Team V London Welsh.

[floridaboy]

In a game where we need to score 4 tries and win the game, what 15 should we start with knowing who is likely to be fit? The bench is going to be important as well.
Do we go with Bai and Loamanu in the centres or do we keep smith in there? Has Catchpole earned the right to start? Thompstone and Morris out wide ?

[tigerburnie]

Not a clue who is fit, but I agree we do need to win this handsomely, so no resting anyone, full match squad firing on all cylinders please.

COME ON YOU TIGERRRRrrrsssssss

[TigerLad]

Martin Crowson was at press day recently and he said that he got the vibe there would be significant changes to the 23.

[RagingBull]

Would go with:

1) Rizzo, 2) Leo, 3) Mulipola
4) De Cheves, 5) Kitchener
6) Gibson, 7) Salvi, 8) Pearce
9) Harrison, 10) Burns
12) Bai, 13) Loamanu
11) Thompstone, 14) Morris, 15) Bell

16) Youngs, 17) Brugnara, 18) Balmain, 19) Thorn, 20) Crane, 21) Youngs/Mele, 22) Catchpole, 23) Tait/Smith

[Bunchy]

I too saw that quote from Martin Crowson - interesting to think who played so much worse than the others to get dropped. Or is it a case of we need to try something new and different?
Friday at noon will tell us I guess.....

[Iain]

Attack and dynamism far more important than safe and solid this week. For that reason I expect to see Loamanu in for Smith. Tombstone and Goneva on the wings too perhaps as I could see Goneva profiting from Loamanu's style in the same way as he does playing outside Manu.

[RagingBull]

Attack and dynamism far more important than safe and solid this week. For that reason I expect to see Loamanu in for Smith. Tombstone and Goneva on the wings too perhaps as I could see Goneva profiting from Loamanu's style in the same way as he does playing outside Manu.

Goneva will NOT play!

[Iain]

A fair point well made.

It's been a long day at work

[kpj tiger]

I would go with
1. Rizzo
2. Ghiraldini
3. Mulipola
4. De Chaves
5. Kitchener
6. Pearce
7. Salvi
8. Crane
9. Youngs
10. Burns
11. Thompstone
12. Bai
13. Loamanu
14. Morris (would be tempted to give Hamilton a last hurrah or Comacho a run)
15. Bell

16. Brugnara
17. Youngs
18. Balmain
19. Parling
20. Gibson
21. Harrison
22. Mele
23. Tait

[Knightonian]

It's got to be Harrison to start

And I fancy resting Salvi and throwing in Thacker

A south sea central partnership

Fast ball, quick players and high octane and we'll score some tries

[tigerburnie]

...............and if we go and lose the game?
We need a side ready for the pests and the Sinners, a side bouncing off the back of a good win to ensure a top 4 position. I would be astonished if we do not play a full first XV, you can experiment with the bench once the game's won.

[4071]

Given how mediocre our 'first XV' has been (even if any of us know what that might be), there's a good argument for rotating in a few fringe players not to rest the starters but to give others a chance to force their way into the team.

We need some real improvements and sticking with the same players who are playing pretty poorly and hoping to get far enough this season to get a semi-final defeat isn't going to be good enough.

We have a deep squad for a reason - we recruit in depth for a reason - and it's so that we don't just have 15 players who need to play every game because of the gulf between them and the next in line.

Rotate, bring in players, and give them a chance to play their way into the starting XV for the final 2-4 matches of the season.

[ourla]

As ever with a game of this nature the sensible selection would be to pick your strongest XV get the game and TBP wrapped up in 50 minutes. Then bring the bench on. Especially given the players have another rest week coming up. We are in no position to take this game lightly.

[4071]

As ever with a game of this nature the sensible selection would be to pick your strongest XV get the game and TBP wrapped up in 50 minutes. Then bring the bench on. Especially given the players have another rest week coming up. We are in no position to take this game lightly.

Arguably, we have little idea what our strongest XV is.

Rotation in this event would not be about 'resting' players, but about trying to find out the best XV for the final push at the end of the season.

Some positions are nailed down, but we have places throughout the team where we are simply underperforming and could do with rotating REGARDLESS of the opposition.

Give Pearce a start not because Crane needs a rest but because he might give us the something extra in the back row to help us in the final weeks of the season. Give Loamanu a run on the wing for the same reason. And Catchpole at centre.

It can't be denied that we are underperforming. So try and find a XV that can improve performance and give us at least a fighting chance if we do make the semis. Because so far this season we are 0-3 in away games against the three teams who are fighting for home semi-final spots and something needs to change for us to make that 1-3 and secure a trip to Twickenham.

[ourla]

4071, clearly for every game there are form, fitness and tactical factors to build in. But just as an example people have listed the two Youngs brothers on the bench and Ghiraldini/Harrison in the starting XV. This IMO would be a gross error. They should be in the starting XV.

There maybe a couple of 50/50s somewhere in the line up. That is a given.