[Flumpty]

[Olyy]

Very interested in seeing Harper play,
and hopefully Doherty gets some good ball to work with
Good to see Neild at 7

Mass changes haven't worked well in the past for us, though - not feeling very confident


Harsh on Quirke to drop out of the 23,
Would like to see Ashman back as well

[Flumpty]

& for the Cockney Bog Trotters

London Irish:
15 James Stokes, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Theo Brophy Clews, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Ben Meehan, 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 2 Agustin Creevy, 3 Lovejoy Chawatama, 4 Steve Mafi, 5 Rob Simmons, 6 Matt Rogerson (c), 7 Ben Donnell, 8 Albert Tuisue

Replacements:
16 Matt Cornish, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Ollie Hoskins, 19 George Nott, 20 Blair Cowan, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Will Joseph, 23 Tom Parton

[Lord Elpus]

I don't really like that much (cue bp win lol) . Of course we don't know who's unavailable through injury - surprised Quirke doesn't feature anywhere.

[Olyy]

15 EQP, 12 academy grads, for anyone playing along at home

[Clutch]

What don’t you like bar the Beaumont at 8 issue?

[Streatham Shark]

Very surprised at Quirke's absence, I'd have started him after last week. Also surprised that Wiese doesn't feature at all, as if anyone was rotated for this week i'd have thought it would be Lood who looked spent at the end of last week.

That looks better balanced than last week, particularly in the back row, and I much prefer our pack with Beaumont starting. Glad to see Rodd back in too, though think Ashman is unlucky to not feature at all, assuming he's not injured.

[ViewFromMilford]

Bit of a weakened back line, back row more balanced, hope Harper goes well as we’ll be short of a tight-head next season.

[StalyShark]

Not hopeful with this; too much rotation and inexperience.

We’ll win easily now. Thank me later.

[Surbiton_Shark]

Does anyone have a brief bio on Harper? Assume he's a forward :-)

Forward pack looks fine -would have had Akker on the bench personally or Ashman assuming he's not injured - also like watching Neild.

As for the backs.....without Rohan and if Faf kicks everything I'm not sure it really matters as they just chase kicks.

[Margin_Walker]

Just FYI.

Quirke seems to be starting for Eng U20s tomorrow in an unpublicised game. Probably explains his absence in the 23 here.

https://nextgenxv.com/2021/03/19/englan ... r-fixture/

[DavenportSharky]

Harper has been on loan at Coventry up to this weekend
Born a Scouser
Been in England under 20 squad.
188cm
116kg

[DavenportSharky]

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe and Jamie Leahy
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Citing Officer: Budge Pountney

[Lord Elpus]

Just FYI.

Quirke seems to be starting for Eng U20s tomorrow in an unpublicised game. Probably explains his absence in the 23 here.

https://nextgenxv.com/2021/03/19/englan ... r-fixture/

Roebuck starts for U20 as well.

[Clutch]

And Elliot Gourlay?

[RugbyMarvel]

Initial thoughts are
- Akker needs a big game
- Need to use Doherty in outside channels and not just ask him to run into Brophy Clews
- Irish will get it wide a lot and if we can defend hard then try and play on the counter, we have a bit more pace so might be able to work it well.

[Jb-280151]

What about a backline of Gourley Roebuck L James Doherty Reed Wilkinson Quirke. Replacements Tom Curtis and Joe Carpenter. Pity we let Paulo leave.

[Lord Elpus]

I think Rona will be licking his lips.

[Elgar]

Not what I'd have predicted but no real complaints.

I'd have quibbled Quirke if it weren't for him being with England U20s (with thanks to posters on here informing of that).

Better balance in the backrow, pace in the backline from Reed and Doherty.

Didn't realise Doherty could operate at 12, thought he was only 13 and back three. Very happy to see him given the chance to make the 12 shirt his own, if only in the absence of Manu and RVJR, by bringing a different threat to those two.

[poyntonshark]

Like the look of the pack and the potential of the backs. Hope the new combinations don't screw us up as much as the last go at rotation. So far as attack goes, I fear @Surbiton_Shark may be right ( that is how we have played all season after all).

How long have we been naming 2 captains? Is this the first?

[chris1850]

Watching Falcons v Wasps. Falcons play our game so much better than we are playing it currently

[Olyy]

Watching Falcons v Wasps. Falcons play our game so much better than we are playing it currently

Hopefully we've not been watching Mateo Carreras too closely
Most blatant eye gouge since Burger vs B&I Lions

[chris1850]

Watching Falcons v Wasps. Falcons play our game so much better than we are playing it currently

Well, for the first half at least!!

[Van Cannonball]

Watching Falcons v Wasps. Falcons play our game so much better than we are playing it currently

Hopefully we've not been watching Mateo Carreras too closely
Most blatant eye gouge since Burger vs B&I Lions

Think he must be looking at a 6 month ban.

[stevene]

dont disagree with the changes:

Doherty for Hill gives Connor more of a chance and Hill isnt exactly ripping up trees
RDP for AJM should move the backline more
Neild at 7, Jono at 6 and JLDP at 8 gives the backrow more balance
Rodd at 1 gives us another player good over the ball in the absence of a Curry
Josh and LDJ in the second row gives Akker his best options at the lineout.

would have liked Luke back at 15 and one of our other options (yarde, solomona) over reed. equally/ conversely its a lot of changes again which is a worry.

Lots of questions. JCW seems to have gone missing? solomona had one game back and seems to be off the radar again? yarde out for 2 weeks in a row? DDP rested, dropped or injured? when are we getting Ben C and Rohan back? we definitely need them.

[Olyy]

Yarde (strongly) hinted on twitter that he's iniured

[Lord Elpus]

Without injury updates we have no idea who's available - even the Quirke & Roebuck absences weren't commented on in the "Press Notes".

The big fella seems to have gone off the radar too - surely he's big enough to see with the naked eye.

[hirdyshark]

JCW mentioned in comms a couple of weeks ago that he'd recently undergone knee surgery. Think they said Ben C back at the start of April?

[DavenportSharky]

Next thing is some idiot will come on here suggesting it could be the consequence of Covid..............

[Van Cannonball]

Yes Yarde suggested he wouldn’t be out long.

From Denny’s lack of speed against Quins it doesn’t surprise me he’s not featured again.

Big question for me is how does Doherty play at 12. I’ve not seen him there before either.

If Hill isn’t available or giving someone else a go then a little surprised it’s not RdP at 12, but I hope Doherty goes well and we should definitely be trying to get him some game time.

Hope Harper is as ready as Rodd was.

[Olyy]

Doherty must have gotten plenty of time at 12 in training (or maybe at youth level?) otherwise S.James would surely be at 12 with Doherty in his natural position of 13

[RugbyMarvel]

Could just be numbering up like that but switching when on field?

[stevene]

not sure a centre/fly half combo of RDP/AJM will work. RDP at 15 would work but to me we should be be picking Luke there every week. we simply need Rohan back. Doherty looks like a decent prospect to me so lets see how he goes.

[StalyShark]

Just tell Doherty not to try and grubbers any time soon.

[Surbiton_Shark]

Whilst we are in a period of mourning over our back play- Quins already have a BP against a very defunct Glouc side. Our lack of 4 try BP 's hopefully won't come back to bite us

[poyntonshark]

Glaws look all right to me. A while to go yet, but they might just do us a favour.

[poyntonshark]

Should have kept my typing to myself.

[FarnhamShark]

Grubbers are fine - we desperately need a bit of variety in the backs. He just needs to get the timing and placing right.

[Lord Elpus]

Grubbers are fine - we desperately need a bit of variety in the backs. He just needs to get the timing and placing right.

A bobbling rugby ball is harder to deal with in most conditions than a box kick. For a start you can't leap and catch it.

[StalyShark]

Have we got off socks on? If so, why?

[Olyy]

Playing well so far
Doherty bigger than I remembered - and good hands too, maybe he could have a future at 12

[StalyShark]

Let’s just waste two minutes of the bin time on scrums.

[chris1850]

Stupid stupid penalty from Lood. Had every chance to roll away

[StalyShark]

Not again Akker.

[Elgar]

Doherty's pulled back passes to RDP are finally catching our attack up with what the rest of the league have been doing for the last 2 or 3 years. Good stuff.

[StalyShark]

Definitely trying to use Doherty; you’d think he was the 10.

[chris1850]

How many 5m lineouts do we need to have before making one count

[chris1850]

Lood!!!!!!

[Olyy]

He can't stop scoring

[StalyShark]

Was about to say Lood could be knackered afte weeks on weeks and those pens, then he scores the try. Best not to think.