By Sparkie
November 1 2002

Wasps take on the four times champions Leicester following our out-psyching of Gloucester last weekend. Welford Road is not a happy stamping ground for us -- twelve straight losses in the league but their was one tremendous solitary cup success back in the shamateur days in 1995... It was the Pilkington Cup semi-final on April 1, 1995 -- a fitting date for Wasps to throw off their Welford Road hoodoo. Just weeks earlier Tiggers had beaten us 21-6 there, ending our 10 match winning streak. It caused coach, Rob Smith, and a triumvirate of players (and what a triumvirate!): Rob Andrew, Steve Bates and Dean Ryan, to reassess further their expansive, running game. On 25 March we beat Bath 11-10 at home in a full blooded encounter. It was just the sort of test we required the week before the cup semi up at Leicester.

Come the day, Wasps controlled play to such an extent that we turned round 19-6 to the good thanks to a converted try by Hoppers, set up by that man Buster, and three drop goals and a penalty by Rob Andrew. As luck would have it, Deano (Richards) was watching from the stands with a rib injury. However, Tiggers' ire and a strong breeze soon levelled things up within 15 minutes of the restart in front of a crowd of 13,750. We were at their mercy once more but crucially Tiggers half-backs were pants and just could not wrest control of the midfield back from Andrew and Bates.

Fortune favours the brave, or so they say. Norm Hadley and Deano Mk.2 (Ryan) both dared to enrage the home crowd by committing foul deeds of the yellow card variety. Indeed either or both of them were fortunate to remain on the park. Yellows in those days did not mean a trip to the sin-bin for a ten minute cigarette break. They stayed on to give us the platform to grab two penalty goals sandwiching a John Liley reply.

With the clock winding down, Tony Underwood managed to spin a pass to Stuart Potter, lurking ominously inside just 15 metres from the try-line. The rugby gods smiled on Wasps as Potter knocked on the ball with our defence rent wide open. The gods smiled once more as Jez Harris missed a final drop at goal just before the end. Tiggers were out of the cup!

The teams, scorers and the referee that day? Here they are for posterity:

Leicester: J Liley; T Underwood, D Edwards, S Potter, R Underwood; J Harris, A Kardooni; G Rowntree, R Cockerill, D Garforth, M Johnson, M Poole, J Wells (capt), C Tarbuck, N Back.

Try: R Underwood. Conversion: Liley. Penalties: Liley (5).

Wasps: J Ufton; P Hopley, D Hopley, G Childs, S Roiser; R Andrew, S Bates; N Popplewell, K Dunn, I Dunston, M Greenwood, N Hadley, L Dallaglio, D Ryan (capt), M White.

Try: D Hopley. Conversion: Andrew. Penalties: Andrew (3). Drop goals: Andrew (3).

Referee: S Lander (RFU).

All our lads have to do is match fire with fire (and stay on the park, Lawrence). We gave them one hell of a beating in '95. We also gave them one hell of a beating last time out at the Loft. Expect Jonno's boys to come looking for another homer. If... you... want to go to heaven when you die...

Wasps: 15 Paul Sampson; 14 Josh Lewsey, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Mark Denney, 11 John Rudd; 10 Mark Van Gisbergen, 9 Martyn Wood; 1 Darren Molloy, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Craig Dowd, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Joe Beardshaw, 6 Lawrence Dallaglio (Capt.), 7 Paul Volley, 8 Peter Scrivener.

Bench: 16 Rob Howley, 17 Phil Greening, 18 Stuart Abbott, 19 Kenny Logan, 20 Mark Lock, 21 Richard Birkett, 22 Will Green.

Leicester: TBA (The usual suspects)

 31 Mar 2002 Tigers 36 - 24 Loftus Road  
  8 Sep 2001 Tigers 15 - 45 Welford Road  
 18 Nov 2000 Tigers 13 - 28 Welford Road  
 19 Aug 2000 Tigers 22 - 24 Loftus Road  
 25 Jan 2000 Tigers 20 - 29 Loftus Road  
 13 Nov 1999 Tigers 9 - 28 Welford Road  
 27 Mar 1999 Tigers 6 - 16 Welford Road  
 15 Nov 1998 Tigers 45 - 17 Loftus Road  
 29 Apr 1998 Tigers 17 - 13 Loftus Road  
 17 Jan 1998 Tigers 21 - 45 Welford Road  
  2 Apr 1997 Tigers 12 - 18 Welford Road  
 22 Sep 1996 Tigers 14 - 7 Loftus Road  
  6 Apr 1996 Tigers 12 - 15 Welford Road  
 21 Oct 1995 Tigers 11 - 21 Repton Avenue  
  4 Mar 1995 Tigers 6 - 21 Welford Road  
  1 Oct 1994 Tigers 18 - 23 Repton Avenue  
 12 Feb 1994 Tigers 13 - 15 Repton Avenue  
  2 Oct 1993 Tigers 6 - 38 Welford Road  
  3 Oct 1992 Tigers 14 - 13 Repton Avenue  
 23 Nov 1991 Tigers 12 - 31 Welford Road  
  6 Oct 1990 Tigers 12 - 22 Repton Avenue  
  9 Sep 1989 Tigers 29 - 12 Repton Avenue  
 10 Sep 1988 Tigers 6 - 15 Welford Road  
 21 Nov 1987 Tigers 9 - 12 Welford Road 

Related links: A Tiger's eye view | Offish news on www.wasps.co.uk