London Irish v Gloucester Rugby team news
NIGEL Davies has rung the pack changes for Gloucester’s trip to the Madejski Stadium to face London Irish tomorrow.
The Cherry and Whites rugby director brings in five new faces and makes one positional change to the side that lost 24-19 at home to Northampton last week in their season opener.
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Jim Hamilton
Most notably is the return of new club captain Jim Hamilton, who was sent off in the corresponding fixture in May and missed out last week because of an ankle injury.
Hamilton joins Will James in the engine room as Tom Savage moves to the blindside flank and Andy Hazell comes in on the openside after impressing in the A League crushing of Worcester on Monday.
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Second-half replacement Shaun Knight switches with Rupert Harden to make his first Aviva Premiership start with Henry Trinder replacing Mike Tindall in the backs’ only switch.
With the majority of the changes being made in the forwards it is clear Davies is looking for a better showing from his pack after they earned a penalty try in the scrum last week against the Saints.
Irish also got off to a losing start after being demolished 40-3 by Saracens as part of the London Double Header at Twickenham but Davies is not paying too much attention to that result.
“It’s really about focusing on us. We’ve looked at London Irish and their game last weekend and they won’t be taking too much out of it,” said the Welshman.
“They’re definitely going to bounce back and be stronger because they’re at home. They’ll be disappointed with last weekend and we can’t read too much into it.
“It’s more really a case, and it always has been anyway, about us looking at ourselves and making sure we get our game right. If we do that, then we’ll progress.
“It’s been a difficult squad to select. We’ve got a lot of players who are performing at a similar level. It’s very competitive. But that’s great because they’ll all drive each other on.”
Gloucester Rugby: Jonny May; Charlie Sharples, Henry Trinder, Billy Twelvetrees, James Simpson-Daniel; Freddie Burns, Dan Robson; Nick Wood, Darren Dawidiuk, Shaun Knight; Will James, Jim Hamilton (capt); Tom Savage, Andy Hazell, Ben Morgan. Replacements: Huia Edmonds, Dan Murphy, Rupert Harden, Sione Kalamafoni, Akapusi Qera, Dave Lewis, Mike Tindall, Martyn Thomas
Comments
by Drusus
Monday, October 29 2012, 11:32PM
“peh45, still dripping about how he got it so badly wrong regarding Tindall's contract offers.”
by Steve_Bronko
Monday, October 29 2012, 10:12PM
“Well done Rupert Harden on turning that stating selection into another marvellous display of tight-head playing rugby.”
by s_sorca
Saturday, October 27 2012, 2:54PM
“Well done Rupert on another starting selection.”
by Gambonie
Saturday, October 27 2012, 12:42PM
“GlosRugbyMan and peh45 "both" must be sick as pigs over the selection of Mike Tindall and Rupert Harden for the Leicester game.”
by RoccoAgain
Friday, October 26 2012, 7:17PM
“Who would you select to start against the likes of Leicester Tigers? Obviously, your first choice tight head.
http://tinyurl.com/93bll3h
Case proven!”
by Archie_Brew
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 7:28PM
“Rupert Harden = First choice tight head.”
by JBuddy
Friday, October 19 2012, 10:41PM
“You just had to look at the way Rupert almost single handedly demolished the Bordeaux scrum when he came on against Bordeaux-Begles. We were a man down on his side (i.e. no flanker pushing from behind) yet Harden drove the Bordeaux scrum back yards to win a penalty.”
by LucaTowers
Sunday, September 09 2012, 9:47AM
“I can not emphasise enough how important it was for Mike Tindall to come on in the second half and shore up that leaking defence. Thank goodness he did not take up any of those big money offers from elsewhere and chose to remain at Gloucester Rugby. The other major factor was Harden coming on to settle the scrum and provide a strong set piece from which Gloucester were able to turn the game around and go on to win. And who other Qera, our international class number 7, was there to take that last and winning try.”
by Steve_Bronko
Saturday, September 08 2012, 6:53PM
“...And you can add to that, thank goodness we still have Tindall on the books to come on and shore up the defence. Just think, he could have taken up any one of those many contract offers he had on the table but he held out until reason was seen by the new coaching team.”
by s_sorca
Saturday, September 08 2012, 6:19PM
“Thank goodness Harden was fit enough to take to the field in the second half and steady the scrum to give a platform to go on and win the game.”