Champions Cup Review - Wasps 20 - 20 Leinster

I mentioned in my preview that I felt that this game was the real ‘baptism’ of Wasps’ new home – but I don’t think I appreciated how significant this really was.  Several minutes of witnessing 2 Wasps fans engaging in a Guinness-only drinking contest with 4 Leinster-men at 10am in Wasps’ new pre-match-party arena confirmed it to me however...Wasps are back in the big time.

 

I was lucky enough to witness this first hand thanks to BT Sport, who had the good grace to show me all the backstage (and front of house) details of the Ricoh Arena (you can find my article on that on The Rugby Blog), but there was no-denying the real tension in the air.  Here were two clubs that had previously dominated Europe at separate times.  The Irish side, apparently on the wane, against the English club, for whom the only way is back up; a winner-takes-all clash with only a victory carrying a guarantee of progression (although, as it would transpire, there was an “everyone’s a winner” scenario).

 

The significance of a Wasps v Leinster clash was not lost on anyone – least of all Lawrence Dallaglio, who looked as if he wanted to get onto the pitch himself.  When asked what he was looking forward to the most before the game, he rather predictably answered “The battle of the number eights.  Hughes and Heaslip are two of the most athletic guys in the backrow in Europe and they will be wanting the ball in the open spaces as much as possible.”  And on Wasps’ – given no chance prior to the start of the tournament – chances?  “As long as they start with a bang, I think they can win it”.

 

However, when Dallglio said ‘start with a bang’, I don’t think Dai Young and co would have had Ashley Johnson recklessly wiping out Dave Kearney in the air off the kick off in mind.  It was a clumsy challenge which saw the Ireland winger forced off the pitch, and an apologetic Johnson joined him shortly after, albeit only for 10 minutes.  Down to 14 men, it was hardly the start Wasps were after on this, their biggest stage for some 7 years.

 

Leinster, despite an impressive showing against the hapless Castres last weekend, have not been at their best this season – but they are still a quality outfit and demonstrated that by taking full advantage early on.  Applying pressure to a Wasps pack playing a man-down, they used two penalty line-outs to march themselves into position before applying relentless pressure to create an overlap for wing Fergus McFadden to exploit, plunging over in the right hand corner.  A fine touchline conversion from Ian Madigan gave the hosts a 7 point lead – but the quality of the kick was to be misleading, as the Leinster-man found his radar on the blink for the rest of the afternoon.

 

Andy Goode pulled three points back to the delight of his local crowd after Sean Cronin had picked up a loose ball from an offside position, but then Madigan’s eventful afternoon continued – missing two gettable penalties, chipping out on the full and then making a searing break...only to ignore the overlap and butcher what looked like a certain try for his side. 

 

But Wasps, simply couldn’t get their hands on the ball.  With Luke Fitzgerald causing mayhem in the middle and Heaslip carrying strongly, the men in black found themselves constantly on the back foot, resulting in (finally) another three points from Madigan before Cittadini saw yellow for killing the ball with Leinster creeping towards the Wasps’ line.

 

It didn’t help the hosts’ cause, with the Leinster pack relishing the monopoly on possession they enjoyed.  Jimmy Gopperth (relieving Madigan of kicking duties) and Andy Goode exchanged 3 pointers before the visitors dealt what appeared to be a hammer blow just before half time.  With Leinster camped on the Wasps line, Isaac Boss (on for the injured Eioan Reddan) and then Gopperth both had darts at the line, with neither being awarded a try – before the TMO intervened and determined that Boss had indeed crossed the line with his attempt a couple of phases earlier.  It was a confusing set of circumstances but Leinster didn’t care – thanks to conversion from a re-energised Madigan, they held a 20 – 6 lead at half time – despite losing Kane Douglas to the sin bin for a shoulder charge on Johnson.  Game over?

 

Not quite.  A year ago I would have pegged Wasps to cop a thrashing in this situation – but something has definitely changed since then.  For starters, James Haskell is captain, and the England man was at the forefront of an immensely physical display from the Wasps pack which clawed them back from the abyss.  This time Wasps did start the half positively, with Tom Varndell haring over in the left hand corner for a try – only for the TMO to rule it out for obstruction by Nathan Hughes.  It was a borderline call, but probably the correct one, given that Hughes is a fairly large obstruction.

 

Wasps, however, were undeterred, and were spurred on by the sight of Madigan missing yet another chance to extend his side’s lead.  They found the Leinster defence, however, hard to break down – even Christian Wade, who had an industrious match, was well-contained by an organised Leinster defence led superbly by Fitzgerald.  However, as much as Leinster enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the first half, it was Wasps turn in the second period.  After Hughes had made a trademark break through the middle, the Wasps pack dragged themselves within range to allow Matt Mullan to wriggle over for a crucial try.  A fine conversion from Andy Goode pulled the hosts back within striking distance – and it didn’t take long for them to make their move.

 

After a poor kick from Gopperth gifted the hosts field position, the Wasps driving lineout kicked into gear, providing the platform for the magnificent Hughes to dive over for an equalising try (after Goode’s conversion at the second attempt, thanks to an early Leinster charge) with 10 minutes to play.

 

The final minutes were played at a frantic pace – Gopperth, so industrious with the ball in hand, swiped a drop goal wide before Madigan (again, dangerous when running) followed suit with a snatched penalty attempt, his fourth miss of the day.  Wasps held firm against the storm, and waited for their chance.  Working themselves into position, Hughes and Johnson made valuable half breaks to give Goode the space he needed – but the former England man, such a hero in Wasps colours this season – shanked his drop goal attempt horribly wide.  The score remained at 20 apiece.

 

A hushed silence fell over the stadium.  Leinster had qualified, but not in the manner that they would have wanted.  There were positives, to be sure, with O’Driscoll putting Fitzgerald forward as “a real option” for Joe Shmidt in the 13 jersey after a physical display for Leinster.  “He didn’t play the spectacular, all dancing game that we know he can produce”, said O’Driscoll.  “But he did make telling hits in defence, especially in that second half, took good options and carried strongly.  First and foremost, that’s what you want an international centre to do”.

 

And for Leinster as a team?  O’Driscoll thinks more time is needed.  “There are signs that the messages from Matt O’Connor are starting to filter through, but it isn’t a quick process.  They have shown in fits and starts how they want to play, but producing it over 80 minutes is the real challenge now”.

 

Very true.  Leinster conceded 14 unanswered points in that second half – partly due to Madigan’s kicking, partly due to being physically bullied, which is not something you would expect from a Leinster side.  For Wasps, the heroics of that second half seemed to all be in vain – but, following an agonising wait for the results to come in, the men from Cov (get used to it) have made their first foray into the knockout stages since they won the competition back in 2007, joining Leinster in the quarter finals as one of the best runners-up.

 

I’m not saying this side is as good as that Dallaglio-led Wasps one was, but all the signs are – on and off the pitch – they are on the right path.  And, thanks to a bit of luck with other results, who knows where that path will end?

Many thanks to BT Sport for the backstage pass at the Ricoh Arena!

Champions Cup Preview - Wasps v Leinster

Individual moments don't just define passages of play, or games.  They don't just define seasons or cup glory.  They define careers, livelihoods – and the future of entire clubs.  Cast your minds back to April 2012, to the Rec, as Sam Vesty coasted in to score a try beneath the sticks for the West Country outfit, one arm raised in celebration.  A touchdown against Wasps would have denied the visitors a bonus point, and put the bottom club, Falcons, within striking distance with a head-to-head encounter to follow on the last day of the season.  Sam Vesty's try could have sent Wasps down.  Sam Vesty's try could, in the words of Nick Eastwood, Wasps CEO, have seen the club go bust. 

Enter Tom Varndell.  The flying finisher, now Bristol-bound, has never been known for his defence but he pulled off a miraculous try-saving tackle on his former Leicester colleague, chasing back and rolling him over to prevent the try.  Whilst we were all busy laughing at what a prat Vesty was, it perhaps overtook us that Varndell had rescued a bonus point.  Varndell, as it would transpire, had secured Wasps' future.

Fast forward just less than 3 years and things are a little different.  A new home, new prospects and a new atmosphere surround the club.  The screams of protest from 4 months ago, when it was first announced that Wasps would be uprooted from their traditional London(ish) base, have been quietened and gradually replaced with murmurings of approval and acknowledgements of the necessity of the move – and that's not to mention the deafening roar of their fans (both old and new) who have packed out the previous two fixtures against London Irish and Wasps.  But Saturday's fixture against Leinster is the real baptism of the Ricoh Arena – as Eastwood says "the real culmination" of all the hard work that's been put into the project by so many people.

Because this is where Wasps want to be – facing off against the European heavyweights in a winner-takes all clash, with the opportunity to reach the knockout stages in Europe for the first time since they won the entire thing in 2007.  And it promises to be some spectacle.  Leinster haven't really hit their stride as yet and haven't really clicked under Matt O'Connor, but the performance against Castres last week was one to behold, with the likes of Sean Cronin and Jamie Heaslip oozing power and class.  They were given a scare in the home fixture against the English club (by Christian Wade in particular) but they're used to these knockout situations and they know a win or a draw will see them through.

Wasps have been hammered by the fact that Alapati Leiua is unavailable – the big centre has been magnificent for the hosts in recent weeks – but even that can't detract from a feel good-factor that pervades the club at the moment.  In particular, the back row of Johnson, Haskell and Hughes is probably one of the most physical around, and with the likes of Simpson, Wade and Varndell there is some serious pace to compliment it.  The side has balance and direction – something that hasn't been seen at Wasps for a fair while – and they know that a win will (barring Leinster grabbing 2 bonus points) see them top the group.

They face a stiff test on Saturday against one of Europe's elite but, once again, it only takes a moment for somebody to write a new chapter in the Wasps' history books.

A big thanks to Nick Eastwood, who spared a few minutes with me earlier today.

Wasps Team News

Dai Young makes two changes to the side that won 23-3 at Harlequins, James Gaskell starting at lock, while Ben Jacobs returns at centre with Alapati Leiua out with a knee injury.

Starting Line-up:  Miller; Wade, Daly, Jacobs, Varndell; Goode, Simpson; Mullan, Shervington, Cittadini, Davies, Gaskell, Johnson, Haskell (capt), Hughes.

Subs: Festuccia, McIntyre, Cooper-Woolley, Myall, Thompson, Jackson, Lozowski, Masi.

Key Player

Andy Goode.  He may not be stylish or especially fashionable, looking more like your local McDonald's restaurant manager than a professional sportsman, but on the pitch Goodey is as smooth and as effective as they come.  His performances this season have been nothing short of sensational – varying play magnificently, kicking over points with monotonous regularity and using his boot with supreme tactical awareness.  His skillset is right out of the top drawer – something he doesn't often get credit for – but it's his experience that will really stand him out as a key man for Wasps.  He's been in these situations before – for Leicester and for England – and knows the intensity that a winner-takes-all European contest brings; in such a pivotal position, he needs to be the calm head amongst his peers and control the emotions of those around him.

 

Leinster Team News

Leinster coach Matt O'Connor also opts for two changes with Kane Douglas and Dominic Ryan drafted into the pack.  Mike McCarthy and Jack Conan are on the bench after starting against Castres.  O'Connor has retained Marty Moore at tight-head prop ahead of Mike Ross in an unchanged front row alongside Michael Bent and Sean Cronin.

Starting Line-up: R Kearney; McFadden, Fitzgerald, Madigan, D Kearney; Gopperth, Reddan; Bent, Cronin, Moore; Toner, Douglas; Ryan, Murphy, Heaslip (capt).

Subs: Strauss, Hagan, Furlong, McCarthy, Conan, Boss, G D'Arcy, Fanning.

Key Player

Ian Madigan.  Being shunted out from his usual fly half role may not seem like the loudest ringing endorsement of Madigan's qualities, but with the vastly experienced Gordon D'Arcy being kept on the bench, it actually goes to show how much Matt O'Connor and his team value him, moving him to 12 just to keep him on the pitch.  Of course, he has had plenty of game time in the centre – he is a physical presence for a 10, and his ability to spot opportunities and space half a second quicker than others make him an ideal second distributor.  Leinster's real strength lies in bringing in powerful runners through the middle of the park, so look out for Madigan taking the ball to the line and using his deft hands to put the big men through the gaps…or having a dart himself.

Key Battle

Nathan Hughes v Jamie Heaslip.  This is one of those battles that is worth the admission price alone.  Although it's sad that we won't get to see the "Battle of the Biceps" between James Haskell and Sean O'Brien (there's an off-season fundraiser for you), this matchup is likely to be more critical than that one ever could be.  The two men are, in many ways, very similar number eights, looking most effective in the slightly wider channels where their power and athleticism allows them to make breaks themselves and offload to devastating effect in the wider channels.  Simply put, both sides will be looking to them as their primary source of both front-foot ball and the trigger for breaking the opposition defence; whoever has the bigger game, wins their side the match.


Prediction

This is a watershed moment for Wasps.  A new home, and potentially a trip to the knockout stages for the first time in eight years is at stake.  There's a feel good factor about Wasps at the moment and, despite Leinster's pedigree and the big loss of Alapati Leiua, I can see the hosts having the sharper sting in the tail (sorry).  They'll get the win, Leinster will grab a losing bonus point, but it won't be enough to stop Wasps from confirming their re-emergence as a European force in the knockout stages.  Wasps by 5.

@RuckedOver

RuckedOver's England Young Gun XV

With a couple of recent articles on the Worst England XV Ever and the Wasted Talent XV, it was all getting a bit depressing on RuckedOver.  Those that know me will attest to the fact that (despite my admittedly depressing hobby of writing a rugby 'blog' - I hate that word) I'm usually irritatingly cheerful.  And so, hot on the heels of Stuart Lancaster's latest squad announcement, let's take a look at the uncapped youngsters who are giving England such a bright future that, even if it all goes to sh*t over the next 12 months, it doesn't matter because we'll be winning the World Cup in 2019 anyway.

No pressure, lads.

1.  Nick Auturac (Bath)

Socks round his ankles like Deano, hair like Mickey Skinner, the Bath loosehead looks as if he's been hauled straight out of the late 1980s - but the 22 year old is very much in the 'new-breed' bracket for props.  After joining from Saracens, Auterac has caught the eye with some frankly frightening displays of strength and an ultra-aggressive carrying style.  With his scrummaging improving all of the time, the Bath front row looks in safe (and rather large) hands going forward.

 

2.  Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)

The fact that the Exeter Chiefs hooker has made it onto this list is a real credit to his rugby-playing ability, because his hair genuinely upsets me.  A junior World Cup winner, the fact that he can often nail down a starting spot at a successful Premiership club at just 21 is a success in itself, but bigger things have been earmarked for Cowan-Dickie.  Having been part of England's touring party to New Zealand last June (before suffering a knee injury), the hooker's all-action style has seen him sniffing at the door of full international honours - selected for the Saxons squad announced earlier this week.

 

3.  Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)

 'The Sink' has a lot going for him.  A geometrically perfect square of muscle and testosterone, he's become known for burying opponents with ferocious hits around the fringes (have a quick search for Chris Ashton and Sinckler's name, and prepare to wince/laugh).  With his scrummaging beginning to look more than solid and staggering pace for a man of his size (don't believe me?  Watch him keep up with Marlande Yarde below), it's surely just a matter of time until he gets a full cap, despite the fact that England are well-stocked in the tighthead department.  Now he just needs to control that temper...

4.  Charlie Matthews (Harlequins)

Out of nowhere, young Matthews has become a mainstay of the Quins pack and is quickly becoming something of an enforcer, despite his tender age of just 23.  In a side that prides itself on playing all-singing and all-dancing rugby, the Quins academy product brings just a bit of the old school to proceedings and some much needed balance to their brand of rugby.  Whether he's destined for the mantle of 'great club player' rather than international, I don't know, but for the time being he's certainly turning some heads for the Londoners.

 

5.  Dominic Barrow (Newcastle Falcons)

The 21-year-old product of the Leeds academy was one of the standout performers for the England under 20s in their 2013 World Cup win, proving a canny operator in the lineout and an explosive physical presence in the loose.  Injuries have curtailed the impact he's been able to make for the Falcons this year but, with time on his side, Dom Barrow is a name that rugby fans can expect to get used to hearing a lot more in the future.

 

6.  Maro Itoje (Saracens)

Saracens have a fine (and often underrated) academy system so when one bloke shamelessly gets picked by management and pundits as being the 'best of the bunch', you have to take notice.  He's started making inroads into the Saracens 1st XV this season - mostly as a second row, although he is experienced at 6 - but it's been at age-group international level where Itoje has really shone.  A natural leader, he learnt his lineout traits from Steve Borthwick (not bad) and was a marauding, often try-scoring presence for the under-20s as they impressed in the Si Nations and then won the 2014 Junior World Championship.  A future England skipper?  Stay tuned.

 

7.  Harry Thacker (Leicester Tigers)

Ah, now I may have cheated slightly here.  Young Thacker is actually a Tigers hooker - and a very promising one at that, catching the eye with two tries against London Welsh and winning the player of the month prize at Welford Road recently.  But at 5 foot 8 and 13 stone, questions have been raised about his size - not that you'd know, to be fair.  A strong set-piece operator, he is a ferociously aggressive carrier with a low centre of gravity and a smart rugby brain, which makes him a real handful.  But his stature also makes him lethal over the ball and, with a hat-trick of tries from driving mauls in his last appearance in a 7 jersey (in the A league against Northampton), could we be witnessing the emergence of a new Neil Back? 

PS the fact his dad used to be my rugby coach and that he, to be honest, still frightens me, has nothing to do with his selection.  Just don't make me do pyramid runs, Troy!

 

8.  Jack Clifford (Harlequins)

Another man to be involved in that superb 2013 Junior World Cup winning squad, the Australian born Clifford is starting to make some serious waves at club level this season.  A largely injury-enforced run in the Harlequins first team has seen the 21-year-old slip seamlessly in to blindside flanker, where his powerful carries, impressive athleticism and Velcro-esque hands have made it incredibly hard for Conor O'Shea to dislodge him, even if he is fit.  Take a look at some of his highlights from the under 20s, where he seems to beat half the opposition on a regular basis - Quins look to have a ready-made replacement for Nick Easter.  If he ever retires.

9.  Dan Robson (Gloucester)

If it feels like Robson has been around for ages, that's because he has - he made his debut in the 2010-11 season, and since then has - rather, harshly in my view - been handed the role of super-sub on the most part.  Some questions remain on his kicking game but his distribution is tidy and his ability to create moments of magic like the below set him apart as a special talent.  Off to Wasps next season, his battle for the 9 shirt with a scrum-half of similar qualities, Joe Simpson, will be an intriguing one.

 

10.  Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)

Slade strikes me as one of those irritating people who has it all.  Blessed with boyish good looks and charm in interviews, the least we could expect is a bit of timid-ness in the contact area, like any self-respecting semi-good-looking fly half would have.  But no, throw anyone at them - Rene Ranger, Manu Tuilagi - and Slade not only tackles them but hits them hard.  Add that to glorious distribution skills and superb vision, you can understand why many are clamouring for the young Exeter man to be part of Stuart Lancaster's plans sooner rather than later.  Also keep an eye out for Alex Lozowski at Wasps - another man who has impressed with every outing and one that has the useful ability to create chances from nothing.

 

11.  Zach Kibirige (Newcastle Falcons)

Like his club-mate Dom Barrow, Kibirige has had bad luck with injuries at Falcons, with a broken leg curtailing his season last year. But if his form for the under 20s is anything to go by, then Dean Richards has one heck of a talent on his hands.  A powerful runner with sharp acceleration, the youngster oozes physical menace and if he can refine the finer aspects of his game, then maybe we can see more ridiculous tries like this at senior level.

 

12.  Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs)

Yet another to form part of an impressive crop of youngsters emerging from the Exeter academy, Sam Hill would almost sum up what plenty of fans dislike about England centres - physicality, aggression and solid defence.  But chuck in his superb special awareness and ability to get the ball out of the tackle, and you have a centre who is a brick wall in defence, and a guaranteed gain-line breaker and gap-creator, a real cannon-ball, in attack.  Already a mainstay for Chiefs at just 21.

 

13.  Nick Tompkins (Saracens)

Perhaps I'm being unfair, but the combination of the words 'Saracens', 'centre' and 'Tompkins' fills me with an emotion somewhere between despondency and despair as I recall one of the most average players (Joel) ever to pull on an England shirt.  Nick will have to do a lot to erase that mindset, but he's certainly started well - he hasn't looked out of place starting for Saracens in some big games despite being only 19.  As an ex-flanker, he is solid in defence and likes the rough stuff at the breakdown, but he's also a smart line-picker in the Conrad Smith mould.  He's got plenty of learning to go still, but Sarries know that they have a real prospect on their hands. 

14.  Charlie Walker (Harlequins)

As part of an England under-20 back 3 containing Marlande Yarde and Anthony Watson, you would be forgiven for thinking Walker had fallen away a tad.  Not so.  Instead, incredibly bad luck has robbed Quins of one of the most dangerous broken field runners around.  With lightening acceleration and a remarkable ability to change direction without slowing down, Walker was tearing it up for Quins in late 2013/early 2014 before injury knocked him off his stride.  Now recovered, he's edging his way back towards the Londoners' starting line-up - if he gets a shot, watch out.

 

15.  Mike Haley (Sale Sharks)

The young full back would probably have had even some Sharks fans scratching their heads over who he was prior to this season, with only a handful of LV= Cup appearances to his name, but the man from Preston has certainly caught the eye this year.  Making the most of injuries to some of his more experienced colleagues, Haley has shown remarkable poise under the high ball for somebody who is still just 20, has quick feet and a gliding style of running that sees him coast through gaps.  A prime example of somebody take their chance with both hands - it will be interesting to see what chances come his way going forward.

Who have I missed out from this side?  Comment below.



European Cup Review - Harlequins 3 - 23 Wasps

Talk about your rollercoaster rides.  Sure, you get them every now and again within individual games, but Wasps fans have been on one of the longest big dippers around.  From the absolute summit of European championships and Premiership titles, they’ve plummeted through relegation scraps and administration near-misses, not to mention the upheaval of their very home in north London.  But finally – and only whisper it – it looks like they might be on the climb again.

 

A better-than-expected welcome to Coventry has boosted attendances and displays, and with quality players like Nathan Hughes, James Haskell and Christian Wade all playing top-class rugby, the side is not only knocking on the door for the Premiership playoffs, but they’re in with a sniff of European qualification, too.  They faced Harlequins at the Stoop on Saturday, the side in control of Pool Two, knowing that a win would turn what looked like a canter for their ex-neighbours into a three-horse race.

 

We thought the game might get off to a bang, and Tom Williams ensured it did just that – clotheslining Alapati Leiua as the big centre rushed onto an intelligent kick from the evergreen Andy Goode.  The visiting fans wanted a card to be shown in just the third minute, and understandably so since it looked horrendous on replay.  But, in fairness to Williams, it looked as if he was either reaching for the ball or just instinctively sticking an arm out rather than anything sinister, and so Nigel Owen’s decision to keep his cards in his pocket was probably justified – but Andy Goode made sure the mistake didn’t go unpunished, slotting the first three points of the afternoon.

 

Quins, though, struck back hard, wanting to replicate the unstoppable high-tempo and enterprising game that had dismantled the Leicester Tigers the previous week.  Nick Easter and Chris Robshaw were both beginning to generate some momentum for the hosts with smart carries and offloads around the fringes, but then two errors from their lynchpins handed a very firm advantage – and effectively the game – to Wasps.

 

Firstly, Danny Care took a quick tap from a quick penalty and, although he did well initially to wriggle into some space, his speculative pass was to nobody – nobody, that is, aside from the lurking Christian Wade, who scooped the ball up and scampered over from 75 metres.  If there’s one person you don’t want to see picking off your loose pass, it’s that man.  Goode nudged over the conversion and the visitors were suddenly 10 – nil to the good.

 

The hosts were reeling, and a strikeback felt inevitable, but then Mike Brown hoofed a clearance out on the full and gave Wasps a rare attacking platform.  They needed no second invitation.  With ruthless efficiency, they crashed the ball up in the middle through Leiua and James Haskell and, after just a couple of phases, Joe Simpson spotted a gap between the ruck and Will Collier and scampered through for his side’s second try. Similar to Wade...if there’s one man you don’t want to leave a gap by the fringes for, it’s Simpson.  The imperious Goode again made no mistake from the tee and even the most optimistic Quins fan began to appreciate it would be a hell of a comeback to drag their way back into things from here.

 

Inevitably, a comeback of sorts was mounted, and the Quins offloading game began to get going, with Robshaw again prominent and young Jack Clifford continuing to impress.  It also looked as if the tide had turned when Nathan Hughes – in his only blemish all game – was sent to the naughty boy stool in the 29^th minute as a result of persistent defending by his side.  But, try as they might, Wasps were swarming every carrier and preventing the offload, as well as contesting every breakdown to ensure that the Quins game simply could not stutter into gear.  Ashley Johnson was impressing with several ‘bear-hug’ tackles that engulfed the hosts runners, and the commentator’s nightmare duo of Haskell and Gaskell were slowing the ball down every time it went to deck.  Somehow, Quins went into the break without a point to their name.  17 – 0.

 

Conor O’Shea would have told his men to start the second half like men possessed, but Wasps fly half Andy Goode took the sting out of their tail (I’m sorry, I’ve just realised I may have over-done the Wasps puns) with another well-struck penalty.  Quins began to get desperate, turning down 3-pointers in search of greater reward – but time and again they were knocked back, and fly half Ben Botica eventually had to settle for three points of the tee just to get his side on the board.  Unbelievably, that was to be their only return of the game.

 

Elliot Daly soon cancelled out Botica’s effort with a mammoth penalty from inside his own half, and then the rearguard action from the Wasps defence did the rest of the damage.  Despite the introduction of Nick Evans following injury and the dangerous Charlie Walker, the hosts simply could not fight their way through a defensive line dominated by the likes of Hughes and Leuia and superbly marshalled by the magnificent Haskell.  The final whistle went, and the now-Coventry-based Wasps had achieved a famous victory.

 

Keep an eye out for this side.  They’ve not just moved up the country but, under Dai Young, they’re moving up the rugby ladder, too.

European Cup Preview - Harlequins v Wasps

 

The European Cup is an odd one.  In one sense, it is always great to see the best of each country facing off against one another, with the game becoming – according to the press at least – some sort of mini international contest, stirring up all sorts of nationalistic urges and borderline-racist ‘banter’.  However, when two clubs from the same country face off in the European Cup, the temptation would be to think that those tribal rivalries have disappeared – after all these teams do play each other at least twice a year, every year, in domestic competition.  But that’s not how it works.  With the goal of winning the ultimate club competition, some of the most ferocious contests I’ve seen have been between two English, or two Irish sides.  Take Wasps v Leicester in 2005/06.  Leicester won two epic encounters but it was the fact that Dallaglio emerged from both battles claiming that very, very few test matches had had the same level of intensity as those two games.  And they were just in the group stage.

What cranks up the heat even more on this fixture, Quins v Wasps, is the fact that both sides are still very much in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages.  Harlequins sit pretty on top of Pool Two, but Wasps are just a point behind.  And with Leinster also in the hunt (level on points with Quins but down on points difference), it’s clear that this encounter is simply a must win game for both sides.  Before last weekend, a lot had been made of Wasps resurgence this year and of Harlequins’ fall from grace, but a heavy defeat and an emphatic victory in their last fixtures has probably thrown the form book out the window for this one.

What we do know is that both these sides love to play physical, fast rugby, with offloads creating plenty of momentum through the middle.  The only difference between the ex-London-neighbours is that whereas Wasps like to get teams backpeddling so they can fling it wide to the likes of Wade and Varndell to finish, Quins simply keep ploughing through the middle, keeping the ball off the ground as much as possible in an effort to pull the opposition defence into disarray.  Both styles involve plenty of skill and plenty of slick handling, which makes this a tasty encounter for the neutral.

Although there won’t be too many of them around at the Stoop on Saturday night.

 

Harlequins Team News

Harlequins make two changes from the side which beat Leicester Tigers last weekend.   Tom Williams starts on the wing in place of Ugo Monye, while Will Collier comes in at tight-head for Kyle Sinckler.  Charlie Walker and Nick Evans return to the bench.

Starting Line up: Brown; Yarde, Hopper, Lowe, Williams, Botica, Care; Marler (capt), Gray, Collier, Matthews, Robson, Clifford, Robshaw, Easter.

Subs: Buchanan, Lambert, Sinckler, Twomey, Chisholm, Dickson, Evans, Walker

Key Player

Ben Botica.  With Tim Swiel doing a great job of filling in for the injured Nick Evans and Botica, it was perhaps a surprise that the Kiwi walked straight back into the starting line-up for last week’s crunch encounter with the Tigers.  But Botica was superb, controlling the game well, kicking intelligently and bringing in his wider players through smooth distribution.  His one vice is that he can occasionally crumple under pressure, and with an ultra-physical back row of Johnson, Haskell and Hughes hunting him down all evening, he will need to keep his cool if he is to control the Quins ship as well as he did last weekend.

 

Wasps Team News

For Dai Young’s Wasps, Tom Varndell returns, with Sailosi Tagicakibau unavailable with a hamstring strain.  Elliot Daly, who starts at 13, is back-up scrum-half as all the club's nines, aside from the starting Joe Simpson, are out through injury.

Starting Line up:  Miller; Wade, Daly, Leiua, Varndell; Goode, Simpson; Mullan, Shervington, Cittadini, Davies, Myall, Johnson, Haskell (capt), Hughes.

Subs: Festuccia, McIntyre, Cooper-Woolley, Gaskell, Thompson, Jacobs, Lozowski, Masi.

Key Player

Alapati Leiua.  The inside centre has been a bit of an unsung hero for Wasps, but fans of the now-Coventry-based outfit will know that this is a player who has been a large part of their success this season.  In recent years, Wasps have had pace but a lack of punch in the middle, but Leiua provides raw power with mesmerising footwork and is a real threat going forward.  He does, occasionally, isolate himself in defence but what he brings to the side with the ball in hand far outweighs any negatives.  If he can outmuscle Lowe and Hopper and win the gainline battle in the middle of the park, then Wasps will have a real shot at getting that crucial win.

 

Key Battle

Nick Easter v Nathan Hughes.  In truth, these are probably the two form number eights in England at the moment (although Tom Waldrom may have something to say about that).  Easter has been playing well in an under-achieving team all season, but his display against the Tigers last week was nothing short of monumental.  Yes, he was a menace at the breakdown but it was in the carry, where he seems to be able to offload out of any sort of contact, where he was so, so difficult to defend.  Of course, he’s up against Hughes – arguably Wasps’ player of the season so far – and, being raised in Fiji, the Wasps’ man has the same instinct and carries exactly the same kind of threat.  It makes for physical, fluid rugby – and whoever gets their hands on the ball the most will go along way to determining the outcome of this one.

 

Prediction

Up until last weekend it would have been a tight game ending up with a Wasps win, given the form of the two clubs.  But the way Quins dismantled Leicester and, equally, the way Wasps were run ragged in the first half against Bath, served as a reminder that there is a lot of uncertainty in this game.  One thing that is for certain is that we should see a high-paced, physical and entertaining encounter, but given last week’s results I’m going to lean towards the hosts picking up a critical victory which should see them through to the last 8.  Quins by 4.

Premiership Review - Newcastle Falcons 38 - 7 London Welsh

It's odd to have a 'relegation scrap' between two teams where one of the participants isn't really in danger of the drop – even if they lose.  But that was the situation that we had at Kingston Park on Sunday afternoon, as the two pre-season favourites for a return to the Championship faced off in a 'relegation decider'.  Well, that was only half true.  The Falcons in fact were two spots above the drop zone, in 10th place, going into the weekend and the Exiles, bottom by 15 points, had not only failed to win all season but had also shipped an average of around 40 points a game.  For London Welsh, the word 'hopeless' was something of an understatement.

But Welsh, to their credit, defied the predictions, the table standings and all the aspects which fade into irrelevance once a game starts, looking by far the more threatening in the opening exchanges.  The could even have taken the lead but they squandered the early chance, after big Tongan number eight Opeti Fonua had broken from the base of the scrum. His offload to Peter Browne should have led to a score, but the flanker could not hold the pass.

It proved a costly miss, with Newcastle stepping up the pace to score those three tries in seven minutes to lead 19-0, and just like that the game, and Welsh's fate, was sealed. Firstly, the excellent Tom Catterick, a real find this year, nearly cut through on the 22 to set up a series of forward drives and the now-Saints-bound-Kieran Brookes was somehow stopped right on the try line. Ally Hogg picking up from the base of the ensuing scrum and flicked the ball out to ball out to the try-machine Sinoti Sinoti, who stepped inside Elliot Kear and outside Paul Rowley to score.

Newcastle were quickly back on the attack when Welsh failed to clear a long kick and then conceded a penalty.  The Falcons could smell blood and ignored the prospect of three points, kicking to touch instead, and from the lineout prop Rob Vickers drove over for a try converted by Catterick.

The third try followed soon after when the electric Sinoti scorched through and passed inside overhead for Mark Wilson to send in veteran scrum half Mike Blair and Catterick again converted for 19-0.

Nick Scott briefly raised Welsh hopes in what was becoming a frantic and entertaining spectacle by brilliantly snapping up Will Robinson's clever dink down the touchline to score, and Robinson landed the extras for 19-7 in 24th minute.  A glimmer of light, perhaps?

Well, not for long.  The hosts's superiority in the rolling maul was demonstrated again when skipper Will Welch was driven over for a try in the 33rd minute to give the Falcons a 24-7 half-time lead and the try-scoring bonus point.  Job done, and even with 40 minutes still to play, fans of Welsh must have known there was no escaping another thumping.

However, much as they had done in the first half, the Exiles started the second period well but failed to execute at the key moment and they, once again, paid the price.  Hogg took a pass from Juan Pablo Socino and galloped 50 yards up the touchline, bumping off Scott and Olly Barkley for a spectacular try which Catterick converted in the 55th minute for 31-7.

Both sides made use of their benches in the second half and the continuity went right out of the game - particularly in Newcastle's case, but Welsh were unable to profit, and their frustration was never more evident than when Tom May had a chance to score only for the ball to be passed behind him and straight into touch, ruining the chance of a try-scoring homecoming to the club he started his career with 19 years ago, and on his last appearance here after announcing his retirement at the end of the season.

Almost inevitably, with three minutes left George McGuigan snapped up a loose ball and Alex Tuilagi slipped it to Catterick, who scored with a sharp outside break and converted his own try for 38-7, which was where the score settled.

They say when one door closes, another opens.  For the Falcons, the door to relative bliss of mid-table obscurity and potentially more exciting times remains open, wider than ever.  For Welsh, it looks as if their only exit is via the trap-door – straight back to the Championship.

Premiership Preview - Newcastle Falcons v London Welsh

There’s the last chance saloon, and then there’s the London Welsh predicament.  The newly-promoted Exiles in fact entered this saloon about 2 months ago and are currently on last orders having drunk most of the bar dry.  Of course, the majority of pundits expected Welsh to have a ‘drinking partner’ throughout their time in the Premiership, but the Falcons are looking fairly comfortable; despite ‘languishing’ in 10^th place, they are 15 points clear of their rivals, who have just one solitary point to their name.  But whereas last season the men from the north were scratching around playing some pretty uninspiring rugby, this season Deano has his troops playing some enterprising and exciting stuff –with the likes of Catterick, Sinoti Sinoti and Soccino all adding a bit of magic dust to what was a pretty bland side last season.

Welsh, on the other hand, were always going to be struggling.  The ludicrous RFU Championship system and the under-funding of newly promoted sides means that those arriving in the Premiership have two choices – stick with what they’ve got, or panic buy with limited funds.  Welsh went for the latter, and it has backfired big time; despite having the likes of Justin Burnell and Ollie Smith – both talented coaches – on their staff and some genuine quality and experience in the backline, the Exiles just haven’t clicked and you can sense that the morale within the side just isn’t there.

In truth, the Exiles had to win against the Falcons when they played them at home a couple of months ago – they didn’t, and that was the death knell, realistically speaking.  But confirmation (to all intents and purposes), to the dismay of Welsh fans, could just be 24 hours away.  Last orders.

Newcastle Falcons Team News

Dean Richards has made five changes for Sunday’s game - Simon Hammersley, Juan Pablo Socino, Rob Vickers, Ally Hogg and leading try scorer Sinoti Sinoti all return.

Starting Line-up:  Hammersley; Sinoti, Powell, Socino, Tait; Catterick, Blair; Vickers, Lawson, Brookes; Green, Furno; Wilson, Welch (capt), Hogg.

Subs:  McGuigan, Fry, Orlandi, Thompson, Mayhew, Tipuna, Harris, Tuilagi.

Key Player

Kieran Brookes.  Kieran ‘The Fridge’ Brookes has enjoyed a burgeoning reputation of late – and rightly so.  He’s recovered from an injury-plagued couple of seasons at Welford Road and is finally fulfilling the potential that stood him out as a youngster, and as added a few more strings to his bow.  His carrying has always been an asset (largely because he looks like an Oceana doorman...but with pace) and his aggression with the ball in hand is a real weapon for the Falcons, but it’s his scrummaging that has really come on in leaps and bounds, in both Newcastle and England shirts.  He will be aware that there is an opportunity to attack the Welsh set piece and can give his side a platform for victory is he does what is expected of him.

London Welsh Team News

London Welsh captain Tom May, who will retire at the end of the season, returns to the starting XV at outside centre against his former club.  Elliot Kear will be on the wing, while in the forwards, Koree Britton comes in at hooker for the injured Nathan Vella.

Starting Line-up:  Robinson; Kear, May (capt), Jewell, Scott; Weepu, Rowley; Trevett, Britton, Vea; West, Down; Browne, Kirwan, Fonua.

Subs: Morris, Reeves, Cooper, Thorpe, Pienaar, Lewis, Barkley, Stegmann.

Key Player

Opeti Fonua.  Apparently Leicester were interesting in signing him last season, and it’s easy to see why (and wonder why they didn’t).  Fonua is so massive he makes Billy Vunipola look like an (admittedly stocky) child by comparison.  Although the defeats have kept on coming, one of the big positives for Welsh over recent weeks is that they have finally been generating some forward momentum in attack – and it’s no coincidence that it started happening when Fonua arrived on the scene.  He is crucial to the Exiles game plan and needs to get his hands on the ball as much as possible if the visitors are to have any chance whatsoever.

Key Battle

Tom Catterick v Piri Weepu.  Being a fly half at a club battling relegation is a pretty thankless task, but these guys have bags of talent between them.  We all know about Weepu of course, with the World Cup winner and former All Black possessing a staggering away of skills, with wonderfully deft hands and an almost super-human awareness to find space.  All this despite looking like he’s just stumbled straight out of Middle Earth.  But it’s Catterick who’s really caught the eye of late – an ex-Sevens specialist, he has pace to burn, surprising strength and a lethal step to compliment his creativity and midas touch with the boot.  Against Northampton he was superb, but he needs to bring that same level of performance out on Sunday – both 10s are likely to see more of the ball than they’re used to, so it’s important they do as much as possible with it.

Prediction

Before the season started, many had this down as a relegation dogfight – and this would be the key battle.  But, as it stands, this could simply be the hammering of the nail in a London Welsh coffin which already closed and very well sealed.  London Welsh have their individuals, sure, but they consistently fail to stop players on the gainline and, once they go backwards, their scramble defence and re-organisation is not good enough.  The Falcons, meanwhile, only seem a short step away from really clicking – running smart lines and varying their game superbly to keep defences guessing.  This could be the game where they cut loose.  Falcons by 20.
 

Premiership Review - Leicester Tigers 18 - 10 Bath

Reading the press in the build up to this game, there were two subjects which were done to death by pundits from all sides – Sam Burgess, and revenge.  Sam Burgess was under the spotlight because it was the former rugby league star’s first start in a Bath shirt, taking the number 13 jersey surprisingly, and revenge because well, of ‘black Saturday’ (as the Leicester fans may recall it), where Bath inflicted a 45-0 drubbing, Tigers’ record defeat, at the Rec 3 months ago.  Revenge, according to skipper Ben Youngs, was certainly not on the minds of the players prior to this game, but Sam Burgess was – the new man was expected to be targeted and his positional awareness tested.  This transpired to be mostly baloney as the Tigers pack focused all their efforts on dominating their counterparts, with the backs largely spectators...and there seemed to be more than a sprinkling of anger in this display.  Admit it or not, for the Leicester players and the Welford Road crowd, this was about revenge.

 

It was Bath, though, who had the early possession, with Kyle Eastmond looking to dart into holes and Carl Fearns carrying hard – but they came up against a Leicester defence far more aggressive and organised than that which wilted before them at the Rec three months ago.  However, they did take the lead from a George Ford penalty following a harsh call against Jordan Crane, who was adjudged to have gone off his feet in the ruck despite it looking like he’d pinched the ball.  Bath, though, were soon on the receiving end of a suspect whistle themselves as Matt Garvey was unlucky to be penalised for not releasing Niki Goneva as Leicester looked to threaten the wide channels.  These two decisions rather summed up Matt Carley’s day really – plenty of mistakes, but they tended to be evenly distributed...I’m not sure if that makes for a good referee, but at least he was (mostly) fair.  Regardless, after Owen Williams had smashed the post with his long range attempt, Adam Thompstone chased well and forced the Bath pack to go off their feet, giving Williams a much easier three points.

 

Those points were the start of a period of Tigers’ dominance which saw Bath suffer two significant blows over the next 10 minutes.  The first was the worrying sight – for all England fans – of Kyle Eastmond hobbling off with a leg injury, but it was the second which really summed up the way this game was heading.  Bath were struggling to get out of their half, with Ben Youngs kicking intelligently and George Ford being put under all sorts of pressure from the likes of Jamie Gibson and Graham Kitchener.  Bath were being forced into conceding penalties, and Leicester smelt blood.  From a 10 metre line-out the Tigers pack surged forward, with Tom Youngs emerging with the ball following a classic Leicester drive.  Williams couldn’t add the extras, but already this was feeling like a very different day to that infamous afternoon at the Rec three months ago. 

 

The Tigers, by this point, were ferocious in attack.  The scrum, which had been marched around with such contempt in the first fixture of the year, was on top for the hosts, thanks largely to the return of Marcus Ayerza but also due to young Fraser Balmain – in for Dan Cole – exorcising his demons, forcing Paul James (the man who had given him such a torrid time previously) into conceding multiple penalties for driving in at an angle.  It’s a trait that is often pointed out by opposition coaches, and it got to James as he tended to be at the centre of countless shoving matches as tempered flared between the sides, without anything really interesting to report.  Austin Healey made to the good point on telly that the pack should just be allowed to have a scrap to get it out of their system, but regardless of that Bath’s indiscipline was costing them, with Williams knocking over another 3 points following another infringement.

 

Leicester continued to hammer away, through their pack mostly, and laid siege to the visitors’ line for the best part of 10 minutes – but the men in white, to their credit, gave a superb showing of goal-line defence, with Dave Attwood, Garvey and Francois Louw all weighing in with try saving hits.  The Tigers should have been out of sight as half time approached, but the resolve of the Bath defence kept the gap to just 8 points.

 

With half-time quickly approaching, Bath finally got some possession and territory to finish the first 40 minutes on top, with Anthony Watson look particularly dangerous, and they thought they’d picked up a try against the run of play as Sam Burgess (a spectator until this point), crashed onto an Ollie Devoto pass to bulldoze his way to the line...only for Carley to call play back for a forward pass.  Replays showed it was marginal at best – certainly nothing ‘clear and obvious’ as the referees like to say – and Bath fans were rightly a bit peeved, but Carley at least missed two horrendously blatant forward passes from the visitors later on, so at least it evened itself out again.  Sort of.  Leicester went into the break with an 11 – 3 lead, knowing that whilst they should have been further ahead, they could quite easily have been behind if it hadn’t been for that lucky break.

 

 Williams added another three points to that total early in the second half, but Bath came out with renewed vigour and began to get the ball more frequently, attempting to play with the pace that has made them such a joy to watch this season.  Watson continued to look classy and Burgess was also beginning to get his hands on the ball and, encouragingly, make some decent yards in the midfield – but overall they were out-muscled and out-thought by a Tigers defence who simply refused to open the gate.  With Tom Youngs and Julian Salvi everywhere, any Bath player who was slightly isolated was brutally targeted in the breakdown, disrupting the flow of the visitors attack.  The sucker punch came as it was Leicester, not Bath, who scored the next points on the 60 minute mark, with Williams hitting another penalty.

 

The rest of the game was relatively even and fractious, with continuous scuffles spoiling the rhythm of the game and, although Bath continued to press, they failed to find a way through before the 79^th minute, when substitute hooker Ross Batty plunged over after a lineout drive.  Ford had the chance to add the extras and secure a bonus point for his side’s troubles, but he horribly shanked the fairly straightforward conversion wide (as he had done with a similar penalty opportunity at the end of the first half), and Bath were forced to return the West Country empty handed – to the delight of the Welford Road faithful.

 

No, this was not as comprehensive a victory as the previous fixture between these two was, but revenge is revenge, and Leicester were comfortably the better side and deserving, despite Mike Ford’s rather naive insistence that his side played the ‘better rugby’.  Define ‘better rugby’, Mike – Leicester were more aggressive, more physical and were smarter across the park.  Flinging the ball wide without any incision is admirable but does not constitute ‘better rugby’ in my book.

 

What is clear though is that, although Bath have taken huge strides this season and will surely be in the mix this time around, they still have a little way to go before they become one of the true dominant forces in England.  It’s also clear that Leicester, despite missing 11 internationals through injury and still failing to play with any real inspiration, are still somehow poised for yet another playoff run themselves.  The side may not, currently, be a vintage one – but the attitude certainly is.