A nice drop of claret - Wasps 43 Bordeaux 6

Half way point
By Loose Head
December 9 2002

Wasps go forwards to the return game of round two of the Parker Pen Cup with a very nice points margin. Bordeaux came with a lot of intent but a rather dull game plan. Lots of route one bosh, very similar to our game against London Irish. The question is, have Wasps done enough?

At times like this your humble correspondent must force himself not to drop in standard clichés about French wine not travelling. But we can look to a bit of history. Who remembers that famous win a few years back at Loftus Road? Wasps 77 Toulouse 17. Nobody would be so rash as to say that Toulouse are a bad side. So what to make of Bordeaux-Begles then?

Dull game plan, underpowered pack. Even with a misfiring Wasps lineout in the first quarter there was not a lot that Bordeaux came up with. Three tries in each half was how Wasps built the score. The first two were forwards' tries. Dowd, who for a front row player is getting quite a main try scorer, had the ball as the forwards rumbled over. LBND touched down after a catch and drive from a lineout. The pack had asserted themselves in the scrum and in open play and were clearly dominant. A penalty to Wasps was put in the corner rather than kicked for goal, which lead to LBND's try.

The variation in the Wasps play was good. There was a lot of slick handling with forwards and backs interlinking seamlessly. They like using a roll-ball move to put a bit of width on the play. That's what we call it anyway. Let's say Alex passes to Denney and runs behind him and takes the ball back on Denny's outside. If the oppo aren't paying attention you effectively have an extra man in the line. Quick powerful support running and keeping hold of quick pop passes kept probing at the Bordeaux defence for the whole game.

The third try was a penalty try when Alex was clothes-lined a yard or so from touching down himself. A penalty try for illegally stopping someone from scoring is not really a penalty. The only benefit is making the conversion easier.

The second half from Bordeaux was much like the first. Committed but predictable and not very effective. The game got a bit scrappy for a while as Bordeaux were getting a touch desperate and Wasps attempted to counter the repeated attacks, which were predominantly route one. Handling suffered a bit on both sides, the damp and the near zero temperature probably had something to do with that. Wasps continued to move the ball about whenever possible and it found that ace winger Simon Shaw wide right who ran in to score. The Bordeaux fullback took exception to this and dropped his knees into Shaws back as he scored. The ref quite rightly yellow carded the guy.

Trevor had one of his best games for ages. Very mobile, and a great physical presence with ball in hand. In defence he put in solid hits AND hung onto the guy proving that he does can use his arms when tackling. It could be argued that Fatty Barnes' moaning about Trev's tackles has caused Trev to focus on his technique and is now even more effective. The Bordeaux fly half must have seen his life flash before him when behind his own line just about to kick the ball and clear his lines Trevor bore down on him at full tilt to charge the kick down, only narrowly missing. Trevor was airborne in his attempt and the ground staff wish to discuss the repair of the dent made in the pitch as he landed.

Being safely ahead, Wasps rang the changes. Gotting came on for Trev at hooker and immediately had to throw in. A little unfair for a long ball to be called. It went wrong but that's hardly surprising. Up and coming player, just on the pitch, give him a banker throw to the front to get him going.

Two further tries - by van Gisbergen and Abbot - close to or in injury time gave a better look to an already good scoreline. Wasps have a 37 point (and 6 tries if it comes to that) advantage to take into the away game.

I don’t think anyone is under any illusion that Bordeaux will be a little different on their home turf. Home support rumoured to be in the order of 20,000 will be a slight motivator! A very definite positive is the dominance the Wasps pack had in the set piece and open play. If they can reassert dominance we can look forward to continuing to the next round. There's the snag. Our European Nemesis put 26 points to nil on the FairyQueens at the Stoop. I can't see Quins pulling that round in Paris next weekend. So it would mean us going there again. Third time lucky? Who said this was a Mickey Mouse tournament?



Loose Head