By Smurfomatic
February 3 2003

Well that was a great game of rugby, ladies and gentlemen! After getting lost in Wycombe, I came across the Grammar School Daws and Bealer learnt their trade. Looks like some of the team might end up as pupils there tomorrow. The minute's silence was well observed, as was quiet during place kicking. Nasty
weather, cold and raining heavily by the time the
delayed kick-off occurred, the Saints had no passion or drive from the first play.

An early exchange ofpenalties had the score 6-3 to Wasps. The few good points of the match were mistakes by Wasps: Kenny Logan's horrendous "penalty" halfway through the first
half, and the brilliant "pass the ball over the dead ball line" ten minutes later. The fact Leota scored a pushover try some five minute after this killed the mood somewhat.

Grayson's uncharacteristic miss kick
just before half time left us four points adrift.
The second half started badly. Dallaglio's handling on the wrong side of a ruck went relatively unpunished, Mattie Stewart's sin-binning (closely followed by Simon Shaw) seemed not to help the Saints strugglingpack.

Set pieces were in trouble, the scrum was pushed
all over the place, lineouts went astray, as well as passes going astray (no change there then). The
referee gave some perplexing decisions throughout (for once), as the 'random advantage' and 'on/off offside' rules indicate.

Grayson's kicking was occasionally
astray, a few going over the dead ball line on a pitchin remarkable condition considering there was a football game played less than 24 hours before hand.

Dawson took a big hit from Leota 17 mins after the
restart, and was replaced by Vass soon afterwards. Dan Richmond came on for Wally, followed by Budgen's replacing of Smith for a blood injury. The loss of Grayson, Williams and Reihana didn't help the ailingteam. The team were dropping like hats on wheels, Beal seemed to be playing through a knee injury. Smith's
return three minutes from the eighty helped us not one jot. The Saints barely left their 22 for the last 10 minutes, not looking like getting the customary late Jorgy try. Alex King's drop goal late into injury time summed up the game, after his kicking had been off all day.

I of course take full responsibility, not having worn my lucky socks.

Final score: 16 : 9 to Wasps, and a poor
first visit to Adams Park. Saints chances of reaching the top three look slim to none. Oh well, just need to win the European and Powergen Cups then!