PPCC Preview: Stade encore

Rhino to torment SF
By Sparkie
January 13 2003

It's a different competition but the same old foe. Quite how Stade Francais and Wasps were seeded to meet at such an early stage in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup is beyond most of us. There it is, though, Wasps must dispatch our European bogey-team to meet the winner of Ponty v. Connacht!

We welcome back Phil Greening and Ayoola Erinle to the bench but Josh Lewsey is out for at least three weeks. Stade have just enjoyed a two week mid-seaon break and will be fresh. Can Wasps record our first win against the flash blue and red Parisien team? After four straight loses, it is about time.

Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen; 14 John Rudd, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Stuart Abbott, 11 Kenny Logan; 10 Alex King, 9 Rob Howley; 1 Craig Dowd, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Will Green, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Joe Worsley, 7 Paul Volley, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (Capt.)

Bench: 16 Martyn Wood, 17 Phil Greening, 18 Mark Denney, 19 Ayoola Erinle, 20 Peter Scrivener, 21 Joe Beardshaw, 22 Andy Kershaw.

Stade Français: Corleto - Lombard -Glas -Liebenberg - Dominici -Dominguez - Galthié (Capt.) - Emmanuelli - August - De Villiers - Auradou - James - Martin - Rabadan - Moni.

Bench: Cabello - Lemoine - Tabacco - Jechoux - Gomes - Comba - Fillol