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Team is up
Discussion started by Boooo , 20 February, 2020 12:23
Team is up
Boooo 20 February, 2020 12:23
Wasps team to face Saracens this Friday in the Gallagher Premiership at Ricoh Arena (kick-off 7.45pm)


Wasps (First-team appearances)

15 Marcus Watson (42)

14 Zach Kibirige (16)

13 Malakai Fekitoa (12)

12 Jimmy Gopperth (93)

11 Josh Bassett (116)

10 Jacob Umaga (18)

9 Dan Robson (cc) (112)

1 Ben Harris (56)

2 Tommy Taylor (63)

3 Kieran Brookes (33)

4 Charlie Matthews (25)

5 Thibaud Flament (13)

6 Jack Willis (51)

7 Thomas Young (cc) (111)

8 Brad Shields (23)



Replacements

16 Gabriel Oghre (17)

17 Tom West (21)

18 Biyi Alo (8)

19 Tim Cardall (13)

20 Nizaam Carr (53)

21 Will Porter (16)

22 Lima Sopoaga (36)

23 Michael Le Bourgeois (30)

Re: Team is up
Boooo 20 February, 2020 12:24
All Black centre Malakai Fekitoa is back in the Wasps starting line-up for the Club’s first ever Friday night Gallagher Premiership clash at Ricoh Arena against Saracens this weekend (kick-off 7.45pm).

The centre has recovered from a knee knock to start and is one of four changes to the starting line-up for Friday night.

Brad Shields gets his first start since early November as he gets the nod at number-eight alongside Jack Willis and co-captain Thomas Young in the back-row, with Nizaam Carr named on the bench. Sione Vailanu misses out with a knee problem.

In the second-row, Charlie Matthews is back in the side to step in for Wales call-up Will Rowlands, and partners Academy lock Thibaud Flament.

The front-row sees Ben Harris start for the first time since December after overcoming a shoulder knock to partner Tommy Taylor and Kieran Brookes, as Simon McIntyre misses out with a groin injury.

In the backs, co-captain Dan Robson and Jacob Umaga maintain their spots in the half-back combination while Fekitoa joins fellow New Zealander Jimmy Gopperth in the centres. Marcus Watson, Josh Bassett and Zach Kibirige occupy the back-three once again.

Lima Sopoaga, Tom West, Tim Cardall and Will Porter are back among the replacements as Wasps look to return to winning ways.

Wasps Interim Head Coach Lee Blackett said: “I feel like we’d been moving in the right direction – obviously in the three games before Leicester we’d scored three try-bonus points but a couple of bounces of the ball and a couple of things that didn’t go our way last weekend meant we didn’t come away with the result.

“This weekend is a different challenge – under the Friday Night Lights – and we’re massively excited for the occasion.

“Sarries were really good last weekend against Sale (Sharks). They managed the game really well so it’ll be a big challenge but hopefully one we will rise to.

“We want to put in a performance we can be proud of and to try and get back to winning ways at The Ricoh.”

Re: Team is up
Boooo 20 February, 2020 12:26
I’m glad they are sticking with Jacob.
They should continue to do so this season and give him as many opportunities to expose him to playing against different oppositions in the Premiership.

He’s the future, along with some other very good young Waspies.

Re: Team is up
DuncanS 20 February, 2020 12:34
What happened to ZZ?

Re: Team is up
Buzzer 20 February, 2020 12:41
Thanks Booo. Forgot it was named today.
Looks a good team. Expect Saracens young guns to put up a good fight though.

Re: Team is up
neils 20 February, 2020 13:26
Quote:
Buzzboy
Thanks Booo. Forgot it was named today.
Looks a good team. Expect Saracens young guns to put up a good fight though.

Not so young guns!!

Re: Team is up
Hangover 20 February, 2020 14:45
To play

Saracens team to take on Wasps at the Ricoh Arena:
15 Alex Goode
14 Rotimi Segun
13 Duncan Taylor
12 Brad Barritt (c)
11 Alex Lewington
10 Manu Vunipola
9 Tom Whiteley
1 Richard Barrington
2 Jack Singleton
3 Vincent Koch
4 Joel Kpoku
5 Callum Hunter-Hill
6 Nick Isiekwe
7 Sean Reffell
8 Jackson Wray

Replacements
16 Tom Woolstencroft
17 Rhys Carre
18 Josh Ibuanokpe
19 Andy Christie
20 Kapeli Pifeleti
21 Ben Spencer
22 Dom Morris
23 Ali Crossdale

Quite a few names I don't recognise but they will still be a handful.

Re: Team is up
kentwasp1 20 February, 2020 18:52
Good team. Questions to those more knowledgeable than me:
1 . Lima is either not in the squad or on the bench on a big payday as we lose millions. Please tell me he is out of contract end of season?
2. As well as ZZ, where is Miller? I rate him but he’s never got a chance this season and not a regular one. Seems for the off?
3. Why is Loz not playing?
4. Can we mug them in the tunnel after the game and put Wasps strips on Goode, Singleton, Wray and a few others for next season? Loz if he is in the stadium
5. Sky have the match as Sale v Leicester at the Ricoh. Mistake, or have we refinanced the Ricoh already

This should be a spicy great match and wish I could watch it.

Re: Team is up
Boooo 20 February, 2020 20:18
I believe, much to my annoyance, that the BT Sports coverage of Wasps v Saracens has been withdrawn.
BT are now covering Sale v Leicester.

All due to Saracens not having anything to play for and their matches meaning diddly-squat to BT Sports.


On a more positive note, Will Rowlands has made the Welsh bench.
Huge congrats.

Re: Team is up
John Tee 20 February, 2020 21:15
Im cool with that myself...i wouldn't watch any game with them in it tbh.

Re: Team is up
Lwasp 21 February, 2020 10:15
Quote:
John Tee
Im cool with that myself...i wouldn't watch any game with them in it tbh.

Thing is it's not just the cheats being punished by this. This match was a prime opportunity for Wasps' sponsors to get some airtime. With the best will in the world they weren't just hoping for exposure in front of those that make the Friday night trip to the Ricoh.

Re: Team is up
John Tee 21 February, 2020 11:05
Quote:
Lwasp
Quote:
John Tee
Im cool with that myself...i wouldn't watch any game with them in it tbh.

Thing is it's not just the cheats being punished by this. This match was a prime opportunity for Wasps' sponsors to get some airtime. With the best will in the world they weren't just hoping for exposure in front of those that make the Friday night trip to the Ricoh.

Accept that....it is a royal dog's dinner and clubs continue to feel the fallout of the terrible way this has been handled. Spinning it out to protect the rwc ...which failed.. and may even have contributed to our no show on the day, imv, has compromised so many other aspects of our game...not least what the RFU are actually doing...which actually amounts to hoping it will all disappear quietly and not affect the national team. ...whose players from the club might actually have a few questions to answer. imo.


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