Northampton Saints

Since Boydy has helpfully informed us (see the STHF thread) that there will be nine changes for Saturday we can have fun working them out. Maybe someone will even predict the team correctly.

My take is that nine includes changes to the 23 and to the starting XV. We got an extra clue that Woody will be rested (probably hates pasta).

So given Saturdays 23 was

Waller/Haywood/Painter/Ribbans/Lawes/Wood/Ludlam/Harrison/Reinach/Biggar/Naiyarovoro/Francis/Hutchinson/Collins/Furbank plus Van Wyk/Fish/OFranks/Api/Gibbo/Proctor/Mitchell/Tuala we could see

Van Wyk (change 1) Fish (2) O Franks (3) Ribbans Lawes Gibson (4) Ludlum Harrison Reinach Biggar Naiyarovoro Hutchinson Proctor (5) Collins Furbank

Bench Waller Haywood Hill (change 6) Moon (7)Coles (8) Dingwall (9) Mitchell Tuala

Hutch is just a positional change which I dont count.

Franks and Proctor need game time before Tigers and Leinster, assuming Piers is out injured after Saturday. Grayson misses out as both Hutch and Furby can cover 10.

Now there's a Wandies game next Monday, try predicting the team for that!

Is Andy Symons injured then? If not surely he’d have to be in contention.

Looking at the squad there are 35-ish in genuine contention maybe more. A real dark horse at some point is Paddy Ryan who seems to be off the injury list now and is an out-and out 7



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 19/11/2019 21:53 by fair_weather_fan.

interesting i think team will be as follows

Van Wyk/Haywood/O Franks/Coles/Lawes/Gibson/Ludlam/Harrison/Reinach/Biggar/Sleighthome/Hutchinson/proctor/Collins/Furbank

On Bench - Hill/Fish/B Franks/Moon/Bean/Mitchell/Dingwall/Tuala

Another very good post FWF


FYI forecast is rain friday and saturday. I am assuming a high water table there !


If you watched the Treviso-Leinster game, Treviso actually won lots of the collisions. On that basis I would pick Api at lock for ballast. I agree I like Proctor in the centres for the same reason, he is very solid in defence.

Fish went off due to HIA with Mikey finishing the match. If Fish hasn't passed protocols, I would imagine that Mikey would start with van Vuuren on the bench. Still 1 of the 9 changes.

Quote:

Wilson Pickett
If you watched the Treviso-Leinster game, Treviso actually won lots of the collisions. On that basis I would pick Api at lock for ballast. I agree I like Proctor in the centres for the same reason, he is very solid in defence.

Do you believe Api wins more collisions in attack and/or defence than either/or both of Lawes and Ribbans or would you advocate a move to the back row for someone?

Whilst I'm not suggesting that Treviso will be an easy opponent, I think you could put a strong case forward that they will be the weakest team we'll face for the rest of the season. With that in mind i would guess the coaches would have to look at which games players could miss. This would be a game I'd target to try to rest more players than just Tom Wood which I'm sure Boyd will.

My question:- Is it the number of games players are involved in that is counted or the number of minutes in a season? As an example, if you deem Grayson more than capable to replace Biggar in the team, which I do, should Biggar even be in the squad? Scenario being he comes on for the last 15 minutes and it's counted as another game he's played.

Chris Boyd has said this is a game we need to win. Not sure he will be thinking it is the weakest team we will play. He has said 9 changes one being named as woody. Other posters all have reasonable options. Probably fish and Francis are two more of those nine?

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Quote:

Awaywin

Quote:

Wilson Pickett
If you watched the Treviso-Leinster game, Treviso actually won lots of the collisions. On that basis I would pick Api at lock for ballast. I agree I like Proctor in the centres for the same reason, he is very solid in defence.

Do you believe Api wins more collisions in attack and/or defence than either/or both of Lawes and Ribbans or would you advocate a move to the back row for someone?

Good question. He’s just naturally bigger. Ribeye when he really fills out will be IMHO international standard but he’s still young. He and Courtney are athletic locks. Given we have a fast athletic back row (no number 8) I think our A Team pack isn’t dense enough. Courtney and Ribeye are athletic and rangey, Api is solid.

No science just instinct ! Horses for courses, away at Treviso we only lose if we don’t win the scrums and collisions so I’d make our pack as heavy/low centre of gravity as possible.

Quote:

smitferbrainz
Is Andy Symons injured then? If not surely he’d have to be in contention.

For me, whilst he has looked decent, he may not get that much game time as he is behind Francis and Hutch for the 12 shirt.

As for the changes this week, I think we may see one or both of Naiyaravoro and Furbs rested, Proctor in at 13, Api, O Franks, Van Wyk and Gibson all in.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see Moon back and Courts switched to 6 this week.

I’m surprised so many people are putting Lawes in their team. He’s just played an entire World Cup, and this is the worst opposition we’ll face all season. Give the bloke a breather !

Quote:

Wilson Pickett
Good question. He’s just naturally bigger. Ribeye when he really fills out will be IMHO international standard but he’s still young. He and Courtney are athletic locks. Given we have a fast athletic back row (no number 8) I think our A Team pack isn’t dense enough. Courtney and Ribeye are athletic and rangey, Api is solid.
No science just instinct ! Horses for courses, away at Treviso we only lose if we don’t win the scrums and collisions so I’d make our pack as heavy/low centre of gravity as possible.

Agree with Ribbans become international standard in the near future. It will be interesting if he fills out, I know the Courtney has to work really hard to keep the weight on.

It is an interesting one as always tactics in sport. Do we play to our strengths and play our way or do we react and try and pick a team that combats the oppositions strengths. I seem to recall us going for our heftiest pack against Exeter in the semi final last season and ultimately suffering a very similar fate to the team we picked a week before.

Quote:

St.Sinner
I’m surprised so many people are putting Lawes in their team. He’s just played an entire World Cup, and this is the worst opposition we’ll face all season. Give the bloke a breather !

I really don’t agree with this. Treviso have come on massively. They gave Leinster a tough match in Ireland last week, they’ve had very close losses to Scarlets and Ulster, they’ve beaten Edinburgh. This is the mentality which will cause an upset.


That said I would start Api and leave Courtney in Northants.


The worst team we will play this year is next weekend 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Quote:

St.Sinner
I’m surprised so many people are putting Lawes in their team. He’s just played an entire World Cup, and this is the worst opposition we’ll face all season. Give the bloke a breather !

Err but Boydy offered everyone a rest but they all want to play so after 1 game back in GBG Courts needs a rest .............

Ha ha I was about to say the same - anyone who thinks this is the weakest side we'll face clearly hasn't watched and Tigers games this season! (Cue them turning up and beating us...…)

They're definitely no pushover and very physical, if it was likely to be dry and firm I'd say stick to our game and run them around - however it won't be so we need to front up.

I appreciate all the RWC lads wanted straight back in and want to contribute but with all respect to them that doesn't mean they're right! Look at all the discussion around Alex Waller - he'd have kept playing for 300 games if he'd been selected but it wasn't doing him (or the team) any good.

Personally I'd keep Biggs for the leadership and decision making (not that Grays doesn't have both but not yet to the same level as a B&I Lion) but I would give Courts a rest, not only physically but he's got a young family so on the personal side another overseas away trip probably isn't great. I was impressed with Symonds last time out, clearly a big direct runner but that little out the back pass was great stuff and allowed us to get wide while he sucked the defence in. Centres are well stocked in general so I'm relaxed there, if Furbs is rested does Ace or Collins go to 15?

Cobus to me also looked a little off the pace (by his standards! still absolutely rapid but didn't quite have that extra yard he usually has to leave the rest for dead) but played well otherwise, we're less well stocked at 9 until Mitchell (the younger) is back though.

More questions than answers, who'd be a DOR?!