'Discipline' vital insists Redpath
Gloucester Rugby Head Coach Bryan Redpath has responded to last Sunday’s Guinness Premiership defeat at local rivals Bath Rugby by making five changes to his starting line up for the visit of the Worcester Warriors to Kingsholm on Saturday.
Three of the changes are in the backs where Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu and Lesley Vainikolo return whilst Dave Lewis comes in at scrum half for Rory Lawson who had to leave the action early at the Rec after a blow to the head.
Up front, Adam Eustace is selected to partner Alex Brown in the second row whilst Akapusi Qera features for the first time since the home victory over Newcastle on December 5th.
Amongst the replacements Welsh international scrumhalf Andy Williams, currently on loan from Moseley with Jordi Pasqualin having temporarily moved in the opposite direction to Billesley Common, and hooker Olivier Azam are both named.
Ahead of his team announcement, Redpath was pulling no punches when it came to assessing the importance of Saturday’s fixture: “Worcester have beaten us I think on the last three occasions, twice away and once at home.
“Everyone must understand the importance of this game. A win would take us up two places and a defeat would move us down one place. We’re only seven points off the bottom and four points off sixth.
“So, these next two games are massive. Our supporters will come on Saturday and sing their hearts out and they’ll want people to perform. But we have to be clinical.
“I think over 90 points of their 140 odd have come from the boot of Willie Walker so what is going to be important is discipline. If our discipline is poor then it won’t be a game because Willie will kick the points.”
Former Cherry and Whites hooker Chris Fortey is handed a start against former club as the Warriors make the short trip to Kingsholm.
Fortey is one of two changes to the line-up that faced Northampton Saints on Boxing Day as Director of Rugby Mike Ruddock looks for his Warriors to make a winning start to 2010.
Dale Rasmussen is also promoted to the team and paired with Sam Tuitupou in the centre as Scotland international Alex Grove moves to the replacements bench.
Flyhalf Willie Walker will face Gloucester for the first time since leaving Kingsholm on a permanent basis to move to Sixways in the summer and prop Tevita Taumoepeau makes his 100th start for Warriors in the front row.
The Teams:
Gloucester Rugby: 15 Olly Morgan, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 James Simpson-Daniel, 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, 11 Lesley Vainikolo, 10 Nicky Robinson, 9 Dave Lewis, 8 Gareth Delve (captain), 7 Akapusi Qera, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Alex Brown, 4 Adam Eustace, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Nick Wood
Replacements: 16 Olivier Azam, 17 Alasdair Dickinson, 18 Pierre Capdevielle, 19 Dave Attwood, 20 Luke Narraway, 21 Andy Williams, 22 Carlos Spencer, 23 Tim Molenaar
Warriors: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Dale Rasmussen, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Willie Walker, 9 Jonny Arr, 8 Kai Horstmann, 7 Pat Sanderson (captain), 6 Tom Wood, 5 Craig Gillies, 4 Greg Rawlinson, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 2 Chris Fortey, 1 Adam Black
Replacements: 16 Matt Mullan, 17 Aleki Lutui, 18 Olivier Sourgens, 19 Graham Kitchener, 20 James Collins, 21 Ryan Powell, 22 Matthew Jones, 23 Alex Grove
Date: Saturday, 2 January
Venue: Kingsholm
Time: 15.00 (15.00 GMT)
