PPCC QF: Wasps' capital win in Paris

Paris conquered
By Sparkie
January 18 2003

Wasps settled a two-year score in Paris by beating Stade Francais 27-12. The team travelled to France looking to attack rather than defend a thirteen-point lead. The pressure game told too, as tries by Fraser Waters and Kenny Logan sent us to a 21-9 half-time lead. Stade never recovered.

The hosts made little impact on their points deficit, scoring only through four Diego Dominguez penalty goals. Wasps were able to turn the screw with some robust forward domination. When the forwards and backs combined, Fraser Waters was on hand to extend our cushion.

The upshot was that Stade now had to score tries themselves to get back into the game. Wasps second main weapon, our defence, came to the fore. Stade could not penetrate our defensive line and threw caution to the wind. Kenny Logan stepped up to intercept and condemned Stade to turn round with an impossible 25 points and five tries to make up.

Although they played with an increased intensity, they could not breach our line and ended up losing the second half 6-3. Wasps march on to take on Pontypridd in the semi-finals having left behind an eerily quiet Stade Jean Bouin in Paris. The Place de la Bastille is currently being buzzed by the Drunken Wasps. Salut, maintenant!

Stade's unbeaten home record has fallen to Wasps -- that is the measure of our performance! The hosts are left to pick themselves up for a difficult away trip to leasers Biarritz. Wasps meanwhile are on the up. We have a two week break before hosting Northampton as we try and chase three goals: the championship, the PPCC and Heineken Cup qualification.

Lawrence Dallaglio said, "Defensively it was outstanding and the scoreline probably doesn't reflect how good Stade Francais are. With the format of the tournament they were forced to go for seven points all of the time, and once we got some scores on the board they had to go for seven points instead of accepting penalties and that then gave us a chance to make the deficit more flattering in our favour.

"But take nothing away from the way that we performed, which was very physical and it was probably the most physical that we have played this season and it is pleasing to put that in. We've played Stade in the past two years and embarrassed ourselves, and it was nice to come here and earn some respect and it will be nice to take that performance on."

Stade: Marconnet - August - De Villiers - James - Auradou - Martin - Moni - Tabacco - Galthié (m) (cap) - Dominguez (o) - Dominici - Glas - Liebenberg - Lombard - Corleto

Remplaçants : Cabello - Lemoine - Rabadan - Jechoux - Comba - Gomes - Fillol

Wasps: M van Gisbergen; J Rudd, F Waters, S Abbott, K Logan; A King, R Howley; C Dowd, T Leota, W Green, S Shaw, R Birkett, J Wor4sley, P Volley, L Dallaglio (capt).

Bench: M Wood, P Greening, M Denney, A Erinle, P Scrivener, J Beardshaw, A Kershaw