I have an issue with the chorus of He must play. We can't pick players on reputation, Dobson hasn't put in a good performance yet. As a result he must earn his spot. The top teams drop players out of form, we must go down the same line. Thats why those same teams produce quality in their ranks because they all know they will get their chance.

I'd just start Chase & Dobson given the squad we've named.

Keep Fages fresh to rotate with Lee & provide as much impact (on the game, not physical impact) as possible. No point changing a halfback combination after 30 minutes unless things are dire.

If Hood were fit I'd have him in the squad instead of one of our halves in a heartbeat; we bought him to play hooker, let him play there instead of playing someone else out of position. I wouldn't want to choose which half had to miss out though, I think any combination of the 3 would go well.

If everyone's fit why no BJB?

He may end up playing, I think a few players had late fitness tests.

There is a distinct difference between being dropped and not selected. I consider being 'dropped' as a result of poor performance and 'not selected' as the coach having a good choice of options. Dobson has to play for me if fit. The sooner we integrate him in this team for his organisational qualities and kicking game the better.