News: AP: London Wasps vs Northampton Saints - Match Preview
By Simon Robinson
November 3 2011
Following a comprehensive victory over Newcastle Falcons at Franklin's Gardens last weekend a confident Northampton Saints travel south to Wycombe on Sunday to face London Wasps. Regular COYSDC contributor Smurf looks ahead to the game...
LONDON WASPS vs. NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
AP: Sunday, 6th November 2011 - 2.15pm (ESPN)
ADAMS PARK, WYCOMBE
MATCH PREVIEW
Saints Steamroller Seeks Southern Stingers...
Will we see fireworks at Wasps, to match those we've had in the last four games? It's been a fun, prouder season and not as easy as it would have seemed when we started out. At least the recent performances give us some hope.
October was a very strong month for the Saints, winning all four fixtures - scoring 145 points and 18 tries in the process. Add in three convincing wins for the Academy (against North Wales, Bedford and Sale) as well as the Wanderers (close game at Cambridge Uni then a second half demolition of Tigers at Welford Road) and it's nine from nine in the month.
Here's hoping that run will continue - November sees Saints playing two Premiership and two Heineken Cup games, the Wandies have three more A league fixtures as well as a trip to Oxford Uni, and the Academy take on the Tiger Cubs and Loughborough Uni.
Anyway - on to the main event this weekend, and I'm not talking about the 406th anniversary of some people with funny hats trying to force a General Election. Adams Park has not been a happy hunting ground for the Saints. Since first playing at Wycombe in 2003, seven losses (including two playoff games) and a solitary draw until last season's 37-10 thrashing turned the tables - add in a bit of partridge spotting from the terrace and it was a great day out!
Wasps sit fifth in the table, four places and the same number of points above Saints. Narrow wins over Bath and Worcester improved their standings, after earlier losses to Newcastle and Exeter. While they may be better off in terms of wins, Saints have the better points difference, +30 compared to Wasps' -10. However, Saints have yet to win on the road this season - and only a solitary try at the Stoop to show for it. Recent performances show some optimism for this to change though.
We've had strong performances from all positions recently. Artemyev has really settled in comfortably since his debut, six tries in three matches can't be bad! Tom May adds a different dimension to Downey at 12, and I fully expect that he will retain his place. Maybe he will have a new partner at 13, after Pisi played well at Welford Road on Monday night? We shall see.
In the forwards, we seem to have an embarrassment of riches in all positions. Whether Sharman will replace Haywood on the bench after his recent injury problems is one question yet to be answered. Manoa and Lawes worked well together on Saturday, but can they cope with a better drilled set of forwards at Wycombe? My team prediction has a bit of a back row shuffle to bring Sergeant Wilson back and Wood on the bench. Of course, it's only my opinion and it'll probably be completely wrong...
Expect to see some familiar names in the Wasps line-up, alongside recent RWC returnee Steve "Wally" Thompson, sometime Saintsmen Ben Broster and Chris Mayor are likely to feature in the squad.
My prediction for the Saints team:
Foden; Ashton, Clarke, May, Artemyev; Lamb, Dickson; Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Mujati; Manoa, Lawes; Clark, Dowson, Wilson.
Replacements: Waller, Mercey, Sharman, Sorensen, Wood, Roberts, Myler, Diggin.
And the result? Saints, by 10. I hope.
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For your team pick (and like you this is just my opinion,) I don't see that 2nd row combo without Wood, perhaps Day and Wilson rotate in as a combo? Like the idea that we persist with May at 12 and keep JD fresh for another day and as we seem to be resting one of the front row triumvirate each week, could this be Tiny's turn for impact from the bench?
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
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Either way we must have a great chance for another 4 or even 5 points. We just need to control the ball, cut out the rash passes and build momentum, simple! A lot going on at Wasps which must be unsettling for their team.
As for Wasps form, bit mixed, Line out vastly improved with Wentzel, Scrum more solid although expect a real test this Sunday... Backs have stopped scoring at last giving the forwards a chance.... expect a fair few tries on Sunday let us pray for some good weather an enjoyable game and a half decent crowd not sure if we will get all three but here's hoping.
The other possibility is Myler at 10. I seem to remember a time when it appeared to be Geraghty at home and Myler away; but for various reasons this didn't pan out. I wonder whether there will be a similar experiment. But usually with JM he likes a consistent team to build momentum and players still need to earn their place even when rotation is possible. We shall see.
Saint til I die
Quote:Howlin
Is Daisy fully fit tho ?
Seen with his foot in a pot on Saturday, so it seems unlikely for a while.
For those that have thought about writing a preview or match report but never put their hands up:
1. In less than a day, this article has received over 1,000 views. This puts your work on show and helps to fund COYS.
2. Your writing is probably much better than mine, so you'll get even nicer comments and more views.
3. This only took about half an hour to write, and a good portion of that was trying to word the Bonfire Night so cunningly hidden in the second sentence of the first paragraph, no-one seems to have noticed yet...
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David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
Apologies, Si, it's a great read!
