By Barney Burnham
July 15 2005

Alex King joined London Wasps in 1996 and enjoyed instant success. Nine seasons and four championships, two national cup wins and a Heineken Cup triumph later, he begins his benefit year. Barney looks back on "our" unsung, perfect ten.  

Last season, Lawrence Dallaglio was asked to explain the contrasting fortunes of Wasps and Saracens, over the past few years.

One of his typically forthright answers was "Over that time, they've had about a dozen flyhalves. We've just had one." The likes of Gareth Rees, Matt Leek, Guy Gregory, James Brooks and Mark Van Gisbergen (among others) have all turned out in that key position - and who can forget Rob Henderson's eye-catching performance against Gloucester in 2000, when he scored three tries out of the prop forward's manual? - but there is no doubt that, for the past nine years, the Wasps number 10 shirt has become almost the exclusive property of Alex King.

It's quite simple, really. Over those nine years, when Alex has played well, Wasps have played well, and he's always produced top class performances in the matches that really matter.

In our long-overdue first winning cup final against Newcastle, there was an electrifying individual try. A man of the match display against Gloucester in the 2003 ZP Final, that superb break which sent Mark Van Gisbergen in for a try in the Heineken Cup Final. And, most recently, another calm, assured performance against Leicester. The unlikely highlight of that came when he took out a certain Martin Johnson with an uncharacteristic high, off-the-ball, challenge. Johnson's revenge came a few seconds later, when he stamped on Alex's ankle, but the point was made. The following week, on the Rugby Club, a still astounded Stuart Barnes used Alex's challenge to illustrate the fact that Wasps had been determined not to be bullied by the Tigers.

After that game, one of Alex's friends asked him why he'd been throwing in to the lineout. Cruel!

No side can do well without a quality number 10, and Alex has provided years of quality. He joined the club in 1996, having established an impressive reputation at Bristol University, playing alongside the likes of Josh Lewsey, Mark Denney and Fraser Waters. He'd already won the RFU Young Player of the Year award, and within a year, his halfback partnerships with Andy Gomarsall and Martyn Wood had helped Wasps to the League title.

A first England cap came on the 97 tour of Argentina. It should have come sooner - Jack Rowell astonishingly withdrew Alex from the squad to play in Cardiff and brought in Rob Andrew, who duly came off the bench late in the game for the final cap of his career.

After that tour, Rowell was replaced by Clive Woodward, and his first choice at number 10 was Alex. Sadly, injury forced him to withdraw from the side to face Australia, and he's barely had a look in since. The emergence of a certain Jonny Wilkinson has not helped, but there's been more than a fair share of injury problems - most notably when he was forced to withdraw from the World Cup training squad.

Better not to dwell on what might have been. Far better to look at what has been, and there is so much of that to savour.

It's fitting that this loyal and outstanding servant of the club has been rewarded with a Benefit this season. He's also been appointed President of the new Official Supporters' Association, a job which he will undoubtedly carry out with the modest charm that has made him such a popular figure with Wasps fans of all ages.

Alex - enjoy the year. You've deserved it.