Gloucester make six changes for Tuesday night’s Kingsholm game against Newcastle as coach Dean Ryan looks for a consistent winning blend. Winger Lesley Vainikolo is one of the players dropped (what, exactly, does “rested” mean?), along with Andy Hazell, David Young, Olivier Azam, Rory Lawson and Ryan Lamb.
Nick Wood (left) replaces Young, Alasdair Strokosch is in for Hazell, while Scott Lawson makes his debut at hooker with Andy Titterrell not considered after taking a knock to the head in last weekend’s defeat at Sale. In the backs, Gareth Cooper returns at scrum-half in place of Rory Lawson, Olly Barkley switches to stand-off in place of Lamb, Olly Morgan is back at full-back, with Iain Balshaw switching from there to the wing in Vainikolo’s place. Ryan told the Citizen: "We have to try and get ourselves in the right areas of the field more consistently and reduce our error count to be as effective as we know we can be. "We did some good things on Friday against Sale but probably in areas of the field that diluted their effectiveness. "Any game at Kingsholm under lights is a fantastic occasion because it intensifies the atmosphere and makes it even more special. Although we are turning around quickly this is obviously a very significant game for us." That is something of an understatement, With two wins and two defeats in their four games so far, Glaws can’t afford to spend the rest of the season with such in-and-out results, and they badly need a long run of wins to get their season on track. Newcastle are not doing quite as badly as many people predicted they would, looking quite capable of surviving in their weekend win over Bristol, and with Jonny Wilkinson looking good they won’t want to collapse like they did against Saracens in their previous game.
GLAWS: Olly Morgan; James Simpson-Daniel, Matthew Watkins, Mike Tindall (capt), Iain Balshaw; Olly Barkley, Gareth Cooper; Nick Wood, Scott Lawson, Alasdair Dickinson, Marco Bortolami, Alex Brown, Peter Buxton, Alasdair Strokosch, Luke Narraway. Reps: Olivier Azam, David Young, Apo Satala, Andy Hazell, Rory Lawson, Willie Walker, Mark Foster.
Former Glaws forward Adam Balding is in the Newcastle team. FALCONS: Steve Jones, Tim Visser, Jamie Noon, Tom May, Ollie Phillips, Jonny Wilkinson, Hall Charlton; Micky Ward, Matt Thompson, Carl Hayman, Andy Perry, Mark Sorensen, Adam Balding, Ed Williamson, Phil Dowson. Reps: Andy Long, Joe McDonnell, Tim Swinson, Russell Winter, Micky Young, Spencer Davey, Rory Clegg.
if i'm allowed to comment here on that team , i'd have to say providing their allowed to , that team has an entertaining look to it ! coops and olly will be looking to run as much as poss/realistic balsh will sometimes try to run when it don't look on , which could see you nerves shredded against any other oppo , but against falcons ,you could be in for some real fun ( providing the weathers ok ) which at the modon't look too clever
COME ON YOU BATH
!!!!!!!
BATH, BATH, WHEREVER WE MAY BE WE ARE THE BOYS FROM THE WEST COUNTRY , AND WE'LL BEAT YOU ALL WHOEVER YOU MAY BE , BEAT YOU ALL FOR THE WEST COUNTRY !
Mike-s, in exile in Bridgwater
well coops wouldnt and never did, nor Balshaw, OB1 would and Tindall is marginal as Alex Crockett is better in that position for Bath IMO. So its a non arguement
yeah right - we didnt renew their contracts with the exception of OB1!! so what happened to their careers..!! and are we missing them, no!! Bath are on fire whilst the Glaws engine is spluttering. You managed to win against a poor team at the weekend but you struggle against a good team. And if Butch wasnt so cream crackered in his second game of the season and handed your lot the game we would be 5 points clear at the top and 11 or 12 points ahead of you
read the bath chronicle today about the general views on the management mess at kingsholme. you have your head in the clouds whilst you are looking for your pigs two sheds )))
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Nick Wood (left) replaces Young, Alasdair Strokosch is in for Hazell, while Scott Lawson makes his debut at hooker with Andy Titterrell not considered after taking a knock to the head in last weekend’s defeat at Sale.