The DWs Best Ever Wasps Fifteen - Part 6: wings and Fullback

This is the final section of our summer-long quest to find the Drunken Wasps choice of the bext XV to play in the black and gold.Before going into the details of who is and isn't in the 11, 14 and 15 shirts, and from there the full XV, can I just record a big vote of thanks to Hangover for this work.He has been very supportive of the efforts to keep the site active and enable all the serial posters to have somewhere to fight on a regular basis, so please join me in commending his efforts.

OK, here is the final section of the DW Dream Team, the Wingers and Full Back.

I will not put up all the different combinations offered as there were so many. But here are the main ones, plus the top three finishers in both categories:

11                    14                    15

Voyce              Sackey             Lewsey            = 3 votes

Logan              Lewsey            Gisbergen        = 3 votes

Sackey             Lewsey            Gisbergen        = 2 votes

Varndell          Lewsey            Gisbergen        = 2 votes

Lewsey            Sackey             Rees                = 2 votes

Wing Totals

Josh                 = 14 votes

Sackey             = 9 votes

Logan              = 7 votes

Full Back Totals

Van Gisbergen  = 8 votes

Lewsey              = 7 votes

Rees                   = 6 votes

This was the toughest area to call judging by the number of different names and combinations put forward. But one name was really always going to be on the list at Wing (and nearly Full Back). Mr Josh Lewsey, in ten years at the club Josh became one of the most competitive and successful players we have ever produced. A huge favourite with the fans for his nail hard tackling (just ask Matt Rogers) and searing runs. The army man picked up almost every honour in the book, including a World Cup with England, Lions tours and of course Premiership and Heineken trophies a’plenty. The hard charging winger scored 78 tries for Wasps and 22 for England. He will be remembered for many things, climbing mountains, despatching partridges and Cipriani’s on the pitch, but his total dedication to the cause is something that all fans no matter what shirt they were wearing loved about Josh. A proper Black & Gold legend.

So who to partner Josh on the other wing?. Well it was tight, with Kenny Logan, Tom Voyce and Tom Varndell all pushing hard, but the winner is a certain Mr Paul Sackey. There were mixed feelings when Paul first arrived at the club. I remember people saying ‘oh he can’t tackle, whats the use if people are gonna run over him every week’. Well I think those people have been proved spectacularly wrong. Sacks saved as many tries as he scored with brilliant tactical tackling, even if the opposition had a two or three man overlap Paul would find a way to slow or even stop their progress. On the attack he was equally devastating, I have never seen a guy go into contact so many times and suddenly pop out the other side to score a try. In five years at the club Sacks racked up 49 tries, some of them in very important matches. He also has 22 appearances in the white of England to be proud of. So, heres to another great of the B&G, the ‘flying car salesman’ Paul Henry Sackey.    

Well if anything the Full Back position was even closer. Could Josh player two positions ? – he’s good but I don’t think so. Would it be a certain Canadian chap who was not afraid of a pie or two. No, the answer to our FB prays was Mark Van Gisbergen. Gizzy joined us in 2002 and over 8 years became an absolute corner stone of the great Wasp sides. To give you an idea of his impact he scored 1263 points even when we had Alex King on board. Terrific under the high ball with a scorching turn of pace when it was needed, Mark ticked all the boxes.  I think the less said about Gizzys’ foray into England rugby the better – suffice to say that they didn’t do him any favours. But we will always see him in Wasp colours tearing up Twickenham in a Prem or Heiny final. So at FB its our other favourite Kiwi Mark ‘Gizzy’ Van Gisbergen

So that’s the ultimate 15 sorted:

1. Craig Dowd

2. Raphael Ibanez

3. Jeff Probyn

4. Simon Shaw

5. Richard Birkett

6. Joe Worsley

7. Paul Volley

8. Lawrence Dallaglio

9. Robert Howley

10. Alex King

11. Josh Lewsey

12. Stuart Abbott

13. Fraser Waters

14. Paul Sackey

15. Mark Van Gisbergen

And not a bad looking bunch it is. I think we can safely say that LBND would have to be the Captain of that magnificent motley crew. I have taken a stab at the bench based on the results:

Will Green, Trevor Leota, Phil Vickery, Tom Palmer, Francis Emeruwa, Nigel Melville, Rob Andrew, Kenny Logan

A special mention must go to Mr Probyn, for him to break into that 2000-2008 multi-cup winning side is some achievement. I also admire the fact that many of these guys were NOT called up for their national sides regularly, but played out of their skins for us at Wasps. Some would say a rag tag bunch of waifs and strays, but they were, and are, OUR waifs and strays-

Allez Allez Allez!!