Anglo-Welsh Final

 
 

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Harlequins vs Gloucester
Location - Sandy Park, Exeter
Mostly cloudy, 11 degrees, 15mph winds

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Harlequins

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Manager – Steven_Sharks

01. Tony Woodcock 09. Karl Dickson
02. Tatafua Polata-Nau 10. Quade Cooper (k)
03. John Afoa
04. Pieter Steph Du Toit
11. Topsy Ojo
05. Steve Borthwick (c) 12. Jan Serfontein
06. Jamie Gibson 13. Aurelien Rougerie
07. Luke Braid 14. Frank Halai
08. Mamuka Gorgodze 15. Luke Morahan

16. Rob Buchanan 17. Gjorgi Jgenti 18. Kyle Sinckler 19. George Kruis 20. Lappies Labushagne 21. Stuart Townsend 22. Steven Myler 23. Jonathan Joseph

Play with a quick tempo using our big carriers of 9 and 10 to get us across the gain line and get us quick ball to release our outside backs.

Look for Dickson to keep the fringes and Cooper to stand flat when we have quick ball. Keep the Gloucester defence guessing.

Get Serfontein and Rougerie cutting lines in the midfield for Cooper to find. Look to run at the spaces or any weak shoulders.

Get our forwards carrying in numbers. Take the ball at pace and win the collision and look to keep the legs pumping after contact

Look to control the set piece. Get the nudge at the scrum and look to get quick ball off the top from the lineout. Shorten the line when we can. Put huge pressure on Gloucester lineout with Gibson, Borth and PSDT.

Retain the ball when outside our own 22. Give nothing easy to Gloucester.

Use bench as and when required. Take the points when they are on.

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Gloucester

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01. Steenkamp 09. TJ Perenara
02. Jaimie George 10. Cipriani (k)
03. Coenie Ousthuizen
04. Elliot Stooke
11. Hosea Gear
05. Dominic Bird ) 12. Ryan Mills
06. Willem Alberts 13. Juan de Jongh
07. Ardie Savea 14. Charlie walker i
08. Galan 15. Israel Dagg
16. Nick wood 17. Gray 18. Harden 19. Etzebeth20. George Evans 21. Genia 22. Carter 23. Banahan


Aim to play a super high tempo game based on getting front foot ball from big runners.

Look to use Alberts galan stooke Ousthuizen etc to hit hard off rucks and mauls to give quick ball for the backs to create.

Look to use runners off ten to get in the quade channel to make him tackle.


Savea to target him off every scrum to give him no space.


Lineouts to be mauled often with Ab bird and stooke main targets.

Aim is to keep ball alive and stretch Quins as much as possible and give our back 3 one on one opportunities.

Bench to be used as necessary and goals to be kicked.

Line speed in defense is important and we will aim to suffocate them by first slowing ball and then getting off the line quick to shut down Quins.

Both teams in by Wednesday midnight, tactics by Thursday midnight.

Looks like we have a standoff....

Chiefs take the win at their home ground...   

Lol

Will put mr team in when back from work. Will not be putting out full strength. Prob same team as last week

1 Steenkamp
2George
3Ousthuiizen
4Stooke
5Bird
6Alberts
8 Galan
7Savea
9Tj Pernara
10Cipriani
11Gear
12Mills
13 Juan de Jongh
14 Walker
15 Dagg
Wood
Grey
Harden
Etzbeth
Evans
Genia
Carter
Banahan

[quote="SirJohnnyEnglish"]Harlequins
Manager – Steven_Sharks

01. Tony Woodcock	09. Karl Dickson
02. Tatafua Polata-Nau	10. Quade Cooper (k)
03. John Afoa
04. Pieter Steph Du Toit	11. Topsy Ojo
05. Steve Borthwick (c)	12. Jan Serfontein
06. Jamie Gibson	13. Aurelien Rougerie
07. Luke Braid	14. Frank Halai
08. Mamuka Gorgodze	15. Luke Morahan

16. Rob Buchanan 17. Gjorgi Jgenti 18. Kyle Sinckler 19. George Kruis 20. Lappies Labushagne 21. Stuart Townsend 22. Steven Myler 23. Jonathan Joseph

Play with a quick tempo using our big carriers of 9 and 10 to get us across the gain line and get us quick ball to release our outside backs.

Look for Dickson to keep the fringes and Cooper to stand flat when we have quick ball. Keep the Gloucester defence guessing.

Get Serfontein and Rougerie cutting lines in the midfield for Cooper to find. Look to run at the spaces or any weak shoulders.

Get our forwards carrying in numbers. Take the ball at pace and win the collision and look to keep the legs pumping after contact

Look to control the set piece. Get the nudge at the scrum and look to get quick ball off the top from the lineout. Shorten the line when we can. Put huge pressure on Gloucester lineout with Gibson, Borth and PSDT.

Retain the ball when outside our own 22. Give nothing easy to Gloucester.

Use bench as and when required. Take the points when they are on.

Will get tactics in tomorrow. Wanted to see what I was up against before writing them and it's a bit late now. Pre 9 am will get them in

I'll update page for about 1030

Sorry Mat. Mad week. Had 15 minute break from 8 till 10 today!

No worries Steve. I had missed the thread anyhow. Should be a good one

01. Steenkamp	09. TJ Perenara
02. Jaimie George	10. Cipriani (k)
03. Coenie Ousthuizen
04. Elliot Stooke	11. Hosea Gear
05. Dominic Bird )	12. Ryan Mills
06. Willem Alberts	13. Juan de Jongh
07. Ardie Savea	14. Charlie walker i
08. Galan	15. Israel Dagg

16. Nick wood  17. Gray 18. Harden 19. Etzebeth20. George Evans 21. Genia  22. Carter 23. Banahan


Aim to play a super high tempo game based on getting front foot ball from big runners.

Look to use Alberts galan stooke Ousthuizen etc to hit hard off rucks and mauls to give quick ball for the backs to create.

Look to use runners off ten to get in the quade channel to make him tackle.


Savea to target him off every scrum to give him no space.


Lineouts to be mauled often with Ab bird and stooke main targets.

Aim is to keep ball alive and stretch Quins as much as possible and give our back 3 one on one opportunities.

Bench to be used as necessary and goals to be kicked.

Line speed in defense is important and we will aim to suffocate them by first slowing ball and then getting off the line quick to shut down Quins.

Predo's open

Sale 23-25 Gloucester

Gloucester taking this one serious with a strong squad. I think Quins edge the set piece and with no real line out leader for Gloucester could get a bit of joy. Gloucester have the better carrying options and a bit more quality in the pack. Centres and halfbacks are close but Gloucester a step up in the back 3. Very strong bench for Glocuester again, it's that what sees them through, it'll be interesting to see how fatigue effects them for the run in.

Harlequins 27 Gloucester 24

I'm a lover of the set piece and Quins take it in both departments for me with a good scrum and good functioning lineout on there own throw and ability to nick one or two off gloucester. Breakdown Sevea still a bit raw but absolute freak. Quins have plenty of graft in the front 5 with a few players decent over the ball. Half backs belong to Glaws in this game with TJ tops and Cips in great form. Centres to Quins with Mills unproven but having a bit about him. Back 3 is a bit more explossive from Gloucester and benchs are close. 

Quins sneak a win.

Quins 29 - 30 Gloucester
A really tough game to call, Steve has the more experienced team in the pack and will get a lot of ball, can see Gorgodze causing a lot of problems and they will be able to target the Cipriani and Mills channel a bit. However, all of the youngsters that Mat has picked are in very good form and playing very well, which will make up for the lack of experience. Very similar to my game with Mat last week, can just see the Gloucester bench having a major bearing on the outcome, there are world class players there and that can make a huge difference.

If it wasn't a final I would have gone 30-30 as so hard to split the two teams.

will predict after the rugby today!! hopefully sober-ish

Quins 22-24 Glos
Tough to split these two teams but I feel that the packs are even and it comes down to the back three which I feel Glos have more about them here. TJ wll really help the tempo Glos want to play and looking on the bench I can see added pace and experience for Glos. Very close game and if it wasn't on neutral territory would have been a draw.

Harlequins 22 - 23 Gloucester

Decent front row battle - neither side with huge amounts of form. Quins look stronger in the Second row but prefer Gloucs back row. Pack battle fairly even. One apiece in the HBs with the centres fairly even too. Prefer Gloucs in the back three. Really close game, think Gloucs marginally edge it.

Harlequins 26 - 25 Gloucester

Great pack battle, with quins perhaps edging the experience of the two. I like the strength of the Glos pack but I think they are a little headless, where for example in the back row balance is lacking for me. Decent form from TJ and Cips but Quade can match this in ability and he really brings the best out of Serfontein and Rougerie, who will stop Mills in his tracks today. The bench of Glos is a real momentum changing one and really puts the pressure on quins in the last 30 or so minutes. However the clever boot of Myler will steer Quins to a massive cup win.

Quins 24-23 Glos
Quins take the front five. A bit more experience and quality throughout. Back row goes to Gloucester. Overall edge to the Quins half backs. Outside backs goes to Gloucester. Quins will build up a lead with their starting team and they just manage to maintain against a quality bench.

Sorry I missed it guys, been hard to keep track with revision, don't usually miss predos

Result:

Harlequins 26 (T:3 C:1 P:3)
Gloucester 28 (T:3 C:2 P:3)

Bonuses:

Fined: Pete & CJ
Full: Everyone else

Congratulations matt.