbongbon or short term signing Jansen so will be good to get a look at them starting.

It should be a big mismatch but that isn't uncommon with how the PRC is run. Hopefully Tigers youngsters can take plenty from it regardless.

We are always puzzled why Farrar always plays lock...he's only 6'3 and is a 6. It must be something like when Mark Wilson played nearly a season at lock ...

Hes a good physical young player though.

Both of the locks Tigers are fielding are of a similar height.

None of this is on tv, right? Even a club stream?

I think Newcastle Vs Tigers is on TV tonight.

Ollie Robinson is out with Tweedy now at 7 and another academy player onto the bench. Robinson and Brett Deacon who was supposed to be leading the coaching side are both staying with their respective wives as they are giving birth.

Tom Harrison the scrum coach is instead overseeing the team's efforts this evening.

Some glimpses of both sides futures....

We might have finally found a heavy duty carrying back rower in Lockwood

Tigers have lots of potential coming through...their future is very rosey...and subsequently probably England....

Close at the end...but I think Murrimurivalu probably kept it closer...he was very good tonight. Very good player.

We should have won by a bigger margin...but as I said...Tigers future is very rosey.

Bit of a sickner to lose the LBP at the end there, thought we deserved two from that. Pleased with the young lads turning up well there. Losing Taute in the first half definitely hurt us as he was leading the lineout and captain for the night. Him going off early left us with 18 year old Cusick who's a talented lad but wasn't going to full the experience or physical gap left.

Introduction of Sam Edwards at 9 in the second half gave us a lot more structure to work with but our attack never got going.

Falcons had a more recognisable team out and it was very obvious in their levels of cohesion, particularly in attack. Lockwood definitely added a lot of go forward.

Thought Sara Cox on the whistle had a very good game. Hopefully she'll start getting more fixtures.

Yes the ref had a good game...

It's funny...I said to the guys at the game young Robbie Smith our hooker is a former Scotland u20 captain..he's about 22 now. He reminds me of a young McGuigan...he impresses me everytime he plays. Alround quality hooker.

I wouldn't be surprised if Blamire moved on.

They'd be a few takers for Blamire, he had a good game off the bench and into the backrow for you. Have the McGuigan to Ireland rumours died off now? If not you'll be wanting to keep Blamire. I think Robbie Smith played against Tigers earlier in the season as well, looked decent then as well but these days you need at least three hookers you trust to play Prem level.

Speaking of hookers, was pleased with how Vanes went for us. Big and long shift from him and at only 20. He looked a little lightweight last season when he played for the England under 20s but seems to be bulking up in the right way. Suspect he'll have another season DR with Nottingham before being drip fed slowly into the senior squad.

Another good result for Irish tonight - on max points still

Yes Sam , Vanes was quite noticeable....Good young player coming through.

As to McGuigan yes the Munster links do seem to have died off....I guess we wait and see.

I thought Saints were going to be in for a stuffing yesterday, 5 fresh faces to a senior side, a few old hands for guidance.
After a bright start he usual Saints practise of leaking tries started and Sarries went ahead, and then I went to sleep just a the Doc told me to and we ran 4 more tries. Fantastic, I keep up with my ZZZs and Saints close out games.

And even better that means Irish top the group whatever the result in the next game against Tigers

Heaf wrote:And even better that means Irish top the group whatever the result in the next game against Tigers

I suspect we'll be sending a development side out Vs your boys. I think we have Exeter on the Sunday and then you guys on the Tuesday so none of the first 23 will be in.

We have Saints and Quins bracketing that match so I suspect we'll want to save our best for both those too, so it could be an interesting match full of the kids. I think the weekend after is your bye week so not sure if that will make any difference?

Heaf wrote:We have Saints and Quins bracketing that match so I suspect we'll want to save our best for both those too, so it could be an interesting match full of the kids.  I think the weekend after is your bye week so not sure if that will make any difference?

Probably not as we have to rest the England internationals at some point as part of the EPS agreement so will use the bye week for that I guess. The Exeter game will be a bruising encounter so most of our big forwards will to the fore in that one.

The England under 20s guys will be back from camp though so some of them will come in instead of the loan guys we used Vs Newcastle. It'll depend on how many injuries we are carrying as there were one or two supposed to be nearly fit again that missed the Falcons game so we might see them. It won't be all kids as there's some squad guys that need games.

I'd guess something like;

Van Wyk, Vanes, Hurd
Henderson, Chessum Jnr
Agbongbon, Jansen, Ilione
Law, Lancaster
Socino, Cusick
Saumaki, Murimurivalu, van Wyk

Clare, Richardson, Leatigaga (if Cole's fit otherwise Hoyt), Manz (if fit otherwise a loanee), Robinson, Edwards, Hegarty, Browning.