ZP Preview: Who'll misunderestimate whom?

Dicky Dome
By Peter Snow's swingometer
October 17 2003

What will London Wasps home game against London Irish bring on Sunday? The old swingometer has been a touch off-kilter the past two weekends. What does it predict this time? Certainly the visitors have gained confidence from the fact that none of their squad is away at the World Cup.

In previous years Wasps has had the upper hand, winning 10 of the 17 league fixtures and a cup quarter final. A decade or so ago one would know what to expect from Irish: organised pandemonium and a berserk quarter or two...

Teams which could weather the green tide would often wind up winning. Since the advent of Doctor Venter and Dick Best, however, Oirish has played with a touch more finesse. Perhaps a certain Clive Woodward started to sow the seeds of success when he was briefly at The Avenue.

During his second-coming, Venter added guile to Best's steely superstructure and Oirish had a whale of a time in 2001-2002 before succumbing to relegation blues last term. This time round the Doc has retired but the resolution has returned. Oirish are winning at home and last weekend they beat a strong Northampton team 30-24 away at Franklins Gardens.

London Wasps form has been comparatively good too, but results have not always followed. However, a rousing 37-33 victory up at Sale has set up a potentially high-scoring clash against its near rivals.

Will the rush defence hold Oirish's speedsters on the wing. Will Oirish's international-class back row overwhelm Wasps' comparatively inexperienced opponents? Will Oirish misunderstimate (to use a Bushism) Wasps presence up front? Can Howlers and Gizmo get the scoreboard ticking over again before Oirish can react?

Oirish go with the side which won at Northampton, save for Horak -- young Ed Thrower takes his place to maintain a pacey Oirish back three. Wasps rotate the back row again. The swingometer's hunch is for plenty of replacements in the final quarter and a game of nip and tuck. It'll be close and low scoring with Wasps winning by two, but having been wrong twice in a row, don't hold your breath.

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 Tim Payne, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Craig Dowd, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Ian Clarke, 7 Paul Volley, 8 John Hart

Bench: 16 Peter Richards, 17 Phil Greening, 18 Michael Roberts, 19 Jonny O’ Connor, 20 Peter Scrivener, 21 Martin Purdy, 22 Alistair McKenzie

London Irish: 15 Ed Thrower; 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Geoff Appleford, 12 Nils Mordt, 11 Justin Bishop; 10, Mark Mapletoft, 9 Darren Edwards; 1 Neal Hatley, 2 Naka Drotske, 3 Rob Hardwick, 4 Ryan Strudwick (Capt.), 5 Bob Casey, 6 Phil Murphy, 7 Kieron Dawson, 8 Chris Sheasby

Bench: 16 Pierre Durant, 17 Adrian Flavin, 18 Kieran Roche, 19 Declan Danaher, 20 Rob Hoadley, 21 Kevin Barrett, 22 Barry Everitt.

Kick-off: 3.00pm