The Official English Rugby Thread

[Raggs]

Wasps have been cleared to play. Not much opportunity to train but at least they get to play.

[Hal Jordan]

It's a weird one for Exeter. Either they perform a routine victory over Wasps which we all expected or they lose and are labelled chokers on par with vintage All Blacks.

[Ovals]

It's a weird one for Exeter. Either they perform a routine victory over Wasps which we all expected or they lose and are labelled chokers on par with vintage All Blacks.

What utter tripe. How can they be labelled 'chokers' after their win in the Champions Cup final. They've had two, big, tough games in consecutive weeks while Wasps have had a week off. Despite not having much opportunity to train this week, Wasps should be pretty fresh - they have also been in great form post the Covid shutdown.

[duke]

Have any of the Wasps first team squad been diagnosed? Last I heard it was just academy players.

[sockwithaticket]

Ben Earl, Max Malins and Kyle Sinckler called into the squad ahead of the Baabaa's game.

George Ford withdrawn from the squad with a pre-existing Achilles issue.

Farrel at 10 presumably

[Madness]

I'd like to see completely different scrum halves but from that squad

Genge
George
Stuart
Itoje
Ewels
Curry
Underhill
Dombrandt
Youngs
FordFarrell
May
Farrell Francis
Marchant
Thorley
Watson

Obano, Dunn, HeyesSinks, Ribbans, HillEarl, Mitchell, Lawrence, Furbank/Crossdale Malins

Better to see how Dombrandt, Marchant and Thorley do as part of a good team structure rather than a scratch side.

Not much to disagree with there. I'd find a place for Wilson, though. Maybe insteadof Underhill. The former hasn't played since the restart iirc and so could probably use the run out whereas Underhill was the only back rower involved with the playoffs and is possibly the most injury prone of the young guns, so there's no real gain to using him up on a Baabaas game.

Possibly swap Dunn and George around too. Means Dunn starts with his club tighthead and George can come on to steady the ship if the setpiece isn't going as planned. Maybe even Obano for Genge so we start with a whole club unit in the front row.

With Sinks, Earl and Malins added to squad and Ford gone.....we know it'll be the artistic genius of Farrell and Francis 10 & 12

[sockwithaticket]

Will certainly be interesting to see if they shoot into matchday squad contention. Part of me says there's no point risking Sinckler in this game when we've got the actual test matches around the corner and aren't especially well stocked with proven international tightheads.

[Punter15]

It's a weird one for Exeter. Either they perform a routine victory over Wasps which we all expected or they lose and are labelled chokers on par with vintage All Blacks.

What a cock. Bet he’s the pub bore too.

[Un Pilier]

Will certainly be interesting to see if they shoot into matchday squad contention. Part of me says there's no point risking Sinckler in this game when we've got the actual test matches around the corner and aren't especially well stocked with proven international tightheads.

I agree. I wouldn’t risk Sinks for this one. I’ve been impressed with Earls and Malins for Bris. Wouldn’t mind seeing them get a run.

[Hal Jordan]

Dominant half from Chiefs. Once they went back to 15 players, they never looked like losing.

Gotta say, I'm not sure Wasps are the side to beat them at full strength.

Unfortunately, I agree. I'm not sure we'll cope with them once they get in our 22 unless we can jackal - but Exeter make that very hard to do. We're a bit better at defending the maul than we were, but it's not exactly a strength. We'll kick and chase better than Bath though.

So anyway, routine victory for Exeter coming up, no?

[Paddington Bear]

Is there any point in a BaaBaas game behind closed doors? Beyond injuring our players.

[sockwithaticket]

No, basically.

[mos_eisely_]

Is there any point in a BaaBaas game behind closed doors? Beyond injuring our players.

Gives Robshaw a last appearance at HQ

Gives us a warm up before final 6N game then the 8N games. France, Wales & Scotland have arranged warm up games, and Ireland & Italy are playing their 6N game, so we would be the only team completely cold before Halloween

[Kawazaki]

Is there any point in a BaaBaas game behind closed doors? Beyond injuring our players.

We get to see Jackson Wray play which is always a nice thing.

[Ovals]

Dominant half from Chiefs. Once they went back to 15 players, they never looked like losing.

Gotta say, I'm not sure Wasps are the side to beat them at full strength.

Unfortunately, I agree. I'm not sure we'll cope with them once they get in our 22 unless we can jackal - but Exeter make that very hard to do. We're a bit better at defending the maul than we were, but it's not exactly a strength. We'll kick and chase better than Bath though.

So anyway, routine victory for Exeter coming up, no?

Could be - unless the last two, tough, weeks have taken the sting out of them - Wasps are well rested and in great form - assuming they have full availability. I'd put us in with a decent shout.

[SaintK]

Unfortunately, I agree. I'm not sure we'll cope with them once they get in our 22 unless we can jackal - but Exeter make that very hard to do. We're a bit better at defending the maul than we were, but it's not exactly a strength. We'll kick and chase better than Bath though.

So anyway, routine victory for Exeter coming up, no?

Could be - unless the last two, tough, weeks have taken the sting out of them - Wasps are well rested and in great form - assuming they have full availability. I'd put us in with a decent shout.

Apparently 4 missing from potential match day squad

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett has confirmed 11 players from his squad are unavailable for selection for their Premiership final against Exeter.
Those players have either tested positive for coronavirus or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
Of those 11, Blackett says four would have probably been in the matchday 23.
"It's not ideal preparation but you could argue we'll be fresh," said Blackett, previewing Saturday's final.
"We've had two weeks' rest, and we trained really, really well yesterday.
"We've got 33 players to pick from. It's gut-wrenching for those who will miss out but the health and safety of players and families is more important."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/54644695

[ASMO]

Is there any point in a BaaBaas game behind closed doors? Beyond injuring our players.

We get to see Jackson Wray play which is always a nice thing.

We get to see Ben Youngs stink out yet another England performance

[westport]

Just popped in to post this

England's match against the Barbarians on Sunday is in doubt after several of the invitational side left their hotel for a night out, contrary to the fixture's Covid-19 restrictions.

The players involved have been expelled from the Barbarians squad.

The game now depends on whether enough players with an up-to-date Covid testing record can be brought in.

[Margin__Walker]

So the baa baas need to find 12 (confirmed Covid free) players apparently before the game due to breaches in protocol this week...

[Un Pilier]

So the baa baas need to find 12 (confirmed Covid free) players apparently before the game due to breaches in protocol this week...

I should be interested to see which knobheads thought a night out was more important than trying to maintain some sort of representative rugby through this bloody plague. I hope we find out.

[Margin__Walker]

So the baa baas need to find 12 (confirmed Covid free) players apparently before the game due to breaches in protocol this week...

I should be interested to see which knobheads thought a night out was more important than trying to maintain some sort of representative rugby through this bloody plague. I hope we find out.

Yep, I know it's the Baa Baas, but come on lads.

Sure a few Bristol players are getting phone calls about now

Edit - Or not...

[Ovals]

I guess the England training squad will have quite a few players surplus to requirements this weekend. Exeter might have a couple of reserves to make th enumbers up.

[Paddington Bear]

Good. Have a training run and don't waste our time. BaaBaas is for charity games against jazz hat sides, not for wasting game time before test matches. Much rather we either binned it off completely or had an annual game against Georgia.

[mos_eisely_]

BBC reporting the four expelled are
Robshaw
Maitland
Wray
Wigglesworth

[sockwithaticket]

Robshaw and Wigglesworth are a surprise.

[Raggs]

Robshaw???

I was actually thinking "shit i hope robshaws send off isn't ruined". If he was one of the idiots then that's quite depressing.

[JM2K6]

Pretty funny stuff. Just cancel the pointless jolly that only ever existed to fleece money off the fans and flog the players a bit more

(very silly of them, though!)

[sockwithaticket]

Just noticed that Wasps have dropped their 20/21 kit.







Not a fan of how the yellow's been deployed, nor the away shirt being grey rather than white.

[dantedelew]

Robshaw???

I was actually thinking "shit i hope robshaws send off isn't ruined". If he was one of the idiots then that's quite depressing.

Enhancing his reputation for sound decision-making.

[stemoc]

maybe cotter can add more flying fijians..i know a few more would like to play for teh barbarians

[Paddington Bear]

Grey shirts are always horrendous - not sure why so many teams go for it

[Un Pilier]

Robshaw and Wigglesworth are a surprise.

They would be amongst my last guesses. Disappointing.

[Un Pilier]

Grey shirts are always horrendous - not sure why so many teams go for it

I think the home shirt is fairly horrible too, with the huge red and white logo centre stage.

[sockwithaticket]

Logos, unfortunately, are something over which clubs have least control in shirt design. Placement and maintenance of the company's colour scheme seem fairly set in stone. However, it's clear that most of the time the designers give no care to trying to incorporate these inevitabilities inobtrusively.

[Glaston]

Wayne Barnes out C19 related
Maxwell Keys in

[ASMO]

Wayne Barnes out C19 related
Maxwell Keys in

Jesus Christ he is shit as a ref.

[Glaston]

Cov Telegraph

Rumours that Wasps have lost Brookes/Mcintyre/Shields/Barbeary possibly to Covid.

Brookes has been pretty much the main TH prop for Wasps this season.


Fekitoa is still injured.

[Glaston]

Wayne Barnes out C19 related
Maxwell Keys in

Jesus Christ he is shit as a ref.

Wasnt it Maxwell Keys who sent off Hughes when he sparked G North?

Depths of my memory says it was.

[sockwithaticket]

Wayne Barnes out C19 related
Maxwell Keys in

Jesus Christ he is shit as a ref.

Wasnt it Maxwell Keys who sent off Hughes when he sparked G North?

Depths of my memory says it was.

The red card for which was dismissed at the disciplinary as the bollocks it was.

[sockwithaticket]

Wayne Barnes out C19 related
Maxwell Keys in

Jesus Christ he is shit as a ref.

I was hoping it would be Pearce, but he's on international duty. Basically CMK is whom the selectors feel is the best of the rest.

Massive step down in quality. The chasm between him and Barnes could house a continent.