ERCC Playoff 1st Leg: London Wasps v Stade Français
SALUT MAINTENANT
By Vespasian
May 17 2014
London Wasps take on Stade Français in the first leg of the European Rugby Champions Cup qualifier between England's and France's seventh placed teams. In years gone by the place would have gone to the same nation as the Heineken Cup winners. However, why not make the teams playoff and keep the supporters involved? The new competition needs a double dose of entente cordiale, salut maintenant!
Wasps lost the toss so get home advantage in leg one. The second leg takes place next Saturday in Paris. A simple aggregate win would suffice but no doubt there are all sorts of convolutions to sort out an eventual qualifier should the scores be equal at no side next weekend.
Wasps were at the forefront of European rugby in 1990 when, as winners of the 1989-1990 Courage Englaish championship, they faced another Parisian team, Racing Club de Paris (now Racing Metro), at the start of the 1990-1991 season. The results and the match is consigned to the mists of time. It's as is pre1997 club rugby never existed! However, Wasps had home advantage in this one-off champions of Europe match and made it tell!
It has been six long years since Wasps were involved in the late May, business end of the season. Just two months ago our chances looked slimmer than a £5 note playing for England again. It's a funny old world. Wasps' players had to cancel their holidays and must lift themselves for another 160 minutes (or more) of blood, sweat and, hopefully, cheers.
After last week's phoney war at Northampton Saints -- and let's face it, round 22 of the Aviva Premiership is usually a farce and a half -- Dai Young's men must turn the screw in the first leg to have any chance of going through in Paris. Young alluded as much on London Wasps website:
"These games are huge for the club, players and fans.
"No matter who was playing last week, we are all in this together. We win together, we lose together.
"There has been a lot of hurt around the camp, so it may be the ideal time to go into this game."
He fields Wasps' strongest team, with Andrea Masi at fullback, Elliot Daly at ouside centre and a raft of senior players looking to build a healthy lead. However, despite Stade's mid-table finish this season, they are a strong team chock full of internationals and one of the most experienced stand offs in the world. It's going to be a double crunch. Wasps to go to Paris with an 8 point advantage...
Teams:
Wasps: 15 Andrea Masi; 14 Will Helu, 13 Elliot Daly, 13 Chris Bell (Capt.), 11 Tom Varndell; 10 Andy Goode, 9 Joe Simpson; 1 Matt Mullan, 2 Carlo Festuccia, 3 Phil Swainston, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Tom Palmer, 6 Ashley Johnson, 7 James Haskell, 8 Nathan Hughes.
Bench: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Taione Vea, 19 Kearnan Myall, 20 Guy Thompson, 21 Brett Sheehan, 22 Joe Carlisle, 23 Charlie Hayter.
Stade Français: 15 Hugo Bonneval; 14Julien Arias, 13 Waisea Vuidravuwalu, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Djibril Camara; 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Julien Dupuy; 1 Zak Taulafo, 2 Laurent Sempere, 3 Rabah Slimani, 4 Alexandre Flanquart, 5 Pascal Pape, 6 Antoine Burban, 7 Sylvain Nicolas, 8 David Lyons.
Bench: 16 Laurent Panis, 17 Hendrik Van der Merwe, 18 Davit Kubrishvili,19 Anton Van Zyl, 20 Scott Lavalla, 21 Jerome Fillol, 22 Jules Plisson, 23 Jeremy Sinzelle.
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COYW!!!!
I don't think that will be enough. French sides are notoriously lethargic in away games, but always very strong at home.
We have to take advantage of their "home side always wins" mindset to really pile up the points today, something like 35-12 will see us travelling to Paris with a big enough cushion to get through on aggregate.
Wasps supporter and ex-player since 1964
Roger
.For those who like a bet. Some good odds on paddy power for wasps to win by varying amounts and on forst tryscorer!
Enjoy the day, guys!!!