Wasps comprehensively stuff Sarries

Plan coming together
By Loose Head
September 23 2002

Do not believe what you read in the papers. Wasps won, not because of a lapse on Sarries' part, but because we beat them all ends up. In the forwards and in the backs. Saracens just didn't have an answer to the fast, tight, rampaging ruck play from Wasps, or the speed and strength of Josh Lewsey.

Your humble correspondent simply does not accept the line put about that Wasps won despite playing poorly. That's a classic sour grapes argument.

A near capacity Adams Park saw Wasps show at times during this match the level that they want to play at. Saracens turned up full of hope but really had no answer. If anything the scoreline flattered Sarries.

Wasps play a very quick rucking game that relies on speed and accuracy from the scrum half, or it doesn't happen. Woody, like the rest of us, has seen how Rob Howley does it and stepped his own performance up a level. Straight away there was infringing at the ruck to try to slow things down, and Wasps were awarded a penalty. First points at 3 minutes. Alex King left the field with a blood injury and we saw Mark Van Ginsbergen on the pitch for the first time.

There was a speculative kick downfield from Andy Goode for Sarries, which Kenny Logan mis-judged and Sarries, from nothing, ended up with a 5m lineout. In the following phases the Wasps line was breached by a simple grubber kick through for a chasing centre, Kevin Sorrell. The lead went to Sarries, 3-7 with the conversion.

Wasps went straight back and forced another kickable penalty. The decision was to kick to touch -- a definite statement of intent about how Wasps want to play. Catch and drive, ruck, drive, ruck, drive. Sarries were plain outmuscled by the Wasps pack and Craig Dowd forced his way over to score. Kenny Logan converted and at 19 minutes Wasps had the lead 10-7.

The restart was retrieved by Wasps and we drove straight back up route 1. Sarries could not legally stop the rampaging maul so conceded a penalty under their posts rather than a try. Cynical move? Possibly. The penalty was kicked to make is 13-7 to Wasps. The rest of the half was a bit stop start with penalties exchanged. Full-blooded physicality but not really a great deal to write home about, apart from Woody getting sin-binned by the touch judge for something. The first half ended Wasps 19 Sarries 16. A good contest so far. From a Wasps point of view not enough points to show for the domination. Overall, just a little scrappy, but a tightly contested battle all the same.

The threatening clouds decided to aid running rugby (not). The second half started with lame knock-ons and scrums due to the conditions. Wasps had a scrum in Sarries' 22, with Josh at scrum half (Woody still in the bin). Josh was popped the ball and drove through route-one, breaking a couple of tackles to score. The easy conversion had the score at 42 minutes Wasps 26 Sarries 16, only then were we back up to 15 men. Rowden, the ref, got fed up with the spoiling at rucks trying to slow the power and control play Wasps were having. Off to the bin goes a Sarrie. King adds to the pain by kicking the points.

It was not all one way. Sarries were penetrating. A dangerous time for Wasps. Sarries forced play with a kick towards the corner which was put into touch by Kenny, the only thing possible. Sarries secured their line out and got the ball moving forward and then quickly wide. Wasps defence was covering and the ball continued along the Sarries line getting rather predictable. Denny did predict the precise moment it would get to his opposite number, and was there to rip the ball snuffing the attack out.

The handling in the ruck then became farcical. With no legal option on how to stop Wasps motoring up with quick rucks, the Sarries number 5 didn't have the decency to be in the middle of the ruck, he was on the right hand side kneeling (not in prayer I hasten to add). He reached in and yanked the ball back in what has to be the most blatant way possible. Quite how he didn't get carded remains a mystery.

Things started really to move. Tries would have been even more plentiful if all the passes had gone to hand. Kenny hasn't had a brilliant start to his season, but if the pass from Alex had been anything other than awful there was a confidence boosting try waiting.

Once confidence goes in a team so does their collective brain. Sarries got themselves in all sorts of problems at the back and ended up taking the ball over their own line and giving away a 5 yard scrum. Wasps pack were in the ascendancy and shoved it. Dallaglio picked, dived, scored.

Another brain dead error from Sarries, Goode this time. A penalty deep in their half and he kicked long for a line out. Mis-aimed dreadfully and it went dead to give an attacking scrum to Wasps in a very good position. Rudd was on the left wing in place of Logan. The scrum ball was run by the backs down the left. Rudd got the ball with two men to beat, so he used his bulk and just went straight through them to score and get Wasps a bonus point.

Quite what happened at 77 minutes was a little unclear to all. What would appear to have happened is that Sarries forwards, deep in our half, near the line battered their way forward to score a try. Most people watching were under the distinct impression that they didn't quite reach the line. The ref had a better view I suppose.

With the game in injury time, Wasps continued as they had started the game, with forceful direct running taking the game strainght back to Sarries 22. Each side decided to foul up. Wasps' pack, who dominated all game, managed to spin the scrum too far and being turned, it was reset and Sarries got the put in (I do not think for one second that Sarries pack would turn a scrum on their own line giving an open door to the flankers). All Sarries could do with the ball is fling it to the right winger who knocked it on. So Wasps had another go at a scrum. This one worked fine, bit of a shove then pick up at No.8 and go. Ruck, drive, ruck, drive. The Wasps pack was still dominating. The coup de grace was Dowd taking the ball over for his second try, diagonally opposite his first. Van Ginsbergen seemingly easy conversion from the left touch line was the last kick of the game. The score finishing at Wasps 51 Sarries 23.

If as some papers and nay-sayers would have it Wasps played poorly, then I pity other sides for when we play well.

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Loose Head