TRAVESTY !

By Vespasian
February 22 2013

On Sunday 17th February I strolled in warm sunlight from the centre of High Wycombe to see London Wasps take on Gloucester. Both teams were showing signs of undergoing a renaissance.

Wasps were busy throwing off the shackles of an annus horibilis, and throwing caution to the wind along with a more measured return to the aggressive defence instilled in them by Shaun Edwards. Gloucester were developing the bridgehead from its Hartpury College Academy and aiming to fulfil the goals that never quite came to fruition when Tom Walkinshaw was owner.

Despite the promise of open-ended, flowing rugby football, only a little over six thousand souls braved the cold, valley shadows. It was the author's first visit of the season after an enforced absence. Surely the portents were good?

Not judging by the first quarter. A compressed midfield failed to trouble the scorer, but the crunching collisions and a few near misses promised more rewarding fare. Sure enough, a lapse at a distant ruck left a gaping hole and the Cherry and Whites sped though in the ominous shape of openside Qera and scrum half Robson with nary a Wasp in sight. Cook stooped to convert, in his unmistakable way.

Jones the boot steadied the nerves, sandwiching penalty goals and a Johnson mauling drive to the line with a conversion. Wasps were somehow in front at the turn, 13-10.

The second half began with another lapse by Wasps, allowing Tindall to trundle in far too easily. The game had settled into a pattern of flowing moves frequently ending in a breakdown or some  conservative end to end kicking as players tried to catch their breath.

Vunipola decided to dispense with caution and threw a long, arcing pass to Wade out wide. A juggle or two later, ball safely pouched, a big step right and a hop out of the cover tackle and in he glided.

Then Vunipola blasted off the base of an attacking scrum to power over by the foot of the left post and with Jones adding a further penalty goal the game was up for the visitors.

But we had to contend with the usual Wasps' wobble which often goes hand-in-hand with the obligatory late bench shuffle. Wasps' dynamism diappeared as a result and Mills and Sharples lapped up Wasps late lapses with two scores to grab a deserved brace of bonus points. Pray tell, will this cost Wasps dear in the coming months or will a playoff beckon? Could it be 2003 all over again? Steady on!