London Wasps have made five changes to their starting team to face Leeds Carnegie in the Aviva Premiership at Adams Park on Sunday 17th April, KO 3PM.
With a lengthy injury list, Holden has turned to some of the club’s young rising stars to help get the team back to winning ways.
In the backs a duo of young guns are named – with Jack Wallace on the wing and Elliot Daly in the centre.
Wallace takes the place of David Lemi who is injured, and both he and Daly are eligible to play for the England U20s this summer at the Junior World Cup – with Daly returning to the club following his superb display with his school in the recent Daily Mail Cup final played at Twickenham.
Up front another young player, Tom Lindsay, who scored a try in last week’s Amlin Challenge Cup game against Harlequins, replaces Rob Webber in the number two shirt. Webber has this week undergone surgery for an injury to his arm and will miss the remainder of the season.
John Hart also returns to the starting line-up at number 8 and captains the side, while Sam Jones, another England U20 star, plays at openside flanker – those two replacing Andy Powell and Serge Betsen who are both carrying knocks.
Two more rising England stars, Billy Vunipola and Jonah Holmes are named on the bench while Josh Lewsey also returns for Christian Wade who has a leg strain.
London Wasps interim Director of Rugby Leon Holden said: “The obvious issues that we have had with injuries has given us the opportunity to introduce a number of our very exciting younger players. These players have shown over the season that they are capable at this level and it will be another test for them. We can in no way underestimate the determination that Leeds will bring to the game and any team playing for their Premiership survival are going to be very dangerous.”
LONDON WASPS TEAM TO PLAY LEEDS
15 Mark van Gisbergen
14 Richard Haughton
13 Elliot Daly
12 Riki Flutey
11 Jack Wallace
10 Dave Walder
9 Joe Simpson
1 Tim Payne
2 Tom Lindsay
3 Ben Broster
4 Simon Shaw
5 Joe Launchbury
6 John Hart (c)
7 Sam Jones
8 Dan Ward-Smith
16 Joe Ward
17 Bob Baker
18 Zak Taulafo
19 James Cannon
20 Billy Vunipola
21 Jonah Holmes
22 Seb Jewell
23 Josh Lewsey