2017/18 Aviva Premiership Round Eight

Friday, 17th November

Gloucester vs Saracens (19:45)

Saturday, 18th November

Worcester vs Northampton (13:00)
Wasps vs Newcastle (17:15)

Sunday, 19th November

Exeter vs Harlequins (15:00)
Leicester vs Sale (15:00)
London Irish vs Bath (15:00)

With some depleted sides, I do not think you can go far wrong predicting home wins.

Jones has just done Saracens a big favour releasing - Lozowski,Isiewke and Kruis - could make the difference.

All 3 with a point to prove - especially Lozowski who I feel of the 3 is the most unfortunate to be dropped.

Doing Tigers a big favour with Genge.

1) Genge
3) Cilliers
17) Traynor
18) Bateman (covers both sides)

Against a Sale scrum that is iffy.

I expect Genge will be chomping at the bit after being dropped. He's been in great form this season and we could do with some set piece dominance against Sale because they have a knack of scoring tries from nowhere. Janse van Rensburg won't be available either which is a bonus for us.

This could be a defining weekend in ours and Worcesters seasons.  We both have an opportunity of a win against depleted opposition.  If one of us takes the opportunity and the other doesn't that could have a huge impact on both teams mentally for the rest of the season.

Ozzy3213 wrote:This could be a defining weekend in ours and Worcesters seasons.  We both have an opportunity of a win against depleted opposition.  If one of us takes the opportunity and the other doesn't that could have a huge impact on both teams mentally for the rest of the season.

Bath had an experienced side scrape through against a Tigers side containing 6 teenagers. Unless they are able to substantially increase the quality of their lineup and performance a win is on. LI will need to be aggressive in defence though, Bath will punish poor line speed.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Ozzy3213 wrote:This could be a defining weekend in ours and Worcesters seasons.  We both have an opportunity of a win against depleted opposition.  If one of us takes the opportunity and the other doesn't that could have a huge impact on both teams mentally for the rest of the season.

Bath had an experienced side scrape through against a Tigers side containing 6 teenagers. Unless they are able to substantially increase the quality of their lineup and performance a win is on. LI will need to be aggressive in defence though, Bath will punish poor line speed.

When we played them a fortnight ago we outscored them by 4 tries to 2 but still managed to lose the game. We have repeatedly found new ways to shoot ourselves in the foot this season so I am taking absolutely nothing for granted.

And Scott Andrews might be with Wales.

who are bath missing?

Watson, underhill, ewels, joseph, roko, faletua, louw ?

don't they have a few injured also?

We need to take the game to Wasps. We could come back with a decent result..they haven't been great due to so many injuries...and they'll be lacking Launchbury etc.

Even with internationals away I see Saracens winning on Friday.

Still think Saints will too much for Worcester but the other match could be a real cracker. Think it could be a very tight win for falcons, Wasps just feeling as secure this season at all.

Should be a home win for chiefs and Leicester, just hope the Sharks can get a bonus point. Last game I am struggling with, think Bath still have a bit too much for Irish but Irish not looking at a huge injury and international list, so could be a decent haul of points for them.

Leicester Tigers (v Sale Sharks, Welford Road, Sunday 3.00pm)

15 Telusa Veainu
14 Nick Malouf
13 Matt Smith
12 Gareth Owen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Joe Ford
9 Sam Harrison
1 Greg Bateman
2 Tom Youngs (c)
3 Pat Cilliers
4 Dom Barrow
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Mike Williams
7 Will Evans
8 Valentino Mapapalangi


Replacements

16 Harry Thacker
17 Ellis Genge
18 Chris Baumann
19 Mike Fitzgerald
20 Brendon O’Connor
21 Harry Simmons
22 Tom Hardwick
23 Jonah Holmes

Sale Sharks:

15. Mike Haley, 14. Denny Solomona, 13. Sam James, 12. Mark Jennings, 11. Marland Yarde, 10. James O'Connor, 9. Faf De Klerk, 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Rob Webber, 3. Will-Griff John, 4. Bryn Evans, 5. Andre Ostrikov, 6. Jono Ross (Capt), 7. Ben Curry, 8. Josh Strauss.

Replacements:

16. Marc Jones, 17. James Flynn, 18. Alexandru Tarus, 19. George Nott, 20. Sam Moore, 21. Cameron Neild, 22. Will Cliff, 23. Josh Charnley

Not available for selection:

Byron Mcguigan (Scotland) TJ Ioane (Samoa) Halani Aulika (Tonga) AJ MacGinty (USA) Johnny Leota (Injured) Josh Beaumont (Injured) Tom Curry (Injured) Will Addison (injured) Steve Diamond (Big Mouth)

Gloucester:

Hudson; Thorley, Twelvetrees, Symons, Trinder; Burns, Heinz (capt); Hohneck, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Slater; Clarke, Ludlow, Ackermann.

Replacements: Hanson, Rapava Ruskin, Denman, Thrush, Polledri, Vellacott, Atkinson, Purdy.

Saracens:
Goode; Maitland, Tomkins, Barritt (capt), Wyles; Lozowski, Wigglesworth; Barrington, Brits, Figallo, Skelton, Kruis, Clark, Burger, Wray.

Replacements: Tolofua, Thompson-Stringer, Koch, Isiekwe, Conlon, Spencer, Bosch, Earle.

Gloucester-Saracens is an interesting one.

I hope that Gloucester play as loosely as they did vs Bath. I know Gloucester won but I am not sure the same tactics will work if Saracens play sufficiently efficient rugby.

I'd like to see Lozowski prove himself a bit more with his control and goal kicking - he'll need this if he's going to pressurise Ford and Farrell.

Plenty of help available in the backline and pack too.

Put in a good enough performance and he might see a recall for the Samoa game.

Falcons for Wasps

15 Simon Hammersley
14 Alex Tait
13 Maxime Mermoz
12 Josh Matavesi
11 Sinoti Sinoti
10 Toby Flood
9 Sam Stuart

1 Rob Vickers
2 Scott Lawson
3 Jon Welsh
4 Calum Green
5 Sean Robinson
6 Will Welch (captain)
7 Gary Graham
8 Mark Wilson

Replacements
16 Kyle Cooper
17 Sami Mavinga
18 Scott Wilson
19 Will Witty
20 Nili Latu
21 Joel Hodgson
22 Juan Pablo Socino
23 Chris Harris

beshocked wrote:Gloucester-Saracens is an interesting one.

I hope that Gloucester play as loosely as they did vs Bath. I know Gloucester won but I am not sure the same tactics will work if Saracens play sufficiently efficient rugby.

That's a good point. We've had a good recent record against you at Kingsholm, but the 2 notable league victories it was largely recognised we beat you by playing and beating you at your own game. With our new style of play it may be very difficult to break through your defence, although in your game against the Ospreys, they did show that your defence isn't as aggressive in the oppo's own half and as we seem to want to run everything we may get some opportunities from this. Nevertheless, despite our recent home record, Sarries must be favourities, as that is a ridiculously strong side to field in the AIs. We have a major injury crisis in the back 3 with our first choice 5 players unavailable. In order for Glaws to win we need the pack to truly front up, which they have managed more often than not this season. It'll be close to a sell out tonight and whilst it'll be bitterly cold, I'd hope that Castle Grim is in fine voice to cheer them on. I just hope it's a good a game as we've had in recent years.

Not really sure how to call our game with Bath.  Their pack looks pretty solid, but it's a pretty thrown together back line for them, so I'll be really disappointed if they start opening us up running from deep.

Tommy Bell at 10 seems a good switch to me, as we could do with his boot keeping us in their half of the pitch.  We know we can score tries, we just need to make it as difficult as possible for Bath to score them.  

I'm very nervous about this game, as it is definitely winnable for us, I'm just not confident based on what we've done so far this season.

Wasps team to play Newcastle

15. Willie Le Roux
14. Christian Wade
13. Juan De Jongh
12. Kyle Eastmond
11. Josh Bassett
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Dan Robson
1. Simon McIntyre
2. Ashley Johnson
3. Jake Cooper-Woolley
4. Will Rowlands
5. James Gaskell
6. James Haskell
7. Thomas Young
8. Guy Thompson

Replacements
16. Nathan Charles
17. Ben Harris
18. Marty Moore
19. Kearnan Myall
20. Nizaam Carr
21. Joe Simpson
22. Rob Miller
23. Gabiriele Lovobalavu

Unavailable for selection:

Internationals: Elliot Daly, Nathan Hughes, Joe Launchbury

Injury: Danny Cipriani, Tom Cruse, Paul Doran-Jones, Sam Jones, Matt Mullan, Alex Rieder, Matt Symons, Tommy Taylor, Marcus Watson


Not sure why Willis isn’t involved?

HongKongCherry wrote:

beshocked wrote:Gloucester-Saracens is an interesting one.

I hope that Gloucester play as loosely as they did vs Bath. I know Gloucester won but I am not sure the same tactics will work if Saracens play sufficiently efficient rugby.

That's a good point.  We've had a good recent record against you at Kingsholm, but the 2 notable league victories it was largely recognised we beat you by playing and beating you at your own game.  With our new style of play it may be very difficult to break through your defence, although in your game against the Ospreys, they did show that your defence isn't as aggressive in the oppo's own half and as we seem to want to run everything we may get some opportunities from this.  Nevertheless, despite our recent home record, Sarries must be favourities, as that is a ridiculously strong side to field in the AIs.  We have a major injury crisis in the back 3 with our first choice 5 players unavailable.  In order for Glaws to win we need the pack to truly front up, which they have managed more often than not this season.  It'll be close to a sell out tonight and whilst it'll be bitterly cold, I'd hope that Castle Grim is in fine voice to cheer them on.  I just hope it's a good a game as we've had in recent years.

Helped last season that you played us during the IW too.

I think we'll be a bit more of a test this time.

True but running everything will be I am sure what Saracens will want. You don't have the brutal pick and go style of Exeter. They are tough to break down because they retain the ball very well - Gloucester... well we'll see.

As impressive as your win vs Bath was, you'll need more accuracy and better ball retention vs Saracens.

Saracens high try count has gone a bit under the radar. Both in the AP and ERCC, they are topping the charts.

I know those Saints results inflate the charts but they've shown consistent attacking prowess.

4 try bonus points in 7 games is a more impressive return than usual.

Wish they would stop gushing over brits

Good kick though

Far too easy that, Goode caught with his pants down.

Hah, just noticed it's Karl Dickson reffing! Must have been quite far along his coaching before he retired to be doing prem games already.

How's be been? Only watch second half

mid_gen wrote:Hah, just noticed it's Karl Dickson reffing!  Must have been quite far along his coaching before he retired to be doing prem games already.

How's be been? Only watch second half

Alright, he's was pretty whistle happy to begin with but was just setting his stall out. Has got a few decisions wrong but then again, what ref doesnt

Lozowski didn't advance his international credentials much. Really didn't get the Sarries team going forward despite masses of possession and territory. The inability of Sarries to score during that first half cost them the game.

Yup,  something like 75% possession and 85% territory in that first half. That they failed to score a try in that first half was poor. Only try they did get was perhaps due to a poor decision by Dickson in awarding the try then talking to TMO allowed Sarries to take the drop conversion and end the discussion. Looked a clear black to me by Brits.

Lozowski looks a better 12 than he is at 10.

Ozzy3213 wrote:London Irish: 
15 James Marshall, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Fergus Mulchrone, 12 Luke McLean, 11 Alex Lewington, 10 Tommy Bell, 9 Ben Meehan, 1 Ben Franks, 2 David Paice (c), 3 Petrus Du Plessis, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 5 Teofilo Paulo, 6 Max Northcote-Green, 7 Conor Gilsenan, 8 Blair Cowan
Replacements: 16 Dave Porecki, 17 Harry Elrington, 18 Ollie Hoskins, 19 Sebastian De Chaves, 20 Mike Coman, 21 Scott Steele, 22 Greig Tonks, 23 Tom Fowlie

How does Dave Porecki go, Ozzy? I use to watch him in Sydney club rugby and wonder why the Waratahs weren't keen on him.

Porecki has been decent since joining us boomeranga, but probably no more than that.  He's a decent carrier and has a good work rate.  scrum has gone well with him in it, but his work at the lineout has at times been pretty poor.

I see Saints not doing us (LI) any favours

Wasps just tore us to shreds in that move!!!

Ah this is going to be painful

Get in...we have a try.

Ah naughty by Sinoti. Jumping into a tackle...bad lad. Might go for that

Sinoti lucky not to even get a yellow.

Taught a lesson there tonight..

Huge game now for us today. I know we're not at the halfway point yet, but if we lose today I think that's it for us.

Barrow and Cilliers are late withdrawals for Tigers. Fitzgerald and Genge now start with Wells and Baumman coming onto the bench.

We are looking a bit useless at the moment

Another horror show for us I'm afraid.

Gave away another criminally poor try with the most non existent tackle attempt I've ever seen from Seb de Chaves, have left two very scorable tries out there and missed the simple conversion from the one we have scored.

Oh and our scrum is getting pumped with Franks getting pinged repeatedly.

11-16 at half time it is!

Sale flopping over the ball at every ruck

Marcus Smith putting in another electric performance. Shame we can't finish anything!

Woodburn having a great game too.

Awful by yarde there

nathan wrote:Awful by yarde there

Keeping up to date with the website feed. We seem unable to defend against the big Sale ball carriers. I'm guessing the loss of Barrow for Fitzgerald before the game will not have helped.

Petrus du plessis is an absolute waste of space

I can't understand why we keep starting him when some of the replacements have shown much better form ... maybe with different selections we could have won the match today, as it is it's looks like we're heading down again.

If we cant beat Baths second team we have no hope.