[Olyy]

Starting XV:
15. Tom Roebuck, 14. Tom O’Flaherty, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Alex Wills, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2. Ethan Caine, 3. James Harper, 4. Ernst van Rhyn ©, 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Jos Gilmore, 8. Sam Dugdale.

Replacements:
16. Alfie Longstaff, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. Tye Raymont, 19. Dylan Hodkinson, 20. Reuben Logan, 21. Dom Hanson, 22. Marius Louw, 23. Tristan Woodman.




Not sure anyone could've predicted this side

[Olyy]

Unsurprisingly the offy social media accounts have a different side up to the offy website,
They're saying no Roebuck, RdP at 15, Louw at 13 and Joe Bedlow on the bench

Guess we just have to wait until Sunday to see who shows up

[RinTin]

Facebook release says completely different backline:

15/ RDP 14/Flats 13/ Louw 12/ RMW 11/ Roebuck 10/ Ford 9/ Warr

1/ Asher 2/ Caine 3/ Harper 4/ EVR 5/ Bamber 6/ Vermeulen 7/ Gilmore 8/ Dugdale

[HerefordShark]

How do we manage to put out different team sheets almost every week?

[RinTin]

Asher at loosehead is the one that will get the 'AOF is a loosehead' guys fired up. I just view it as needs must and shows his versatility.

[Surbiton_Shark]

Not sure anyone could've predicted this side

Couldn't agree more. Carps injured again? Luke James seems to be constantly injured, he can't be out of favour as we signed him for another few years....

Thought Tom C may appear. I really would have liked to have seen Hanson start and I'm fed up of Ford aimlessly kicking so would have given him a breather.

Odd selection all around

[RinTin]

Saracens full bore - absolutely terrifying pack on it's way to us.

[Surbiton_Shark]

Saracens full bore - absolutely terrifying pack on it's way to us.

Maybe they want to win....and not just talk about it

[AndaleManito]

Agree with the others, would like an update on Luke James. Wonder what's up with him, was knocking on England's door some years back, but he hardly plays these days. Clearly still handy (4 tries in 3 PREM games - 2 starting) this season. A headscratcher.

Otherwise, I'm really happy to see some of the younger lads get some experience. I've said before, but if this season is indeed a transition, then we should squeeze as much as we can from the experience-giving stone.

...it is actually comical how poor our social media/PR side is... how difficult is it to put out the correct team sheet each week? It's quite a bad look if you think about it - clearly some managerial and communication incompetence somewhere for it to be consistently poor - have to wonder what else is poorly communicated that we don't see.

I now second guess myself and wonder if its selection bias - are all clubs as bad as we are, and I just don't notice it because I don't follow their rosters/lineups so closely? Probably not.

Excited to see Gilmore, Longstaff, McEachran, Raymont, Hodkinson, Logan, Hanson, and Woodman. Go well lads.

[Olyy]

Carpenter a groin strain vs Leinster according to the offy (so take with a huge pinch of salt) - did wonder why he was subbed early

[RinTin]

1 Rhys Carre
2 Jamie George
3 Marcus Street
4 Maro Itoje (c)
5 Hugh Tizard
6 Theo McFarland
7 Ben Earl
8 Tom Willis

9 Charlie Bracken
10 Fergus Burke
11 Rotimi Segun
12 Olly Hartley
13 Nick Tompkins
14 Noah Caluori
15 Max Malins

Replacements:
16 Theo Dan
17 Eroni Mawi
18 Marco Riccioni
19 Harry Wilson
20 Nathan Michelow
21 Ivan Van Zyl
22 Owen Farrell
23 Angus Hall

I'm excited to see Hartley vs RMW. Both great young talents and come through U20's together in the centres side by side.

Their wingers have scary pace.

[dinogyro]

This is probably going to be the worst £275 I've ever spent.

[Yareet]

Agree with the others, would like an update on Luke James. Wonder what's up with him, was knocking on England's door some years back, but he hardly plays these days. Clearly still handy (4 tries in 3 PREM games - 2 starting) this season. A headscratcher.

Otherwise, I'm really happy to see some of the younger lads get some experience. I've said before, but if this season is indeed a transition, then we should squeeze as much as we can from the experience-giving stone.

...it is actually comical how poor our social media/PR side is... how difficult is it to put out the correct team sheet each week? It's quite a bad look if you think about it - clearly some managerial and communication incompetence somewhere for it to be consistently poor - have to wonder what else is poorly communicated that we don't see.

I now second guess myself and wonder if its selection bias - are all clubs as bad as we are, and I just don't notice it because I don't follow their rosters/lineups so closely? Probably not.

Excited to see Gilmore, Longstaff, McEachran, Raymont, Hodkinson, Logan, Hanson, and Woodman. Go well lads.

The Welsh RFU apparently managed to put the wrong Scotland lineup in the program for the W6N game. Including Jade Konkel who retired after the World Cup

It’s not just us

[ejndavid95]

How can it be so difficult for them to release the correct team selection across all platforms? Supposed to be a professional outfit for god sake.

Ties in to the lack of match updates on Twitter etc as well...all points to a pretty amateurish social media team.

[SSR]

Check out this interview with Axe on RugbyPass.
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/beef-ale ... ace-in-it/
Now compare it to the team we are putting out. What statement is he trying to make ?

[DavenportSharky]

Sale Sharks v Saracens
Referee: Christophe Ridley (93rd game)
ARs: Hamish Smales & Jamie Leahy
TMO: Peter Allan

[Olyy]

Joe Bedlow has shared the teamsheet on his Instagram story so I guess that confirms the version with him in is the legit one


I'm not keen on RdP at 15 tbh - is Ollie Davies injured? Might as well give him a crack at it

[RugbyMarvel]

I’m not interested in us playing RDP at 15, surely we should be giving a youngster a run?

If we aren’t going to get a 9 in, or we are reliant in any case in Hanson as our 3rd choice then we should try and give him some staring minutes.

Like Gilmore selection.

[RinTin]

Jesus - Gus Warr just isn't good enough.

[Olyy]

Absolute stinker to concede but we're actually playing rugby on attack!

[Olyy]

Ok we're back to conceding directly from crap kicks, this is more like Sale

[Halifaxshark]

I don’t know what’s worse, watching Sale play or the social media work.

14 miss tackles in the first 20 minutes and constantly box kicking away possession.

Social media post had Roebuck at 15, website had no Roebuck, team 23 on social media an hour ago had Roebuck at 14, yet he runs out at 11.

I will probably get some grief for his post, but it’s embarrassing on both fronts.

Alex said he wouldn’t be playing lads who are leaving, Robs at 15. Perfect time for Ollie Davies, but who knows if he’s fit or not. Interview brushed on a question and Al said ‘we don’t buy into releasing the injured list, but there’s loads of lads out’. Buy in? To what, informing the fans who’s injured.

[Olyy]

No fight in the side at all, it's just embarrassing to watch

[Lord Elpus]

Lucky to get the nil.

[ejndavid95]

Al loves to talk about playing for the shirt & "Northern Pride"

Well they've disgraced the shirt in that 40 minutes. Coaching team is on borrowed time.

[Halifaxshark]

This whole ‘brain chamber’ mental side of the game that they talk about so much isn’t working, call me old fashioned but I would prefer the players could tackle.

[Olyy]

Tackling, like lineouts, is old news

What you want is every player to play every other position, no specialists allowed - that's how you play real rugby these days

[Halifaxshark]

40 missed tackles in an hour….. 40.

[ejndavid95]

Of 157 attempted tackles they've missed 40...

[ejndavid95]

Of 157 attempted tackles they've missed 40...

12 visits to our 22...12 tries scored.

Anyone still want Forshaw in?

[SSR]

Didn't Calouri score 5 against us on his debut ? I guess we learnt our lesson then ?
This is bloody terrible. What has happened to our fortress? We must have left the door open.
So much for playing with pride.

[Bennett2392]

Sanderson has got to go. I can’t see how anyone can defend him.

[Olyy]

Gilmore, Longstaff and Ramont all injured - Woodman down getting a lot of treatment and presumably would be subbed if we had anyone to come on


Will we even be able to field a side soon?

[AndaleManito]

Taking 85 at home… wow. Don’t know what to say or think really.

[ejndavid95]

Gilmore, Longstaff and Ramont all injured - Woodman down getting a lot of treatment and presumably would be subbed if we had anyone to come on


Will we even be able to field a side soon?

Gilmore & Raymont didn't look positive at all, Longstaff an HIA so could be okay