TRYING TIME?

By Vespasian
March 1 2014

London Wasps take on Sale Sharks in round 16 looking to dog out the points in a mid table clash. This could be the game that cements Wasps' goal for the season, a top six finish or it could mirror last season's sloppy slide towards the bottom three.

Heaven forfend the latter situation. Much promise has been shown by Wasps' young team. The visit of another much improved team in Sale is a tantlising test. Neither team can afford to drop points with the play-offs and qualification for a new European or non European comptetition next season.

Wasps need to compete from the outset and take all points on offer. Failure to kick a penalty at Quins in the teeth of a second half wind ultimately kept the opponents in the game right to the death. The team has the confidence to defend its line but it must trouble the scorer, too.

Andy Goode is back, waiting on the bench. Joe Simpson starts at scrum half. Can Wasps get back to winning ways through the forwards? Can the backs add to the mix without the cutting edge of several injured players, messers Varndell and Wade?

A Waspie welcome extends to one of Sir Trev's cousins at outside centre for Sale. Also to "old boy" Danny Cipriani on Sale's bench. And to two Sale players due at Wasps next season - Gaskell opposes Jones today - a match up that will be a key indicator for this match and next season's shuffling of the pack.

The result? Perhaps a draw in the sun...

Wasps: 15 Tommy Bell; 14 Will Helu, 13 Andrea Masi, 12 Chris Bell (Capt.), 11 Josh Bassett; 10 Joe Carlisle, 9 Joe Simpson; 1 Matt Mullan, 2 Tom Lindsay, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4 James Cannon, 5 Kearnan Myall, 6 Ashley Johnson, 7 James Haskell, 8 Sam Jones

Bench: 16 Neil Cochrane, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 Tom Palmer, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Charlie Davies, 22 Andy Goode, 23 Charlie Hayter

Sale: 15 Tom Arscott; 14 Tom Brady, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Mark Jennings, 11 Mark Cueto; 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Will Cliff; 1 Ross Harrison, 2 Tommy Taylor, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Andrei Ostrikov, 5 Michael Paterson, 6 Dan Braid, 7 David Seymour, 8 James Gaskell

Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts, 18 Vadim Cobilas, 19 Jonathan Mills, 20 Mark Easter, 21 Nathan Fowles, 22 Daniel Cipriani, 23 Samuel Tuitupou