The curtain-raiser. The starter before the Main Course. The week before the Challenge Cup knockout QF.
With both teams pushing for a URC top 8 slot, it might be difficult for either team to rest some of their big hitters but there could still be some rotation. There is also the potential to extend our lead over the Scarlets to 10 points with a BP win and solidify our Top 8 place. However, we are sweating on the injuries to several key players from the Connacht match but Mark has said that only Fender and possibly RMW will miss out on possible selection.
The potential Squad could look like this
G Phillips G Thomas/S Thomas/C Jones (Depending on Garyn's knock)
S Parry G MuGuigan/D Lake
T Botha/B Warren M Iorwert-Scott (Depending on Botha's knock)
J Ratti W Spencer A Beard
J Morgan J Tipuric/H Deaves M Morris M Morse (Depending on Tip's back spasm)
RMW/L Davies K Hardy (Depending on RMW's shoulder)
D Edwards
K Giles
E Boshoff P Cokanasiga T Florence/K Williams (Depending on Keith's knee
D Kasende
J Walsh
I Hopkins
Discuss.
Edited after Presser.
As much as I admire Mark he made a bad call, but we all make mistakes and hopefully learn from them
His comments Wanting second string experience for later game wins doesn’t stack up, not sure how we will fare in South Africa , better to bank the points now
Would love to win the challenge cup , but unrealistic and if we are not in top 8 we will not be in the competition next year
Understand his after game comments Not wanting to throw the new boys under the bus , but he must have been really disappointed with infringements and in particular Nagy and Luke Davies
( good to see Rhys back )
Well that was a terrible, terrible, performance. The Scarlets played well, they are a good side, but they are not that much better than us. They made us look like a bunch of mugs. Well played to them, they used their heads and controlled the game , while we were playing like idiots.
Oh dear the first 20 they were truly awful and we were brutal. Theteafater amonst the mayhem we missed two penalties to touch and it became a mess. FYI Dewi is fucked which explains why he didn’t start last week and this. Unless anyone can correct me has Naggy played for anyone over the last month. Sometimes we don’t help ourselves.
Well that was a shocker. Their penalty try was a shocking call and the officials again lost their heads. That said they handed us 17 points and Nagy handed them back. If Nagy is out of contract in the summer he has a problem. He cannot be trusted in an exposed position. Luke Davies was another exposed with his kicking and passing skillset.
We need to be challenging their lineout and not give them free ball to attack us.
That is a fine individual try from Dan Edwards
We have been pretty poor since the two yellow cards not helped at all by the Nagy errors.
We will have to be so much better next week.
OMG Nagy that's three errors from you and three tries for them.
Great start spoilt by some dismal refereeing. Good game so far but the ref....
News on the official site is that Nayacalevu has left by mutual consent.
Optional tackling Luke Morgan that should interest the Scarlet flyers
Here is our 23
Referee for this is Griffin Colby from South Africa. He didn't exactly shine in the Wales v England Under 20 game and may not handle the passion too well.
What’s the story with Owen williams? Is he fit? He could come in at 12.
Can’t see fender making it, he looked properly concussed coming off. I really hope Botha isn’t a serious injury…probably our most concerning area right now in terms of depth. Warrens scrummaging is a real weak point
I have updated the OP to omit Keiran Williams and the 23 could be determined by the recovery powers of at least 5 players.