Alive and Kicking
Bassett Try
By Buzzin
September 24 2022
The Premiership cannot afford to lose Wasps - that's for sure. For the second game in a row a thoroughly entertaining performance graced the competition and the tv screens and this time the team toughed out a second half fightback to beat Bath 39-31 at The Rec. The lads are doing their bit - now it's down to the backroom boys to copy their effort and imagination.
They went ahead courtesy of two penalties from Jacob Umaga before unleashing a storm of enterprising rugby producing three tries in just eight minutes.
Josh Bassett followed up a great chip kick, followed by a short range effort from Jack Willis made good by the TMO. Will Porter then finishing off some great passing.
Bath got one back before the break, courtesy of Matt Gallagher, and those who hadn't witnessed the Gloucester game would have thought Wasps had it won at the interval as they led 31-7. Confidence was increased when Bassett crossed again, but that was just about it as far as attacking was concerned.
Skipper Dunn got one back fo r his Bath side as the pack marched over the line - then the home team made the most of a sin bin for Willis after a head collision. Jonathan Joseph went in under the posts and when Dunn got his second it was all getting too close.
Fortunately, the returning Umaga (left) notched his fifth penalty to put his side more than one score ahead. 
Naturally Lee Blackett was questioned about matters off the pitch as wel as on it: "Everyone will take it different ways. I think the majority of players will probably be like me, we have belief that we are going to come out of this. There will be other players that are probably serial worriers and they'll be worrying about things.
"One thing before the game, as a coach when you've been around the game long enough, when you look in people's eyes you know when they're there and when they're just half there. You knew we were there. There was something going to happen.
"I love Josh Bassett's celebrations in the corner. Tt the emotion and how much this club means to him - and he wasn't on his own."
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Quote:Buzzer
Thanks and well done. I might print this off as the Telegraph fails to mention a single word of the game last night. Only really bought it for the rugby.
I don't know what Telegraph you're reading but this report went up yesterday at 11.09pm.
What crisis? For a brief moment Wasps could forget their off-field troubles, a bonus-point win away from home proving to be a welcome reprieve even if they came close to blowing another sizable lead before eventually holding off Bath.
This first Premiership win of the season will not appease concerns about what is next. With the unpaid ÂŁ35m debt to bondholders hanging over the club's head, Wasps now have 10 working days after filing a notice to appoint an administrator on Wednesday to either find investment or enter administration, although can apply to extend that for another 10 working days.
While the size of the financial deficit and the fact that Wasps were threatened with an HRMC winding-up petition prior to filing their notice is obviously of enormous concern, there is at least a sense that the club are handling and managing their current financial plight significantly better than similarly struggling Worcester.
Regarding Thursday's meeting with chief executive Stephen Vaughan and owner Derek Richardson on Thursday, Wasps head coach Lee Blackett said: "They gave assurances, but no one can guarantee anything. They are confident. There’s a lot of interest. It is a great club. Look at the facilities we’ve got, the stadium. There’s been a lot of interest, new interest coming forward. I get very little info as I don’t ask, but there are a lot of people who are very positive.
"After the last couple of days I’m really proud of the efforts and delighted with the result, getting five points. Everyone is taking it in different ways. The majority of players are like me, and have belief we’ll come out of it. They’ll be others who are serial worriers about things."
To make matters worse for Wasps, back-row Alfie Barbeary faces 10 to 16 weeks out with a hamstring injury.
Regarding Bath's comeback, winning the second half 24-8, Johann van Graan said: "I think the positive for me is that everybody at the game would have seen that we've got fight. As a coach, that's something we have potentially been lacking in the past," before Van Graan admitted that Bath's squad is already "very, very thin" with injuries in the forwards.
There is no question Bath are rebuilding and what Van Graan wants – to control the set-piece and territory while keeping tight defensively – on the basis of Wasps' opening try still needs work.
Having won a scrum penalty and kicked deep into touch in Wasps' half, Bath promptly had their line-out stolen by Nizaam Carr, sparking a Wasps counter-attack which after a good carry from Sam Spink (one of many) was followed by Josh Bassett grubbering, doing well to control the ball with his second touch before diving on it to score.
After Jack Willis burrowed over a few minutes later, Bath found themselves in deep trouble and it was only about to get worse as Wasps came up with a beautiful score. Shredding Bath open down the left-hand side again, Spink, Jacob Umaga and finally the excellent Odendaal with a deft offload behind his back all combined to send Will Porter racing away to the line. The club in disarray off the pitch held a comfortable 25-0 lead.
Will Muir's try after a good break from Orlando Bailey gave Bath something to briefly smile about, but this was one-way traffic, with Wasps leading 28-7 at half-time and adding to their tally after the break when a well-constructed attack was finished by Bassett, collecting a cracking pass from Charlie Atkinson to stroll over his second.
Eddie Jones, watching in the stands, will have no doubt noted Atkinson's contribution, along with that of Jack Willis who was typically excellent (his yellow card aside).
Wasps blew a healthy lead at Kingsholm against Gloucester on the opening weekend but surely it couldn't happen again... could it? Bath's maul coming to life upset the apple cart, Tom Dunn and his magnificent mullet going over twice either side of Jonathan Joseph stepping round Odendaal to score, swinging the score from 7-36 to 28-36 in the space of 10 minutes. But Bath could not snatch the win, a late Wasps penalty even denying the hosts a losing bonus point.
Wasps, despite a flat second half, clung on. That is something they will now have to do away from the field too over the next few days while their future remains uncomfortably up in the air.
“This machine kills fascists”
Woody Guthrie's guitar.