How’s the season going for Wasps?

Still the King
By Loose Head
October 3 2006

Twitchiness on the terraces. Two consecutive losses. Is this a marker for the season or just one of those things? How is Wasps’ season shaping up? Counting all matches the record so far looks very good. Played 8 won 6 – and then there’s the Middlesex 7s.

Ok, one of the games was a 2nd XV against Newbury as part of a pre-season double header, but it still looked good.

However, in “proper” competitions it’s Played 5 Won 3 Lost 2. And of those three wins the Harlequins game, although a thumping win against our old rivals, left more questions than answers. The issues seem to be in the backs, in particular the fly-half to centre link.

Alex King being injured, coming back, getting another niggling injury hardly helps. It doesn’t matter how good other squad fly-halves are, when you lose someone of King’s quality it will show. There was a supreme cameo performance from King against Quins. He came on well into the second half and the ease with which he perfectly positioned a chip ahead for Sackey to run on to and score was superb. Other than King at fly-half, we have been experimenting with a dual fulcrum of a fly-half at 10 and 12, giving decision makers at 9, 10 and 12. This appears to be a compromise policy based on lack of fit players to play there, and shows up the absurdity of letting Abbott go over the summer. Apparently there’s money in our Salary cap left for a specialist inside centre. Erm, well, I suppose if your inside centre leaves then you have his salary left.

Against Cardiff, the back division looked good, mostly, and seemed to work well. Apart from a few defensive absurdities. Fraser Waters back is definitely a major bonus. I didn’t get to the television soon enough to see Erinle play before he hobbled off. But Fraser and Lewsey showed what can happen with a top centre pairing – even if Josh doesn’t want to play there! The Cardiff game turned on Lewsey’s injury. When Walder came on as injury replacement there were three fly-halves in the backs. People out of position, out of sorts, and not up to speed. The rest of the game was far too painful to go into any further.

So the situation now is…?
We don’t have a pair of fit first choice centres. The 1st 5/8ths – 2nd 5/8ths model isn’t working – whether that is the tactic, the team interaction or the individuals I don’t know. And, more concerningly, I have not yet seen someone who is grabbing the fly-half position by the scruff of the neck and effectively saying to King “this is mine now”. On that matter, it is heartening to see Dan Cipriani invited to England training sessions. A little surprising as he has not yet played fly half for the first team, but a good sign. I hope he lives up to his advanced reputation.