Round 16 team announcements are already upon us. Thread for team news etc.
Wasps:
CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE BRISTOL BEARS
15 Josh Hodge
14 Tom O’Flaherty
13 Phil Dollman
12 Tom Hendrickson
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Jack Yeandle (capt)
3 Tomas Francis
4 Dave Dennis
5 Sam Skinner
6 Jannes Kirsten
7 Don Armand
8 Sean Lonsdale
16 Jack Innard
17 Billy Keast
18 Marcus Street
19 Will Witty
20 Richard Capstick
21 Joe Snow
22 Harvey Skinner
23 Tom Wyatt
so given we’ve had 2 rounds do you want the current interpretation continued or not? If yes how would you finesse them. Here is Geeches view https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2020/08/23/new-interpretation-laws-breakdown-has-already-changed-game-better/
From my perspective I think it creates room so generally approve. I just hope the refs continue to apply these rules. If only they would do the same for off side.
16. Franco Marais, 17. Logovi’I Mulipola, 18. Jack Stanley, 19. Danny Drake, 20. Jack Clement, 21. Stephen Varney, 22. Tom Seabrook, 23. Charlie Sharples
Wasps
15. Rob Miller; 14. Paolo Odogwu, 13. Michael Le Bourgeois, 12. Ryan Mills, 11. Marcus Watson 10. Lima Sopoaga, 9. Ben Vellacott; 1. Simon McIntyre, 2. Tom Cruse, 3. Biyi Alo, 4. Tim Cardall, 5. James Gaskell, 6. Ben Morris, 7. Gabriel Oghre, 8. Tom Willis
16 Alfie Barbeary, 17 Tom West, 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19 Theo Vukasinovic, 20 Sione Vailanu, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Jacob Umaga, 23 Matteo Minozzi
Warriors | 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Noah Heward, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Will Butler (C), 11 Nick David, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Gareth Simpson, 1 Callum Black, 2 Beck Cutting, 3 Richard Palframan, 4 James Scott, 5 Andrew Kitchener, 6 GJ van Velze, 7 Tom Dodd, 8 Cornell du Preez.
Replacements | 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Lewis Holsey, 18 Joe Morris, 19 Justin Clegg, 20 Caleb Montgomery, 21 Jono Kitto, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Oli Morris.
Delighted to see rugby back and normal service resumed on DTRR games got better as the weekend progressed and players got used to breakdown interpretations. Not there yet and neither is referee’s consistency but I was actually very hopeful and pleased. Now sort out offside and the bloody age it takes to do a scrum. Once again no need to fiddle with the laws just apply the ones that exist.
So below is the scores on the doors. Despite their loss thought tigers looked a considerable amount improved. Bristol are looking scary they worked out how to play against the stifling game and their running game if unleashed will be another level. Nice to see Gorgeous George doing well at glaws, seeing if there will be any consistency is of course the thing for them. Neither Sale or Quins setting the world alight. Sarries will be hard for other teams and even their youngsters looked OK. The championship is going to be a one horse race next year. Bath in full flow they’ll face tougher opposition. Irish and Wuss will round out the basement with Sarries, it’s too late for much of a move by tigers. Saints will have better days or they are in trouble they looked mainly like they were still onm the bus despite being at their home ground. Wasps added some defence to the attack. Actually looking like top 4 is not beyond them.
The big question for all teams are who can you keep fit and how you are going to manage rotation with the punishing schedule. The main good thing is we have rugby.
Harlequins and Sale Sharks launch the Premiership resumption on Friday following the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, with nine rounds of regular-season games left followed by play-offs and the final in October.
Aside from water breaks, Premiership officials will also adopt strict interpretations at the key breakdown area, mirroring referees who have taken charge of matches this summer in New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament, with an emphasis on making the breakdown safer.
With premiership rugby about to recommence its time to refresh where we are with the cup and see who’s in line to win the rum that Mani has no doubt been saving and hasn’t drunk at all. So below are the scores on the doors after round 13.
I know things are going to get frantic and lots of matches on top of each other but from a prediction point of view we are all in the same boat. No correspondence will be entered into and complaints will be modded as spam.