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By Stevie J
#39027
So the first block of Prem fixtures are done - played 8, won 1, drawn 3, lost 4. Points picked up in every game. The Prem Rugby Cup effectively starts the next batch of games with a chance to blood some youngsters and rotate others.

Judging by the training photos Munga, Cornish, Williams are all likely in the squad. As for the rest I imagine as much as possible they will want to avoid first-teamers and try and plug as many EQPs in as possible. Here's my guess at a starting team:

Dever, Cornish, Parker
Munga, Nott
Cooke, Curtis-Harris, Cracknell
White, Atkins
Cokanasiga, Williams
Redmond, Stokes, Harmes / Dykes
User avatar
By SixNineOne
#39074
It would be really good to get a chance to see these guys plays. Let's just hope that Saints also use it as an opportunity to blood some of their youngsters & newer faces and don't load their team with ringers from the first team. I always enjoy a trip to Franklins Gardens (despite its new, silly name) and currently the weather forecast looks OK.
By Lazyboy346
#39101
I'd want Jennings to start one of these cup games as he's only played off the bench so far. If Jackson is out for a while, we will need a new starting 10 as I suspect we won't be able to sign one on a temporary basis.
User avatar
By MattM
#39110
Someone started a thread on a Facebook group so I had a stab at the sort of team I would like to see and it's something like this one below. I did forget we'd signed Cracknell so would likely put him somewhere in there.

Essentially giving run outs to as many wider squad players as possible but also Jennings getting a start and I want a look at Rowe playing full back.

Dever
Cornish
Green
Munga
Nott
Cooke
Smart
Moore-Aiono
O'Sullivan
Jennings
Redmond
Cokanasiga
Williams
Stokes
Rowe

Vajner, Haffer, Ryan Bower, Brooke, Curtis-Harris, Englefield, J. Atkins, Joseph
By M_W
#39118
Anyone know what Joseph's injury was? Assume he's still out as I've not seen him in any training pics or playing on loan anywhere.
User avatar
By SixNineOne
#39121
MattM wrote:
Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:10 pm
Someone started a thread on a Facebook group so I had a stab at the sort of team I would like to see and it's something like this one below. I did forget we'd signed Cracknell so would likely put him somewhere in there.

Essentially giving run outs to as many wider squad players as possible but also Jennings getting a start and I want a look at Rowe playing full back.

Dever
Cornish
Green
Munga
Nott
Cooke
Smart
Moore-Aiono
O'Sullivan
Jennings
Redmond
Cokanasiga
Williams
Stokes
Rowe

Vajner, Haffer, Ryan Bower, Brooke, Curtis-Harris, Englefield, J. Atkins, Joseph
This list does rather highlight how thin we are at lock, in that we’d have to include Nott who is normally part of the match day 23 in our Premiership games. We seem to have a plethora of upcoming back row talent but Munga is our only young lock. I agree that we ought to slot Cracknell into the mix and they might also decide to give our two new Argentinian recruits a run out (assuming they’re not with the Pumas squad).
By GC89
#39123
The Argentinians are both involved currently so won’t be available for us. I would probably go:

Dell
Willemse
Parker
Nott
Munga
Cooke
Curtis-Harris
Cracknell

White
Jennings
Redmond
Cokanasiga
Williams
Rowe
Stokes

Bench: Cornish, Dever, Green, Smart, Moore-Aiono, O’Sullivan, Atkins, Arundell
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User avatar
By Stevie J
#39278
Irish:
15 James Stokes, 14 Kyle Rowe, 13 Benhard van Rensburg, 12 Matt Williams, 11 Cillian Redmond, 10 Rory Jennings, 9 Hugh O’Sullivan, 1 Allan Dell, 2 Matt Cornish, 3 Ciaran Parker, 4 George Nott, 5 Chunya Munga, 6 Jack Cooke (c), 7 Isaac Curtis-Harris, 8 Olly Cracknell.

Replacements:
16 Mike Willemse, 17 Jamie Dever, 18 Luke Green, 19 Steve Mafi, 20 Izzy Moore-Aiono, 21 Caolan Englefield, 22 Jacob Atkins, 23 Phil Cokanasiga.


Northampton:
15 George Hendy, 14 Josh Gillespie, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Ethan Grayson, 10 James Grayson, 9 Tom James, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun, 2 Mike Haywood, 3 Karl Garside, 4 Alex Moon, 5 Brandon Nansen, 6 Alex Coles (c), 7 Kayde Sylvester, 8 Karl Wilkins

Replacements:
16 Reece Marshall, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Conor Carey, 19 Tom Lockett, 20 Geordie Irvine, 21 Ollie Newman, 22 Connor Tupai, 23 Tom Collins
User avatar
By Narbia
#39375
[deleted]

For some completely unknown [technical] reason I couldn't get a link of LI's win[winning 36-26 ] to show up here. :-k



Edit: Anyway, well done guys. C.U Friday night. :yes:
Last edited by Narbia on Sun Nov 14, 2021 9:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
By SixNineOne
#39386
It was a typical London Irish performance at Franklins Gardens. Early pressure from Saints was repelled and then we scored 4 times from our five visits to their 22 during the first half, with our back line looking pretty impressive and, unlike the Saints back line, looking like a bunch of guys who’d played together before. Matt Williams put in an energetic shift and Kyle Rowe looked a handful. In typical Irish fashion though, we decided in the second half that it would be more fun to let Saints have a turn, letting them fight their way back to 26-26 while Benhard JvR took a well earned 10 minute rest for a really dumb foul in our 22 straight in front of the referee. But then the threat of yet another draw seemed to galvanise the lads, and we pulled back another try and penalty to run out 36-26 winners. Overall, much more entertaining than frustrating, and it was good to see how good our back line looked. Well worth the trip up the M1!
Narbia, Stevie J liked this
By GC89
#39632
Interesting performance I thought. The new boys Parker and Cracknell both acquitted themselves well I thought, although not sure either will or should be in our first choice 23 but definitely good options to have. ICH picked up another injury which is a shame - although he did make a few mistakes and was replaced by Izzy who produced a real x factor moment for the winning try. He looks really handy in those wider channels but perhaps a bit undersized for the tighter collisions. I really hope he starts tomorrow night. In the backs, I thought Stokes had a really good game and van Rensburg looked like the best player on the pitch. Jennings isn't going to set the world on fire, but what I like about him is his style of play is very similar to Paddy's. I think that means there is a clear identity to the way our first and second teams play now which has probably been missing previously. Clever recruitment in that sense.
By M_W
#39637
Yeah, agree with most of that. Watched the game in the end the other day on the Prem website.

As journeyman mid season squad signings go, Cracknell seems lively. Does everything at full throttle and hit's like a truck.

BJVR was the best player on the pitch. Has a superb all round game.
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