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Latest Team News ahead of Gloucester vs London Wasps
Gloucester Team News
Gloucester's director of rugby Nigel Melville is without eight regular first team players for Friday's 13,000 sell-out clash with Wasps at Kingsholm.
Melville's team, which has been hit by England call-ups and injury set-backs, know that a win over Wasps will take them back into the top three of the Zurich Premiership.
Kiwi centre Nathan Mauger makes his first start of the season in midfield alongside Terry Fanolua, after coming on as a replacement in the last three outings.
Alex Page (scrum-half), Brad Davies (fly-half) and James Bailey (wing) all continue after making their first starts of the current campaign last week against Leicester.
Summer signing Adam Balding wears the number eight shirt, with captain Jake Boer moving to open-side, after Andy Hazell's England selection.
Melville and coach Dean Ryan will have to wait until closer to the game to confirm the replacements bench, with England U21 international Luke Narraway and National Intermediate Academy member Will Matthews competing for the reserve back-row place.
England U19 international Rory Teague is also called up for his first replacement start of the season.
Gloucester are definitely without Andy Gomarsall, Andy Hazell and Henry Paul, who all start for England against Canada on Saturday.
Also absent through injury are Olivier Azam (shoulder), Alex Brown (arm), Duncan McRae (neck), Olly Morgan (wrist), James Merriman (knee), Terry Sigley (neck), James Simpson-Daniel (hamstring), Nick Wood (virus).
Gloucester:
15. Jon Goodridge
14. Marcel Garvey
13. Nathan Mauger
12. Terry Fanolua
11. James Bailey
10. Brad Davies
9. Alex Page
1. Christo Bezuidenhout
2. Chris Fortey
3. Phil Vickery
4. Adam Eustace
5. Mark Cornwell
6. Peter Buxton
7. Jake Boer (c)
8. Adam Balding
Replacements:
16. James Parkes, 17. Gary Powell, 18. James Forrester, 19. Luke Narraway/Will Matthews, 20. Simon Amor, 21. Seti Kiole, 22. Rory Teague
London Wasps Team News
London Wasps have named the side for Friday night’s Zurich Premiership match at Kingsholm against Gloucester, kick-off 7:45pm. International call-ups for Josh Lewsey and Jonny O’ Connor means Edd Thrower and Tom Rees will start respectively.
Joe Worsley was initially in the England team to face Canada but was ruled out due to a leg injury. John Hart will therefore take his place in the Wasps side at No.6.
Alex King has failed to recover from the foot strain that ruled him out of last week’s win over Harlequins, which means James Brooks retains his place at flyhalf. Brooks will start alongside Matt Dawson with Ayoola Erinle and Peter Richards on his outside. Unfortunately, Fraser Waters has suffered a setback with his ankle and will, therefore, miss this game. (Waters had an ankle operation in the close season to repair cartilage damage.)
In the pack the tight five remains unchanged with only Hart and Rees coming in.
Warren Gatland said: “Games between Gloucester and Wasps are never for the faint hearted as we’ve seen in the past. We go into the game with a healthy away record and we hope to maintain it. Both sides will be depleted of several players due to international call-ups and injuries, which gives the youngsters a chance to get some Premiership experience under their belts.”
The team is…
15 Mark Van Gisbergen
14 Edd Thrower
13 Peter Richards
12 Ayoola Erinle
11 Tom Voyce
10 James Brooks
9 Matt Dawson
1 Craig Dowd
2 Phil Greening
3 Tim Payne
4 Simon Shaw
5 Richard Birkett
6 John Hart
7 Tom Rees
8 Lawrence Dallaglio (Capt)
16 Trevor Leota
17 Will Green
18 Mark Lock
19 James Haskell
20 Harvey Biljon
21 Matt Priscott
22 Rob Hoadley
Summary of meetings between the teams in the Premiership
Played 16
Gloucester Won 5 31.3%
Wasps Won 11 68.8%
Drawn 0 0%
Biggest Win for Gloucester 43 - 13 23 Nov 2001
Biggest Win for Wasps 39 - 3 31 May 2003
Gloucester top try scorer vs Wasps Mark Cornwell 2 tries
Gloucester top points scorer vs Wasps Henry Paul 47 points
Wasps top try scorer vs Gloucester Josh Lewsey 4 tries
Wasps top points scorer vs Gloucester Alex King 82 points
Previous Premiership Meetings
01 May 2004 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 28 - 25 Kingsholm
21 Nov 2003 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 12 - 20 Causeway Stadium
31 May 2003 F Gloucester vs Wasps 3 - 39 Twickenham
04 Jan 2003 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 24 - 17 Kingsholm
26 Oct 2002 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 16 - 23 Causeway Stadium
10 Apr 2002 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 9 - 44 Loftus Road Report
23 Nov 2001 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 43 - 13 Kingsholm
29 Apr 2001 ZCP Gloucester vs Wasps 6 - 18 Loftus Road
10 Feb 2001 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 3 - 28 Kingsholm
17 Sep 2000 ZP Gloucester vs Wasps 23 - 43 Loftus Road
Gloucester have won their last 14 matches in all competitions at Kingsholm since London Irish knocked them out of the cup there in November 2003. In the Zurich Premiership the Cherry & Whites have been defeated just once at home in their last 34 outings since October 2001 – that loss was to Bath twelve months ago.
Wasps last loss in any competition came on 11 September at home to Sale and since then the Londoners have won eight in a row. Warren Gatland cannot have any fingernails left when Wasps play away from High Wycombe - in each of Wasps last eight away matches in the Premiership the losing side has grabbed a losing bonus point with Wasps only being defeated in two of those games.
The last six regular season Premiership clashes between the two have all been won by the home side. Wasps have one of the better records of visiting sides at Kingsholm, securing six wins in cup and league in their 16 matches there since 1987.
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