Youth and experience combine for LV=Cup opener
London Wasps have today named their side for the opening round of the LV=Cup, facing London Irish at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday, KO 3pm.
George Skivington and Simon Shaw - Skivington will captain Wasps this weekend and Shaw will collect his first start of the season
Director of Rugby Tony Hanks has opted for a blend of youth and experience, naming England pair Simon Shaw and Joe Worsley amongst the starting XV, whilst giving first starts to Academy prop Bob Baker and back row Hugo Ellis.
Resting regular captain Serge Betsen, England Saxon George Skivington will lead Wasps against their local rivals. Skivington, who made his debut for Wasps in 2003, will make his 115th appearance for the Club - a player who has helped ensure the Londoners third place spot in the league playing a full 80 minutes in six of the seven fixtures.
In the front row 20 year old Baker, combines with hooker Joe Ward and prop Charlie Beech. Shaw and captain Skivington partner in the second row and John Hart, Worsley and Ellis form the back row.
In the back division, Mark Van Gisbergen runs out for 199th Club appearance and Tom Varndell comes back into the starting line up for the rested Paul Sackey. Recovering from a calf strain, Ben Jacobs combines with Lachlan Mitchell in the midfield and Welsh capped scrum half Warren Fury trades places with Joe Simpson on the bench to collect his second start of the season.
Amongst the replacements Mark Odejobi makes a first appearance on a 2009/10 team sheet and Marty Veale is also named.
Bright young talent, Bob Baker, makes his first 2009/10 start against Irish on Sunday
Looking ahead to the game, Hanks said, ”For us this is an exciting opportunity to mark out our intent at the beginning of another campaign. Wasps have enjoyed mixed success in the Anglo-Welsh competition in the past and we are taking this season’s LV= Cup competition very seriously. For those players named in Sunday’s team this fixture is hugely important and means just as much as any league or European outing. Facing London Irish in the opening round certainly gives this game another edge - I know that the whole squad want to produce a better performance than our last outing at the Madejski.
“Again demonstrating the depth in the squad, this weekend provides us with an opportunity to rest and rotate some players who have taken a heavy load this season so far. Serge Betsen is one of those players and therefore I am delighted to name George Skivington as captain. George is a player who has shown great leadership both on and off the pitch and he is a key figure in this Wasps group - hugely respected by his peers.
“It has also been great to allow some of our younger players like Bob Baker, Charlie Beech, Warren Fury and Hugo Ellis the opportunity to make their mark, whilst combing them with our experienced heads including Simon Shaw, Joe Worsley, John Hart and Mark Van Gisbergen.
“Irish have made an impressive start to the season so we know that Sunday’s game will be hugely competitive, but the players are eager to set out their own marker in this competition and are focused on a strong performance.”
London Wasps team to face London Irish in the LV= Cup at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday, 9th November, KO 3pm is:
Mark Van Gisbergen will run out for his 199th club appearance on Sunday
15 Mark Van Gisbergen
14 Tom Varndell
13 Lachlan Mitchell
12 Ben Jacobs
11 David Lemi
10 Dave Walder
9 Warren Fury
1 Charlie Beech
2 Joe Ward
3 Bob Baker
4 George Skivington (C)
5 Simon Shaw
6 John Hart
7 Joe Worsley
8 Hugo Ellis
Replacements:
16 Chris Whitehead
17 Gabriel Bocca
18 Ben Broster
19 Marty Veale
20 Will Matthews
21Joe Simpson
22 Eoghan Hickey
23 Mark Odejobi
London Irish
15. Jamie Lennard; 14. Peter Hewat; 13. Tom Homer; 12. Charlie Gower; 11. John Rudd; 10. Chris Malone; 9. Peter Richards (C); 1. Dan Murphy; 2. David Paice; 3. Faan Rautenbach; 4. Andy Perry; 5. Gary Johnson; 6. Kieran Roche; 7. Jonathon Fisher; 8. Richard Thorpe.
Replacements
16. James Buckland; 17. Alex Corbisiero; 18. Max Lahiff; 19. Matt Garvey; 20. Steffon Armitage; 21. Marcus Watson; 22. Mike Catt; 23. Alfredo Lalanne.
