ZP Preview: Wasps Boiler-room to Subdue Tykes?

Top Coach
By Caustic Sid
September 26 2003

London Wasps take on a Leeds Tykes team that is aiming to reassert itself after a heavy 44-32 defeat at home to Bath last weekend. The Yorkshire team finished in a lofty fourth position last season. However, they faltered in the final weeks of last term and suffered a double injury blow last week.

Last season's fixture saw Braam van Straaten help claw the Tykes back from the brink. Much like last weekend against Quins, Wasps threw away a big lead -- a mere 20 points -- as van Straaten's boot and two tries through Mark Regan and Dan Scarbrough in the last quarter stole our thunder. The match ended in a 27-all draw. Wasps were well off the pace last November.

It was a measure of how far Tykes had come since their woeful first season in the Premiership. Just a year prior to that draw Wasps thrashed them 64-14 at Loftus Road. We should take nothing for granted against this steely Yorkshire outfit this weekend, despite the fact that Tykes have seen many comings and goings over the summer. Pivotal players such as Van Straaten (moved to Sale) and Regan (away with the England team) will both be absent.

Furthermore, Tykes lost two key players during the match with Bath. Their influential captain, Mike Shelley, missed only one Premiership match last season but he suffered a broken thumb and will be out for up to six weeks. Their new scrum-half, Clive Stuart-Smith, will be missing for six to ten weeks with a knee injury. Veteran, Scott Benton, moved to Cleckheaton over the summer, so they will be short of experience in and around the pack.

Tykes are also currently without Phil Murphy, Simon Halford and Tom Palmer. The loss of Palmer severely hampered their lineout against Bath and this is an area Wasps must capitalise on. Tykes were also weak in the tight five and wilted in the face of Bath's fast tempo. These facets were among Wasps' strengths at Quins and Warren Gatland will be looking to build on these fronts.

During the summer Phil Davies and Jon Callard extended their contracts with Tykes. Davies set about bolstering his squad for Tykes' first assault on the Heineken Cup by signing some well-known names such as Phil Christophers, David Rees, Duncan Hodge, Matt Cardey and Liam Botham. Up-and-coming youngsters such as Matt Salter, Stuart Hooper, Gary Powell, Tim Walsh, Scott Morgan and Colm Rigney joined them too as their chief looked to the future.

Davies released Samoan internationals George Harder, 28, and Isaac Feaunati, 29, as they opted to play in the World Cup as did another of their new signings, New Zealand-born Italian flanker, Aaron Persico (from Viadana).

Despite fielding no fewer than nine players who were making their debut for the club last weekend, the newcomers gelled sufficiently well for the Tykes to register a scoring bonus point. Shaun Edwards, on the other hand, will have been incandescant at the ease with which Quins scored past some sloppy Wasps blindside and back three defence. Expect Wasps to play our usual high-pressure game coupled with a few defensive re-alignments. Tykes will be fast on the counter with England cast-offs, Dan Scarbrough and Phil Christophers leading the charge.

London Wasps: 15 Tom Voyce; 14 Shane Roiser, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Mark Denney, 11 John Rudd; 10 Mark Van Gisbergen, 9 Rob Howley (Capt.); 1 Craig Dowd, 2 Phil Greening, 3 Will Green, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Ian Clarke, 7 Paul Volley, 8 Mark Lock.

16 Peter Richards, 17 Jonny O’Connor, 18 Ayoola Erinle, 19 Martin Purdy, 20 John Hart, 21 Tim Payne, 22 Trevor Leota.