[RugbyMarvel]

Bearing in mind the last 3 weekends; struggling to beat rotated Bath and Falcons sides at home before a battering last night at Quins - the next two European weekends pose a bit of a selection headache, especially as they’re followed by some serious Prem matches (Sarries home, Saints away, Bristol home).

We have ended up with some of the toughest Champions Cup fixtures and I don’t see us making it far, the first match (Stade at home) is our only real opportunity for a win, but I wouldn’t want us to be putting out a full-side for any of the matches. I don’t think we can risk the fitness of our main men too much… the risk is we take a couple of battering and it halts our momentum, but we don’t really have any so in fact, it’s just compounding bad form potentially…

Want to get most lads a week off at minimum, blood some of our lads also. Likes of Bamber etc need a run

Champions Cup Squads

Stade Francais (H)
Harrison
Creevy
Schonert
Hill
Bamber
Dugdale
Curry
Birch
Quirke
Curtis
Wills
Doherty
S James
O’Flaherty
L James
Subs
Taylor
Onasanya
Okupo-Fordjour
Groves
Beaumont
Thomas
Ford
Roebuck

Leinster (A)
Harrison
Cowan Dickie
Harper
Wiese
Beaumont
Ellis
Dugdale
Birch
Quirke
Ford
Reed
Bedlow
S James
O’Flaherty
Carpenter
Subs
Taylor
McIntyre
Okupo-Fordjour
Groves
Bamber
J L Du Preez
Thomas
Curtis

[Yareet]

Bearing in mind the last 3 weekends; struggling to beat rotated Bath and Falcons sides at home before a battering last night at Quins - the next two European weekends pose a bit of a selection headache, especially as they’re followed by some serious Prem matches (Sarries home, Saints away, Bristol home).

We have ended up with some of the toughest Champions Cup fixtures and I don’t see us making it far, the first match (Stade at home) is our only real opportunity for a win, but I wouldn’t want us to be putting out a full-side for any of the matches. I don’t think we can risk the fitness of our main men too much… the risk is we take a couple of battering and it halts our momentum, but we don’t really have any so in fact, it’s just compounding bad form potentially…

Want to get most lads a week off at minimum, blood some of our lads also. Likes of Bamber etc need a run

Champions Cup Squads

Stade Francais (H)
Harrison
Creevy
Schonert
Hill
Bamber
Dugdale
Curry
Birch
Quirke
Curtis
Wills
Doherty
S James
O’Flaherty
L James
Subs
Taylor
Onasanya
Okupo-Fordjour
Groves
Beaumont
Thomas
Ford
Roebuck

Leinster (A)
Harrison
Cowan Dickie
Harper
Wiese
Beaumont
Ellis
Dugdale
Birch
Quirke
Ford
Reed
Bedlow
S James
O’Flaherty
Carpenter
Subs
Taylor
McIntyre
Okupo-Fordjour
Groves
Bamber
J L Du Preez
Thomas
Curtis

I agree with your sentiment but I don’t think we’ll change much for Stade; purely because it’s a home game.

Give everyone the Leinster game off. Play absolute kids while Sarries are at home to Connacht and expect a revitalised team for the 22nd

[Flumpty]

Give everyone the Leinster game off. Play absolute kids while Sarries are at home to Connacht and expect a revitalised team for the 22nd

Being entirely selfish, I hope that we don't do that - I've bought train tickets, flight tickets, match tickets and the hotel in Dublin is booked to watch the game. But if they are short of a player, Flumpty Jnr would be available - may not be the most talented/fittest player, but he's got a good reportoir of songs for post match entertainment.

[RugbyMarvel]

Yareet, very fair point. Will want to make home match worth it for fans. Id still like to see Van Rhyn rested for both weeks!

[Halifaxshark]

I would rest the following for both games, T. Roebuck, RDP, S.Bedlow, A.Reed, G.Warr, S.McIntyre, C.Wiese, EVR and DDP who I think have played every game so far this season. I also think N.Schonert and B.Curry need a break, the latter was hobbling about after Friday night.

15 - Carps
14 - Wills
13 - S.James
12 - Tuilagi
11 - TOF
10 - Ford
9 - Quirke
1 - Harrison
2 - LCD
3 - Harper
4 - Bamber
5 - J.Hill
6 - Birch
7 - Dugdale
8 - Beaumont

16 - Creevy
17 - Onasanya
18 - Opoku-Fordjour
19 - Groves
20 - Woodman
21 - Thomas
22 - Curtis
23 - Doherty

This gives the lads above a well deserved break and other lads an opportunity to play who haven’t.

After two weeks in Europe, we will have JLDP, T. Roebuck, RDP, S.Bedlow, A.Reed, G.Warr, S.McIntyre, C.Wiese, EVR, DDP, N.Schnoert and B.Curry firing on all cylinders ready to go again for Sarries (H), Saints (A) and Bristol (H).

[Olyy]

Can we withdraw from the comp for safety concerns?
We're going to get a ton put on us every round

[stevene]

I think we will rotate some but not to the extent that we have a team with little or no chance at home. We may see a lot more rotation away a bit like Gloucester did last year (esp if we lose to Stade). Key rotations to me are RDP, Warr, Schonert, Wiese, Van Rhyn and DDP. Either complete rest or go to the bench.

Therefore I'd rest /rotate the following:

Roebock: TOF
RDP: S James
Bedlow; Manu (or Doherty if Manu isnt fit)
Warr: Qurike
Schonert: Harper or Opoku Fordjour
Wiese: Beaumont or Bamber
Van Rhyn: Dugdale or JLDP
DDP: JLDP or Beaumont

We'd end up with a team as follows:

Carpenter
O'Flaherty
James
Tuilagi
Reed
Ford
Qurike
McIntyre
Cowan Dickie
Opoku Fordjour
Hill
Beaumont
Dugdale
Curry
JLDP

Warr
Doherty/Curtis (or Veainu if he is fit)
RDP
Harrison
Creevy
Harper
Bamber
DDP

I'd be tempted to give Opoku Fordour the start over Harper at 3 in Europe as he is probably a stronger scrum option than Harper right now.

[poyntonshark]

Unless the abject nonsense at the Stoop has changed his mind, Alex will select a full strength a side as possible for the Stade game.

[ale shark]

It’s likely to be our largest crowd of the season, certainly so far. If we don’t go in with our “first” XV and get hammered then you’re not going to inspire many to come back.

[RinTin]

Posted in the wrong section earlier sorry. Thoughts below:

One name certainly could put bums on seats and that would be Manu back at 12. Initially suspected he would be out for a month, so back early December. Is this confirmed? Is he in full training?

Backline - Raffi, Ford, Flats, Manu, SJ, Roebuck, Carps. Bit of rotation in there as well as big names to keep interest high. Would love to see Veainu on the bench if he is fit vs his old side.

[Olyy]

Ben has posted saying he's looking forward to playing this weekend so that's a bonus,

Also the club have posted Jean-Luc training - maybe a bench spot for him?

[chris1850]

Ben has posted saying he's looking forward to playing this weekend so that's a bonus,

Also the club have posted Jean-Luc training - maybe a bench spot for him?

Saw him recently. He thought next week rather than this. Still ahead of original schedule though

[Olyy]