RugbyRebels

Bristol Bears team to face Gloucester at Kingsholm on Friday, September 14th (7.45pm KO):

15. Piers O’Conor; 14. Luke Morahan, 13. Siale Piutau, 12. Tusi Pisi, 11. Ryan Edwards; 10. Ian Madigan, 9. Harry Randall; 1. Yann Thomas, 2. Shaun Malton, 3. John Afoa, 4. Joe Joyce, 5. Chris Vui, 6. Steve Luatua (c), 7. George Smith, 8. Jack Lam.

Replacements: 16. Harry Thacker, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. Jake Armstrong, 19. Ed Holmes, 20. Nick Haining, 21. Nic Stirzaker, 22. Callum Sheedy, 23. Zane Kirchner.

9 changes from the Sarries game. Malton and Thomas in should make the scrum stronger. Hopefully we'll get something from the game.

Glaws side;
15. Jason Woodward; 14. Charlie Sharples, 13. Henry Trinder, 12. Billy Twelvetrees, 11. Matt Banahan; 10. Danny Cipriani, 9. Callum Braley; 1. Val Rapava Ruskin, 2. Franco Marais, 3. Fraser Balmain; 4. Ed Slater (capt), 5. Gerbrandt Grobler; 6. Jake Polledri, 7. Lewis Ludlow, 8. Ruan Ackermann.
16. James Hanson, 17. Josh Hohneck, 18. Ciaran Knight, 19. Freddie Clarke, 20. Ben Morgan, 21. Ben Vellacott, 22. Mark Atkinson, 23. Tom Hudson

Unusual to name the side this early? Randall starting for Bristol is a big call.

Good to see VRR’s injury wasn’t serious.

Excited to see Grobler start, like the look of our back row too, pretty dynamic. Surprised Sharples is playing after the knock he took against Bath. A few Ex Glos players in that there bears line up too. Afoa aside we should have the front row upper hand if only slightly, unless Yann Thomas is a better scrummager for Brizzle than he used to be for us.

Randall starting is the eye catching selection for me.
Interesting game. Bris have shown enough in first 2 games to suggest they wont be pushovers, and Glos will be very keen to establish credentials of a top 4 club.

fivepointer wrote:Randall starting is the eye catching selection for me.
Interesting game. Bris have shown enough in first 2 games to suggest they wont be pushovers, and Glos will be very keen to establish credentials of a top 4 club.

I'm glad Randall is playing - at least that is one EQP for Briz on the pitch and also because I had hoped he had a Glos future too.

Agreed this will be closer that most people think, expect Briz to get something out of the game, home advantage SHOULD just about carry Glos over the finish line - but nothing is a given I reckon.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Bristol, but Gloucester have been impressive so far and they’ll want 5 points given that they’ll be hacked off to have thrown away a 21 point lead at the Rec.

Marais and Grobler will add something in the pack and I think that back row will give Bristol a hard time.

If Glaws looked as strong at hooker and tighthead as they do at loosehead I'd scarce give Brizzle a prayer

This should be another cracker. The prem has been fantastic so far.

Interestingly that only 2 players born in England are starting for Bristol.

I'm almost certainly biased by being a Worcester supporter
But equally, I live in Bristol…

I really don't want Bristol to succeed with the number of people they've brought in this season

Tigersman wrote:Interestingly that only 2 players born in England are starting for Bristol.

But at least Thomas and Joyce are proper Bristolians.

The EQ percentage is disappointing but its probably understandable for a newly promoted side with survival their main focus..

fivepointer wrote:

Tigersman wrote:Interestingly that only 2 players born in England are starting for Bristol.

But at least Thomas and Joyce are proper Bristolians.

The EQ percentage is disappointing but its probably understandable for a newly promoted side with survival their main focus..

ah forgot randall so 3 but still.

Renniks wrote:I'm almost certainly biased by being a Worcester supporter
But equally, I live in Bristol…

I really don't want Bristol to succeed with the number of people they've brought in this season

The thing is, how else can a promoted team survive? The Premiership refuses to have a cup tournament involving the Championship, gives them bog all funding or assistance, and keeps trying to work out a way to get rid of them. You can't build a Premiership quality team in the Championship without chucking bundles of money at the problem and buying in, usually at premium prices.

We need a fully pro second tier, of fewer clubs, and a cup competition so they've got some chance to have big matchdays and something to keep players there for.

Puja

Renniks wrote: I really don't want Bristol to succeed with the number of people they've brought in this season

It's only 2 or 3 more than Worcester signed when they came up.....

Fivepointer wrote: But at least Thomas and Joyce are proper Bristolians.

Polledri and Braley are Bristolian as well...

fivepointer wrote:

Tigersman wrote:Interestingly that only 2 players born in England are starting for Bristol.

But at least Thomas and Joyce are proper Bristolians.

The EQ percentage is disappointing but its probably understandable for a newly promoted side with survival their main focus..

To be fair, they signed quite a lot of English players from other Championship teams. Theide, Woolmore etc. A fair few of them are in and around the 23, it’s just that they’re not likely to be first choice.

It’s not a bad strategy. Exeter have shown that Championship players can step up if given the opportunity. Sure they’re not going to have a 100% hit rate, but as a worst, worst case scenario, they have a good side for the Championship.

Tigersman wrote:

fivepointer wrote:

Tigersman wrote:Interestingly that only 2 players born in England are starting for Bristol.

But at least Thomas and Joyce are proper Bristolians.

The EQ percentage is disappointing but its probably understandable for a newly promoted side with survival their main focus..

ah forgot randall so 3 but still.

O'Conor is English too. Granted, 4 isn't exactly outstanding, but it is better than 2.

Puja

6 on the bench though (Stirzaker is EQ).

I’m a bit surprised Uren got dropped. He was good against Bath although I didn’t see him against Sarries.

Puja wrote:

Tigersman wrote:

fivepointer wrote:
But at least Thomas and Joyce are proper Bristolians.

The EQ percentage is disappointing but its probably understandable for a newly promoted side with survival their main focus..

ah forgot randall so 3 but still.

O'Conor is English too. Granted, 4 isn't exactly outstanding, but it is better than 2.

Puja

Thank you Orwell

Scrumhead wrote: I’m a bit surprised Uren got dropped. He was good against Bath although I didn’t see him against Sarries.

Uren did ok considering the pressure he was under at Sarries. So far each of the 9s will have started 1 and benched one, so its looking like a fairly consistent rotatuon policy.

Same for Hurrell, did nothing to get dropped but is out of the squad.

Puja wrote:

Tigersman wrote:

fivepointer wrote:
But at least Thomas and Joyce are proper Bristolians.

The EQ percentage is disappointing but its probably understandable for a newly promoted side with survival their main focus..

ah forgot randall so 3 but still.

O'Conor is English too. Granted, 4 isn't exactly outstanding, but it is better than 2.

Puja

O’Connor was born in Aus though, and I did say born in England not EQP.
Granted I’m being pedantic

Tigersman wrote:

Puja wrote:

Tigersman wrote:
ah forgot randall so 3 but still.

O'Conor is English too. Granted, 4 isn't exactly outstanding, but it is better than 2.

Puja

O’Connor was born in Aus though, and I did say born in England not EQP.
Granted I’m being pedantic

A google tells me you're technically correct, but born in Australian with an English dad and moved back to England when he was 2, so hardly a residency import!

Puja

Puja wrote:

Tigersman wrote:

Puja wrote:
O'Conor is English too. Granted, 4 isn't exactly outstanding, but it is better than 2.

Puja

O’Connor was born in Aus though, and I did say born in England not EQP.
Granted I’m being pedantic

A google tells me you're technically correct, but born in Australian with an English dad and moved back to England when he was 2, so hardly a residency import!

Puja

i'm not saying he is a residency import, I did say I was being pedantic.

Quality try.

Madigan is class and available all year round.

Considering some Bristol supporters where saying this was their strongest front row in the scrum they might be concerned come winter.

Vui and Luatua are class though.