Gloucester up next

[tigerburnie]

I'm liking the balance of that side, home win, will be tough, but a home win it will be


COME ON YOU TIGERRRRRrrrrrsssss

[Brianf]

Here is the Gloucester team, as confirmed on their website,

15. Charlie Sharples
14. David Halaifonua
13. Mark Atkinson
12. Bill Meakes
11. Henry Purdy
10.James Hook
9. Dan Robson
1. Dan Murphy
2. Darren Dawidiuk
3. John Afoa
4. Tom Savage
5. Tom Palmer
6. Sione Kalamafoni
7. Matt Kvesic
8. Gareth Evans

Replacements:
16. Aleki Lutui
17. Yann Thomas
18. Shaun Knight
19. James Hudson
20. Ross Moriarty
21. Callum Braley
22. Billy Burns
23. Henry Trinder

[Rykard]

i thought hook had been called into the Wales side.

[Noddy555]

We should be careful when selecting a team against Gloucester that we don't treat them too lightly. They are really only missing Billy Twelvetrees from their 1st 23 squad. Whilst resting key players we should not go too far in experimentation. Briggs & Thacker at Hooker and sub ok, but why do we experiment in the centre position is Anthony Allen injured?

[Rykard]

AA has got a knee injury , '8' weeks out was the estimate a week or so ago//

[Soggypitch]

That's a good looking team, wish I could go to the match but am travelling to the alps....

Nice to see Catchpole and Roberts rewarded for their performances in the LV. Also good to see Niki back on the wing.

Not too sure who would replace Tait at FB if he gets injured? Wouldn't be too sure about Thompstone, Niki or Benjy at FB. So on that basis I'm surprised that Morris is not in the 23.

It's a game we need to win and I think we will.

[4071]

Good call to put a centre at centre and stick Goneva back on the wing. Good reward for performance for young Catchpole.

Not entirely convinced with Mele covering FH - I really hope Burns stays on the full 80...

[Iain]

Good call to put a centre at centre and stick Goneva back on the wing. Good reward for performance for young Catchpole.

Not entirely convinced with Mele covering FH - I really hope Burns stays on the full 80...

I suspect Bai would essentially become cover for 10 to be honest.

[4071]

We should be careful when selecting a team against Gloucester that we don't treat them too lightly. They are really only missing Billy Twelvetrees from their 1st 23 squad.

May is also with England, Hibbard is with Wales and Laidlaw is with Scotland, so that's four first choice they are missing to international call-ups. And they are also missing a handful of players with injury (the likes of Wood, Morgan and Cook). This is a half-strength Gloucester side, and at Welford Road we should be beating them, even with a fair few call-ups and injuries ourselves. We are harder hit than they are, but that's been the case all season and we do have a deeper squad than them.

[4071]

Good call to put a centre at centre and stick Goneva back on the wing. Good reward for performance for young Catchpole.

Not entirely convinced with Mele covering FH - I really hope Burns stays on the full 80...

I suspect Bai would essentially become cover for 10 to be honest.

D'oh!

Good point.

Still not totally convinced of his quality at FH, but more comfortable with him covering the spot than Mele. Particularly as Roberts in benching and could easily step in to renew that LV Cup centre pair that have done well the last couple of weeks and developed a bit of an understanding.

[Iain]

Good call to put a centre at centre and stick Goneva back on the wing. Good reward for performance for young Catchpole.

Not entirely convinced with Mele covering FH - I really hope Burns stays on the full 80...

I suspect Bai would essentially become cover for 10 to be honest.

D'oh!

Good point.

Still not totally convinced of his quality at FH, but more comfortable with him covering the spot than Mele. Particularly as Roberts in benching and could easily step in to renew that LV Cup centre pair that have done well the last couple of weeks and developed a bit of an understanding.

We haven't really seen Bai as a ten over here but he played there pretty regularly in France didn't he?

Hopefully it isn't an issue and Burns stays on the field.

[RagingBull]

He started at 10 (I think) for Clermont regularly.

Played more at 12 and 13 later in his career.

He has a nice Drop Goal to.

Great to see both catchpole and Roberts in there.

[JackFlashJonny]

It was his extra time drop goal that got Castres to the final last year!

I would like to see him at 10 at some point (maybe our next game v London Welsh) as a Fijian 10 always makes for an interesting match

[4071]

I suspect Bai would essentially become cover for 10 to be honest.

D'oh!

Good point.

Still not totally convinced of his quality at FH, but more comfortable with him covering the spot than Mele. Particularly as Roberts in benching and could easily step in to renew that LV Cup centre pair that have done well the last couple of weeks and developed a bit of an understanding.

We haven't really seen Bai as a ten over here but he played there pretty regularly in France didn't he?

Hopefully it isn't an issue and Burns stays on the field.

Not sure about his time at Castres, but he was never more than second choice FH for Clermont as they usually had Brock James starting. He wasn't even a regular at 10 for Fiji - I think Nicky Little was first choice there for most of Bai's career. I very much think of him as a centre who can cover FH at a push rather than a genuine FH starter.

But that's still probably better than Mele.

As you say, fingers crossed there's no need to find out about his abilities at 10. Unless it's late in the game with the BP secured....



Edit: the TRY bonus, obviously!

[RagingBull]

Bai started at 10 for Fiji 11 times in his 49 games with them, (Including the 2007 WC semi final against SA), Most of those games where 2007 onwards.

As said he is a centre 12 or 13 but he IS adept to playing at 10 even in the big games.