Pests Again - Wasps Preview

By BrianC
October 4 2006

Round two of the EDF cup sees us with a very tough fixture as we yet again face Wasps at Adams Park. With us securing a bonus point victory last week we’ll be going into this game with our tails up.

Our opponents, perhaps surprisingly, went down to Cardiff. In terms of this tournament, they now have their backs against the wall.

Before our remarkable nine try romp against them last April most would have had this game as a banker for Wasps. What we proved then is that they are fallible at Adams Park. Whilst we have since lost a game to them there 23 - 17 it was there for the taking. An off form Riki and short sighted refereeing put paid to any chance we may have had.

Our cup fixture at the Madejski last season was a great game. Although we narrowly lost 26 - 30 we saw for the first time flashes of what was to come later in the season. It was also the first game played by a fly half we have come to really appreciate; hence the, (I have to admit pretty awful), title of my match report The Fluteyture’s Bright.

Our start to this season was a tad wobbly. The narrow victory over Quins at the LDH and in particular our defeat at home to Bristol caused many to question the wisdom of the shortage of pre-season games. With victory in the last two games under our belts such worries are now receding.

Wasps are a team who have in recent seasons won pretty well everything there is to be won. The one major thing that has eluded them in the last decade is that despite winning the championship, they have failed to finish top of the Premiership table. (Although if memory serves me correctly they did so in 1995/6, the first season of openly professional rugby in England.)

Set against this very high standard their performance in the latter half of last season and the early part of this has been a bit disappointing. They now have suffered two defeats in a row, Bristol a couple of weeks ago in the league and Cardiff in the cup. Be that as it may Wasps will almost certainly go into this game as favourites with the bookies.

Like ourselves Wasps have suffered their fair share of injuries. At present they are particularly missing the services of their fly half Alex King and talismanic captain Lawrence Dayglow. There is a whisper that Doolally may be back, perhaps on the bench, for this game. For our sakes let's hope not.

The game is being televised live on BBC2. Is quite some time since we have had a game broadcast on national terrestrial TV. The last time, a cup semi-final against Leeds at Headingley, was one of the worst LI performances I can recall. Hopefully we’ll put on a better show for the cameras this time.

With the good win over Saracens under our belts victory in this game will put us in the driving seat to secure a semi-final spot. As our last pool game is an away one in Cardiff it would be nice not to have to go there needing a win. Let’s cheer not just for Irish but also Saracens this weekend.