London Pride Middlesex Sevens 2003

Ready to rumble
By Sparkie (filed on 16.8.2003)
August 16 2003

Wasps are aiming to go one step further and win this year's Middlesex Sevens trophy. Last season we fell at the final hurdle to Bradford Bulls. Despite playing the night before, the Rugby League team still had enough gas to turn us over by six tries to two.

Bulls are not defending their title and their League counterparts, St. Helens, have pulled out due to an injury crisis. Bulls showed Wasps how to soak up pressure, turnover ball and score from long range time after time. To our credit, we were able to show willing having had the benefit of intensive training using a Polish fridge. Unfortunately lack of match practice told in the final.

This summer we have followed the same pattern and called upon our former scrum half and sevens expert, Mike Friday to run his rule over our squad. Some of our number may remember the last time we lifted the Middlesex 7s trophy ten years ago. A cherubic Friday joined the class of '93, including young Dallaglio, Volley, Hopley the elder, Thompson ex-Quin and others.

Friday literally ran the show that day, helping Wasps to come back from the dead against Samoa in the semis and Northampton in the final, live on the Beeb! If you're a football purist who hates the shrunken format of the game, dig out the video if you want to see non-stop, attacking flair -- the way the game should be played.

Wasps successes at 7s tend to be few and far between so don't expect much of today's squad, despite our Polish fridge fitness levels. Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley, Simon Shaw, Alex King, Stuart Abbott and Josh Lewsey are all fighting for a World Cup place with England. Kenny Logan and Trevor Leota are doing the same with Scotland and Manu Samoa respectively. Phil Greening and Fraser Waters are still being rested after their North American sojourn with England. Paul Volley is too long in the tooth to be considered ;-)

Some of those players would have been shoo-ins for a Wasps 7. Instead Friday has pushed forward no fewer than four wingers and several young names in the ten-man squad -- including three of our new signings: Ian Clarke, Peter Richards and Tom Voyce. Rob Laird, who has represented England at sevens joins John Rudd, Mark Lock, Mike Roberts and Shane Roiser from last season's squad.

Let's hope that Wasps can add tactical nous to our plentiful pace and lift yet another trophy. We're in the other half of the draw to Army, so there are no excuses ... ! Old "favourites", London Welsh, have taken the place of St. Helens and if we beat Bath at 13.20 then we may face the Exiles in the 2nd round. Let play commence: streakers, goats, sheep and all.

Wasps history at the Middlesex Sevens:

Winners: 1993, 1985, 1952, 1948.

R-u: 2002, 1996, etc.

London Wasps squad:

Jonny Barrett, Ian Clarke, Mark Denney (Capt.), Rob Laird, Mark Lock, Peter Richards, Mike Roberts, Shane Roiser, John Rudd, Tom Voyce.

Middlesex Sevens schedule:

1st Round:
11.20 Gloucester v. British Army
11.40 NEC Harlequins v. Leeds Tykes
12.00 Young England v. London Irish
12.20 Newcastle Falcons v. Loughborough University
12.40 Sale Sharks v. Saracens
13.00 Rotherham v. Northampton Saints
13.20 Bath v. London Wasps
13.40 Leicester Tigers v. London Welsh

Quarter Finals:
14.00
14.20
14.40
15.00

Plate Semi finals (Best Performing 1st Round Losers):
15.20 1st plate match
15.40 2nd plate match

Main Semi Finals:
16.00
16.20

Plate Final:
16.40 Winner of 1st plate match v. winner of 2nd plate match

Main Final:
17.10

(All matches are seven minutes each way except the main final which is 10 minutes each way.)