Unchanged for Sarries

What has gone wrong at Kingsholm? Once a fortress we now go into the Sarries game on Friday night on the back of three consecutive home defeats ..

We could hadly ask for harder opposition if we are to overcome the hoodoo and get back to keeping the Shed happy.

The team which has the task is the same one which won the backs to the wall thriller at Chiefs last week. In fact,  the only change in  the whole squad is on the bench where Richard Hibbard returns.

There are ten games this season and about time the squad bedded in. All of the talk earlier in the season was that even star signings need time to gel, but surely now we are in 2015 they will have had enough game time to work out a a pattern of play which suits.

There have been plenty of flashes, but the basic truth is that the pack has been outgunned at vital times and that is something we ae not used to. Keeping the same starting 15 who battled their way tyo an important victory is probably a wise move. 

Gloucs: Charlie Sharples; David Halaifonua, Mark Atkinson, Billy Twelvetrees (capt), Jonny May; James Hook, Greig Laidlaw; Nick Wood, Darren Dawidiuk, John Afoa; Tom Savage, Tom Palmer; Sione Kalamafoni, Matt Kvesic, Ben Morgan

Reps: Richard Hibbard, Yann Thomas, Shaun Knight, Elliott Stooke, Gareth Evans, Dan Robson, Billy Burns, Bill Meakes.

Sarries arrrive in thrid place which is somewhat better than our own disappointing ninth.

They'll be missing skipper Ali Hartgreaves with Kelly Brown taking over.

Billy Vunipola is named at No8, he is joined by  Brown and Jacques Burger with a fromiodable back three of David Strettle, Chris Ashton and Alex Goode.

With gales forecast it could well be decided by which side kicks best out of hand and by which pack is most effective at sticking the ball up their jumper.

Sarries: Alex Goode; Chris Ashton,  Marcelo Bosch,  Duncan Taylor,  David Strettle; . Owen Farrell,  Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola,  Jamie George,  Petrus Du Plessis,  George Kruis,  Jim Hamilton,  Kelly Brown,  Jacques Burger,  Billy Vunipola.

Reps: Brett Sharman,  Rhys Gill,  James Johnston,. Maro Itoje,  Ernst Joubert,  Neil de Kock,  Nick Tompkins,. Ben Ransom.