[GHA]

It's just dawned on me that Premiership rugby is finally back in just four days...

3pm on BT Sport for anyone not going.

About time too.

[Stevie J]

And more than that we have our referee announced; it's JP Doyle.

https://www.planetrugby.com/match-offic ... ober-20-2/

[GHA]

The team...

15 Tom Parton, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Terrence Hepetema, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Scott Steele, 1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, 2 Saia Fainga’a, 3 Oliver Hoskins, 4 Franco van der Merwe ©, 5 Ruan Botha, 6 Matt Rogerson, 7 Blair Cowan, 8 Albert Tuisue

Replacements: 16 Ross McMillan, 17 Harry Elrington, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 George Nott, 20 Conor Gilsenan, 21 Ben Meehan, 22 Stephen Myler, 23 Matt Williams

[GHA]

The oppo...

15 Marcus Watson, 14 Zach Kibirige, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Michael Le Bourgeois, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Dan Robson (C), 1 Zurabi Zhvania, 2 Tommy Taylor, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 James Gaskell, 5 Charlie Matthews, 6 Brad Shields, 7 Jack Willis, 8 Sione Vailanu

Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Ben Harris, 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 19 Thibaud Flament, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Jacob Umaga, 23 Juan de Jongh

[Stevie J]

As strong a team as both sides can put out really. For me, Dan Robson if fully fit is the difference maker between the two teams.

Still, ya gotta believe!

[Margin_Walker]

Let's see what happens. Agree that it looks to be the strongest side we have available.

Strong Wasps team, but it would be nice to be a little more competitive away from home this time around. LBP and TBPs will all be welcome come the end of the season.

[Narbia]

Well done guys.

I know it's only the first game, but an 80 minutes performance has been absent for so-o-oo-o
long.

[GHA]

Well well well. That was so un-Irish and so Irish all at the same time. Gave away far too many turnovers at ruck time but looked so good in attack and keen to kick to the corner from the odd penalty which was a breath of fresh air. Awesome goal line defense during the second half, then just when you think maybe just maybe we could sneak a 4 try BP with two minutes to go we end up defending our own line, backs against the wall, defending 5m lineouts, shovelling the ball over our own goal-line and barely falling on it in time (thank you Paddy!) with the clock in the red...

Onwards and upwards, four points in the bag. Roll on Sale.

[Margin_Walker]

The boys did superbly well to tough that out. Not getting too carried away as we've been here before after the first game of the season, but it was very encouraging all the same. Especially away from home.

Blair was really rolling back the years out there, which was great to see . Thought the pack in general were great (shout out to Tuisui and Botha). Lots of positives, but we need to keep it going into next week.

[MattM]

I am still buzzing from yesterday's win.
It wasn't pretty but all the better for the graft that was put in to secure it.
Hoping it leads to further wins as we seemed to be so much better at the basics than previously.
Blair was rightfully MOTM but Botha was excellent too and I thought the outside backs all shone at points.
More of the same against Sale please!

[Margin_Walker]

Yeah, really important that we try to back this up against Sale. It's a winnable game given how close the prem cup game was and Sale's loss at the weekend.

Also a mention for Meehan and Nott off the bench yesterday. Meehan looked very composed and I think it was him pulling off the last ditch tackle on Watson when they butchered the overlap. Nott was faultless in defence and went straight through their maul at the end to sack it.

Can also see why OHC got the nod over Williams. Having that kind of straight line speed out wide (on both wings) is pretty handy in broken play and on turnover ball.

[Margin_Walker]

Highlights up

[SimonG]

Yeah, really important that we try to back this up against Sale. ....

Well I'm sure that they will try!

[Stevie J]

Now that was unexpected!

Very pleased with that, on the road without many of our new signings other than Jackson, Botha and Rona. First win at the Ricoh I think, and to do that after Jack Willis conservative eleventy billion turnovers (not all of them legal but fair enough).

Positives for me;

• The back three - so young but undaunted and OHC had the better day seemingly, but Loader made some good incursions. Parton though will need to visit tackle club. Fair play though Tom on trying to style out his, erm, attempt at a one handed take...
• Botha - for a big man carried well often shifting his feet after catching the ball to run at a weak shoulder. On the flip side, thats two yellows in two games, so maybe be less conspicuous next time Ruan.
• Halfbacks - Steele and Meehan both played pretty well and just like in the champ last season, Meehan's boot was invaluable in clearing danger.
• Defence - Dogged for long periods when we couldn't get out our 22 in the second period.
• Cowan - After last season I'm not sure he had such performances left in the tank but following surgery he has looked pretty great so far this season. Earned that MOTM award and then some.

Obviously plenty to work on - Jackson's kicking started off poorly, securing our own ball at ruck time of course. A better team may have been much more dangerous but to score 29 points on the road (and left a few tries out there) speaks well. Excited to see how this team can do now back at home against Sale.