Match Preview - Back to the Future


By Ed Scott
January 26 2011

Whilst some of our guys prepare for the Six Nations or Saxons games, the LV Cup returns to the Rec. We welcome Newcastle this week who, although near the bottom of the Premiership, top their LV Cup pool - Bath sit at the bottom of theirs. So what is there to play for?

At this point irony hits me, mainly because Newcastle have amassed four points in their pool and Bath have five! This is a complicated and bizarre competition where no one plays teams in their own pool so it is practically impossible to know how many points you would need to score to win your group or who you need to beat. The ridiculous nature is that we would win our next two games and not go through, whilst Newcastle (or many other teams) could lose theirs and yet still progress!!
 
I spent a fair bit of last weeks preview going through the possible outcomes and requirements for European progression which was complicated enough. To do it this week would result in a call to Stephen Hawking for help - even then I'm not sure it would become clear! Instead, I am going to focus on progression. Not in this competition, but our squad.
 
On Saturday we will be missing Banahan, Wilson, Moody (injured and EPS), Hape, Abendanon (well done for the EPS call up Nick), Cuthbert, Bell, Mears, Short, Hobson, Catt and Williams (who I believe is injured). Newcastle are not in the same boat, but with a relegation battle on their hands, I would be surprised if they are going to risk all their first choice players in this competition.
 
So where does that leave us? Well, not in too bad a position I think. We have an opportunity to give games to many of our promising young players. We are bound to be missing at least four of the above for the whole Six Nations, so we need their cover to be ready. Unless we give game time to these players we will continue to lose talent and talk about getting in players rather than watching them come through. You can't buy team spirit or passion for the badge, no matter how much you spend.
 
The key questions for me surround whether we decide to play the likes of Butch, Watson, Barkley, Grewcock, Taylor etc. Olly hasn't really had much of a break recently, Danny is getting on and Butch is injury prone! Looking at who we have left though, I'm not sure we have much of a choice! Yes we want to avoid injuries, but United played on Monday night and there is no way we can just put all those youngsters up against Newcastle. It's not what those going to watch expect either.
 
I also think we need to keep our top guys playing together and playing regularly. I think Butch still has some cobwebs to brush out and Luke has just had time out with injury. The biggest problem is probably at full-back. Both our first choice players there will be missing so someone else will have to fill the void who doesn't play there every week. Options consist of Vesty (most likely I think), Biggs (who definitely played there for Leeds a few times) or Barkley. If Olly or Sam play, then the 10 slot will need to be filled, either by Butch or Paul Roberts. At 13 Ben Williams would be a shoe in, but apparently he has picked up a knock, so we are again light. Jacques Boussage continues to score tries for United so is surely a starter on one of the wings regardless. My choice would be:
 
15. Vesty 14. Boussage 13. Carraro 12. Barkley 11. Biggs 10. James 9. McMillan 8. Skirving 7. Watson 6. Ovens 5. Van Der Giessen 4. Lobbe 3. Jarvis 2. Batty 1. Flatman. Bench: Beattie, Hooper, Dixon, Barnes, Moss, Cook, Roberts, Scott (not me!).
 
I know our fate is not in our hands (again!) but there is a chance we could still go somewhere in this competition. A good mix of experience and youth, coupled with home support, might just be the tonic for success, not just for now, but for the seasons to come.

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Match Preview - Back to the Future
Discussion started by BathRugbyEre.co.uk , 26/01/2011 19:54
BathRugbyEre.co.uk
26/01/2011 19:54
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:01:29:20:38:47 by Susanne.

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Engage
26/01/2011 20:48
Vesty will play 10 and Scott will start at fullback. Tighthead could be a real problem because Jarvis had to go off with a shoulder injury just after half time on Monday. Batty had to go off with an ankle injury. Both may well not be fit for Saturday. You've picked two looseheads on the bench - Flatman probably won't start as he's coming back from injury. Watson's carrying an injury and almost certainly be rested.

Expect to see something like:

Barnes
Dixon
Jarvis (if fit, otherwise Palma-Newport)
Van Der Giessen
Fernandez-Lobbe
Beattie
Ovens
Skirving
MacMillan
Vesty
Biggs
Barkley
Carraro
Boussuge
Scott

Moss, Batty/Stagg, Palma-Newport/Lilley, Collins, Skuse, Cook, Roberts, Mosses

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PhilHallFan
26/01/2011 20:51
Winning this competition is a route to next year's Heineken Cup. (It's how Northampton qualified for this year's HC.) Until winning is mathematically impossible we should play the strongest team we can. Top 6 in the Premiership is not guaranteed.

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Engage
26/01/2011 20:54
Top 6 in the Premiership is far more likely if we don't lose key players to injury in a second rate competition that we are highly unlikely to advance in, let alone win. Giving the youngsters a chance is the right option.

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OldmanofDorset
27/01/2011 08:41
Isn't Butch back in South Africa getting married ?

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johnnyf
27/01/2011 09:09
If there are concerns about injuries to front-ranking players why did we put out such a strong United team on Monday?
IMHO I think we should go for broke and put out the strongest team available. Tinkering around will not bring results and wins are what we need at present.

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thekingster
27/01/2011 10:14
is mark lilley injured?

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BBandW
28/01/2011 07:15
Excellent preview of this weird competition Ed, Thanks for posting it



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:01:28:07:16:37 by BBandW.

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