Gone but not forgotten

By Shrek
July 31 2012

Before you start reading, I would like to express my thanks to Shrek for a very interesting series of articles which have helped greatly in getting us through the summer largely available to readers.  The challenge now is for someone, using the Olympic analogy, to be inspired, receive the baton, and produce another set of gold medal standard contributions.

To end this look back on the goldern era, I’ve picked five of the best from the 2007/08 season.

16)  Gloucester v Wasps, 4^th November 2007 

The season began badly for Wasps with a draw at Worcester sandwiched by two home losses to Saracens and Leicester before a 16-0 humbling away to Sale left Wasps bottom of the table as they struggled to cope with the loss of their internationals who were away at the World Cup. Somehow England reached the final of that competition, so the first chance Wasps had to be at full strength was at home to Gloucester in the EDF cup. The post-RWC hangover took the best part of an hour for Wasps to shake off, but once they had, Gloucester barely knew what had hit them.

Wasps got off to a sluggish start, conceding a try to Rory Lawson after five minutes, followed half an hour later as Olivier Azam crashed over. Wasps hit back just before the break with a penalty from Danny Cipriani, now firmly established as a regular starter, although at this stage he had yet to make the 10 shirt his own. Cips had started this match at full back, having switched between there, centre and fly half in the previous games. By the time the game ended, there was no doubt as to who was set to replace Alex King as the new Wasps 10. 

The second half started badly, when Olly Morgan raced in for a try. Wasps started to make changes with James Haskell coming on for Dan Leo and there was signs of an immediate impact, when Tom Voyce broke through an attempted tackle to make it 21-8. However the joy was short lived, Iain Balshaw restored Gloucester’s 18 point lead.

From then on Wasps took control. Cips had moved to 10 and that, with the addition of Haskell, triggered one of Wasps’ greatest ever fightbacks. With 13 minutes to go, Haskell crashed over from close range by the post. That was followed by another Haskell try from a lineout. Ibanez had thrown long and almost unnoticed Haskell caught the ball and dived in for the try. With Cips adding the extras for both, Wasps were now four points behind and in total control.

Gloucester by this stage could do nothing right and a kick downfield rolled out of play to give Wasps the platform to secure the win and when Tom Voyce made a break for the line he was driven over by what seemed like the entire Wasps squad. Somehow Wasps had pulled it off, having trailed 26-8 they had won 29-26.

That was the turning point in Wasps’ season and they followed this up with a win over Newcastle to top the pool, before losing to Leicester in the semi-final at the Millenium Stadium. More of that later...

17)  Bath v Wasps, 16^th February 2008

The early poor run of form had left Wasps with it all to do. By the time mid-February’s trip to the Wreck came along Wasps knew one more defeat could be fatal to their hopes of winning the League. Cipriani’s form had pushed him into the England side, however it had been a baptism of fire for the youngster, culminating with an attempted chip and chase being charged down and gifting a try to the Italians. But Rugby was about to learn a lot about Mr Cipriani and Wasps in general.

For me this was a great trip. I’d stayed with some Bath supporting family friends in Calne the night before and spent the morning wandering around the city I now work in, before meeting up with some other friends to watch the game (my hosts had by all accounts be enduring some painful hospitality before the game).

After 10 minutes I was dreading the prospect of the trip back to Calne to collect my car as Bath had raced into a 10 point lead with a try by Andrew Higgins following a lucky bounce of the ball. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and a bit of Cipriani Magic. Refusing to be phased by the charge down the week before, he went for exactly the same move, this time pulling it off, collecting the ball, beating Nick Abendanon and racing in to level to scores.

The game settled down and each side swapped penalties before Abendanon sneaked in for a try just before the break to make it 20-13 to Bath at half time.

Wasps didn’t hang around after the break. A rampaging Haskell tore through the Bath defence, which split in a similar fashion to when Moses visited the Red Sea to race in for an easy try within two minutes. 20-20. Josh Lewsey then crashed over in the corner for the first of two tries following another Haskell charge and a looping run from David Doherty. Cipriani missed the conversion but added a penalty two minutes later, giving Wasps a 28-20. Wasps then claimed a bonus point with an almost identical try scored again by Lewsey. The conversion made it 20-35.

Bath panicked and made changes. Eliota Fuimaono-Spaolu rounded off a barrage of attacks to reduce the deficit to eight, before Dan Leo was adjudged to have touchdown, although the TV pictures were somewhat inconclusive. Dan Browne got a late consolation for Bath, but that failed to detract from a magnificent 42-34 win.

18)  Wasps v Bristol, 23^rd February 2008

The win at Bath was a great result for Wasps but a week later they faced an altogether different challenge. Bristol at home, but without their England internationals. Dave Walder stepped in to the number 10 shirt. The former Newcastle man’s form for Wasps had been hit and miss up until this stage, missing several potential match winning kicks earlier in the season.

There were also challenges with other nationalities; Eoin Reddan was away with Ireland, whilst Mark McMillan  had played for Scotland A the night before and flown back to London that morning, along with Joe Simpson – summoned from England U20 duty in Grenoble the night before.

Wasps began promisingly with Dom Waldouck and David Doherty getting tries within the first seven minutes, Bristol hit back with two of their own to make the half time scores 15 a piece.

A Joe Ward try soon after the break put Wasps back in the lead before Bristol took control, with two tries in three minutes, making it 30-22. They almost extended their lead  when Andrew Blowers  secured a brilliant turnover and raced unopposed to the line, before tripping up over himself and spilling the ball.

Wasps knew that with all the good work from the week before on the line, they had to score soon. As time ticked over 80 minutes Wasps now trailed by five and piled on the pressure with a series of scrums on the Bristol line. Awarded four penalties, Wasps did not falter, eventually scoring through Mark McMillan. That left Dave Walder with a conversion to win the game. Unlike matches earlier in the season there was no missing and eight minutes after the clock had reached the 80 minute mark Wasps had a vital win and a lot more confidence.

19)  Leicester v Wasps, 29^th March 2008

Wasps made it to the end of the Six Nations unbeaten, but then crashed out of the EDF when they had their full contingent back, having been convincingly beaten by Leicester. A week later they again faced the Tigers. This time in a must win league game at Welford Road – a ground Wasps had never won a league game at.

Leicester opened the scoring with an Andy Goode Penalty, before Wasps showed they were not going to be phased by a hostile Welford Road crowd. A scrum against the head saw John Hart, in for the suspended Lawrence Dallaglio, make a break before passing to Fraser Waters who was able to run in unopposed. Wasps scored again after good work from the elusive Paul Sackey and a miss-out pass to Waters saw him stroll in for a second.  Goode closed the gap with two penalties after a lot of Tigers pressure before the break as Wasps led 14-9.

The lead was short lived however. Seru Rabeni  crashed over under the posts to put the Tigers back in front. Things then got tense: Walder missed a penalty, before getting another to restore the lead moments later. That was to be his last action as Waldouck came in for him, Cipriani moving to 10 and Flutey to 15. Wasps countered and it was Cipriani who danced over to get Wasps third try and to give them an eight point lead. Wasps had their chances to secure a bonus point but it was not to be. Andy Goode got Leicester within five, but Wasps held on to secure a 24-19.

The enormity of the win was summed up by Sky’s commentator Miles Harrison, “Remarkable does not do this lot justice”.

20)  Bath v Wasps, 18^th May 2008

To end with, my one shock selection. Everyone remembers the final win at Twickenham – Dallaglio’s last game, but for me the game which summed up Wasps perfectly was the semi final against Bath.

Bath had all of the territory to begin with, but couldn’t capitalise. Olly Barkley missed a couple of easy kicks as all their pressure failed to produce points. In the end Wasps practically had to gift them a try. A long lineout put unnecessary pressure on the Wasps pack. With a ruck just short of the line Reddan passed back to Cipriani, who had no space, so passed to Josh Lewsey who spilled the ball, and Alex Crockett pounced for the easiest try he'll ever score.

Where as most sides would lose confidence, Wasps set about cancelling out and building a lead. A burst from Haskell and quick accurate passing from Cipriani and Flutey was followed by a gem of a line from Fraser Waters, in what was to be his last home game in a Wasps shirt (that is unless you consider finals at Twickenham as a home game), scored close to the posts... 7-7.

Five minutes later Wasps were at it again. a scrum five meters out on one side of the pitch provided a platform. Good work from Waters, Cipriani and then Sackey got Wasps close before Bath ran out of numbers and Riki Flutey dived over in the corner on the opposite side of the pitch to give Wasps the lead. Cipriani converted from the touchline. 14-7.

Bath responded with a penalty before the match took a nasty turn in the second half when Cipriani dislocated and broke his ankle. Again where as most sides would panic after losing such a key player, especially as Dave Walder's great run of form was ended a month earlier with a broken leg, this only further strengthened the Wasps resolve. Mark van Gisbergen came on and played out of position at 10.

Wasps looked in control but knew another score was vital. The score came after quick play on half way lead to Tom Voyce making a break down the wing. He was stopped inside the Bath 22, but quick work from from the persuing Wasps gave the home team quick ball and Eoin Reddan passed to a charging Tom Palmer, who was not going to be stopped. 21-10. The try again did come at a cost with Tom Voyce dislocating his shoulder whilst being tackled.

Bath tried to get back in the game and dominated most of the last 20 but got nowhere against a heroic defence. When Wasps did get the ball they held on to it to the cheers of the Adams Park crowd and secured the win.

Wasps went on to lift the title in an emotional final against Leicester, with Dallaglio signing off in style to bring an emphatic end to the goldern era at Wasps.