ZP Preview: 18 down, 4 to go

Temporal warp
By Peter Snow's Swingometer
April 6 2004

London Wasps welcome our nearest rivals, Northampton in the race for the top three places. Like Wasps, Saints welcome back their international players for the final four league games. Unlike Wasps, they opt for team continuity by keeping faith with the squad players.

Both teams are on a roll having won seven or so Zurich Premiership games on the bounce. At this late stage in the season success is all about tempo and lasting the pace. Both teams played basement opposition last weekend. London Wasps defeated Rotherham and looked ring-rusty despite winning 39-11. Northampton eased past Saracens by a slighlty narrower margin. Hence their taking the option to give their internationals a rest.

Wasps, on the other hand, slot their England players straight back into the starting line-up. Paul Volley, Alex King and Stuart Abbott brushed off their injury cobwebs with Volls looking particularly sharp in the pack. Simon Shaw also enjoyed a thirty minute run-out last weekend and looked as if he had never been away.

So, there are two different approaches being taken to this game but with the same goal: winning at least three of the last four premiership matches, if not all of them. Wasps will not underestimate Saints like they did the Bees.

Even though a number of the Saintsmen may be on their way at the end of the year as their director heads home to the All Blacks, each and every one of them wants to end with a championship finale. Two of them in particular, Bruce Reihana and Andrew Blowers, are in the form of their lives. Another two, Nick Beal and, if when he comes on, Matt Dawson, are Wycombites of old who would love to win in familiar surroundings.

Don't expect a four-try bonus point to be on view here, this is going to be a hell of a scrap, worthy of the ZC final itself. The old swingometer is hovering on a tight win for Wasps.

London Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen; 14 Josh Lewsey, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Stuart Abbott, 11 Tom Voyce; 10 Alex King, 9 Rob Howley; 1 Craig Dowd, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Will Green, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Joe Worsley, 7 Paul Volley, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (Capt.)

Bench: 16 Tim Payne, 17 Mark Lock, 18 Ben Gotting, 19 George SKivington, 20 Harvey Biljon, 21 Mark Denney, 22 Ayoola Erinle.

Northampton: 15 Bruce Reihana; 14 Nick Beal, 13 Chris Hyndman, 12 John Leslie (Capt.), 11 Oriol Ripol; 10 Shane Drahm, 9 Mark Robinson; 1 Tom Smith, 2 Dan Richmond, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 4 Matt Lord, 5 Mark Connors, 6 Andrew Blowers, 7 Darren Fox, 8 Mark Soden

Bench: 16 Steve Thompson, 17 Robbie Morris/Chris Budgen, 18 Steve Williams, 19 Grant Seely, 20 Matt Dawson, 21 James Brooks, 22 John Clarke.