ZP Preview: Quins banking on a wing & Hail Mary

Defence the key
By Peter Snow's Swingometer
February 22 2004

London Wasps and Harlequins go head-to-head with the best part of two dozen players missing due to injury and the Six Nations. Wasps lost influential two back row players last weekend in Johnny O'Connor and Paul Volley but welcome back Richard Birkett and hope to have Mark van Gisbergen fit too.

Peter Richards continues to bring his rumbustuous, direct play to the stand-off position as Alex King still has not shaken off the leg injury sustained in Perpignan and further strained in Bath.

Quins have a rock solid back row but are forced to shuffle Roy Winters into the second row following Jim Evans' stomach ailment. Behind their pack, Paul Burke is still feeling the effects of a Richard Hill tackle two weeks ago against Saracens.

Quins were rested last weekend as London Wasps stretched our winning Zurich Premiership sequence to seven. It all adds up to an intriguing contest. Wasps will be aiming to disrupt Quins' lineout as they in turn look to dominate our loose forwards with neither front row giving any quarter.

If Wasps' forwards can maintain control then Rob Howley should keep our backs on the front foot. Quins have pace aplenty to exploit broken-field play and the obvious danger will come from speedster, Ugo Monye, whether it be from the Hail Mary (as witnessed during the last two matches) or the swift counter (remember Tony Diprose's blindside escape from a scrummage deep onside Quins' territory. One hopes Wasps will have addressed both these shortcomings since returning from Yorkshire.

However, contrary to one analyst's view, Mark Denney is not having a poor season. Wasps' inside centre has offered more than a bosh component this season. Quins supporters may be surprised but we shan't expect their management to have missed Denney's hidden message.

If van Gisbergen fails a late fitness test, neither side will have a dead-eye kicker on the field. Will the teams resort to a tight, forward-dominated contest with the half-backs shutting down the game or will the backs master the cold and the wind and break free of the shackles of the rush defence to attack the space?

The old swingometer suspects the former will happen in front of Sky's late, late show. Expect a low scoring match with a losing bonus point going to the team with the numbest hands. Wasps by four if MvG starts, or by one if not.

London Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen; 14 John Rudd, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Mark Denney, 11 Tom Voyce; 10 Peter Richards, 9 Rob Howley (Capt.); 1 Craig Dowd, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Will Green, 4 Martin Purdy, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 George Skivington, 7 Ian Clarke, 8 Mark Lock.

Bench: 16 Tim Payne, 17 Henry Nwume or Simon Shaw, 18 Ben Gotting, 19 Tom Rees, 20 Harvey Biljon, 21 Shane Rosier, 22 Ayoola Erinle.

Harlequins: 15 Gavin Duffy; 14 George Harder, 13 Mel Deane, 12 Andy Reay, 11 Ugo Monye; 10 Andy Dunne, 9 Simon Keogh; 1 Mike Worsley, 2 Tani Fuga, 3 Jon Dawson, 4 Karl Rudzki, 5 Roy Winters, 6 Pat Sanderson, 7 André Vos (Capt.), 8 Tony Diprose.

Bench: 16 Ace Tiatia, 17 Laurent Gomez, 18 Ceri Jones, 19 Bill Davison, 20 Simon Miall, 21 Scott Bemand, 22 Josh Taumalolo.