Wheres Mafi??

[WiggoTiger]

Is this another RC conspiracy? Is he injured or not?

If not why is he not on the bench?

[tigerburnie]

Why must there be a conspiracy? we are fielding pretty much an unchanged side apart from Marcos,the guy will play when the time is right.

[MrPartridge]

Simple answer - presumably not match fit...

[kornboy130]

Simple case of tactics.

We want to bring Tank on off the bench having softened them up slightly and give us that incredible work rate of his around the pitch as Croft is fit enough to go the 80 and a good shout for best player in our side (though that's an argument for another day).

Subsequently as we aren't planning on taking Croft off it means no Mafi.

[longlivethecrumbie]

The only way you could possibly work him in is to lose Kitch from the bench so that Mafi could cover second and back row

[Grimlish]

And likely his fitness was talked up in advance of the Toulon game to keep the opposition guessing...

[Smurphswillgetya]

Maybe he is in the naughty corner!

[fortysix]

Mafi must have thrown a wild pass like a chap called Goneva once did, many many moons ago...... has anyone heard or seen the poor blighter ever since ???

[palletman]

Reading to much into the situation, as some of the posters on this forum often do. I saw Steve Mafi at the Spire Hospital on the Monday following his injury during the game. I suspect he had been for a scan. Having had an op myself 8 weeks earlier I offered to help him across the roadway to his car. He struggled to hobble to his car, and having seen him hit the deck at WR I floated the question "is that it for the season"? His body language to me said it all. Brilliant committed player, how could he possibly upset RC?

Please don't rush back and cause another injury. See you next season!

[TigerLad]

Reading to much into the situation, as some of the posters on this forum often do. I saw Steve Mafi at the Spire Hospital on the Monday following his injury during the game. I suspect he had been for a scan. Having had an op myself 8 weeks earlier I offered to help him across the roadway to his car. He struggled to hobble to his car, and having seen him hit the deck at WR I floated the question "is that it for the season"? His body language to me said it all. Brilliant committed player, how could he possibly upset RC?

Please don't rush back and cause another injury. See you next season!

That's bad news if true. I'm just hoping that Cockers feels Kitch and Waldrom are playing too well to be replaced and so Mafi doesn't get a place, and he doesn't have an injury.

[Ian Cant]

Mafi and Murphy have been seen at training but I imagine Cockerill doesn't want to risk players who aren't match fit. If, the team that is announced plays against Wasps that's great. We need to win well(or just win) then wrap up the home semi v Bath. We are off to Bath as usual and if we beat Wasps this is the game where Mafi and Murphy may come into the squad as we'd still have Irish at home to try to secure that home tie.Mind you I think we can beat anyone away too.
It would be great tomorrow if Tom Vardell and Wade don't score against us for once. That pair killed us away from home the last 2 matches down there!!

[PM76]

IMO Mafi hasn't been selected for various reasons:

1) Crofty is playing well and didn't feature for a lot of the season so is relatively fresh
2) Steve is IMO pretty much on par with Crofty when they are both at their best but it would take him about 2/3 matches to get up to speed and without a proper A league it is tough for players to get match fit
3) Mafi could come onto the bench but Cockers has always been conservative in having players on the bench in case of injury during the match. TTTE is a better back row bench option than Mafi and while Steve could be on the bench ahead of Kitchener we would be short in the second row if somebody gets injured and without a regular line-out caller etc. This policy has been seen before with Staunton on the bench ahead of Twelvetrees and can be seen with the 22 shirt at the moment with Ford ahead of Bowden. In both cases the latter player would probably offer/ have offered more "impact" from the bench but RC has always been inclined to "play safe".

Big Steve has just been unlucky and may not be fit. Anyway the amount of players who have returned to the side 2/3 weeks after being declared fit is amazing.

[publandlord]

In the starting XV

[hugh78]

Hopefully T Youngs, Parling, Croft just being rested. They must be shattered anyway.

[kpb]

Both Tom Croft and Tom Youngs sat near to us in the CAT stand today,both seemed fine. Parling joined them in the stand in the second half and seemed OK.