By Lawrence Aggleton
August 31 2008

Head Coach: Shaun Edwards

EPS Players: 8 (Riki Flutey, Josh Lewsey, Paul Sackey, James Haskell, Tom Palmer, Tom Rees, Simon Shaw, Phil Vickery)

Last Season GP: 2^nd (Champions)

Last Season Europe: HC Group

European Group (HC): Castres, Edinburgh, Leinster

Pre-Season:

@ Dax W

@ Edinburgh L

Vs Scarlets

First Four:

"@" L Irish

Vs Worcester

@ Saints

@ Tigers

Big Outs: Lawrence Dallaglio (retired), Fraser Waters (Treviso)

Big Ins: Serge Betsen (Biarritz), Mark Robinson (Saints)

Key Man: Danny Cipriani

Everytime you think Wasps are out, they pull themselves back in. The best coach in the league, canny recruitment and an excellent team mentality. Surely the bubble will burst sometime? If anytime, it'll be this year. The retirement of their inspirational captain, their coach distracted by international and, most likely, Lions duties, and 8 players with the EPS. The outstanding Cipriani will be out for the first part of the season with injury and is likely to be snapped up by England as soon as he returns. Can Riki Flutey play as well as he did last year? But if they're still in touch after the 6 Nations finishes...

Premiership: Missing players will hit them, but Betsen is a clever signing as a stop-gap. Waters will be a loss as their defensive leader, but their first XV is a match for anyone. Prediction: 3^rd (Losing Finalists)

Europe: No easy games, but should make it through. Prediction: HC QF