By David Lowrence
March 21 2013

Here we go for the run-in.  In their last 6 matches Wasps have achieved 4 wins, the last 2 having been losses to London Irish and Worcester, both away games.  In their visit to us in September, they lost 24-6, but that was the old Wasps, coming off their 11th place last season.  

London Wasps v Northampton Saints

Aviva Premiership Round 18

Adams Park Saturday 23rd Marck KO 3:15

 

The Wasps coach, Dai Young has recruited well and is in the process of hauling them up the Premiership table, and was dong very well until the recent two away losses.

This is a “Must Win” for both sides, as Saints want to maintain and consolidate their current top four position, hopefully improving on 4^th, while Wasps in 6^th place on 46 points have the opportunity to leap frog us into 4^th, which, if Gloucester Manage to beat London Welsh at Kingsholm, would see Saints back in 6^th come Sunday. As I say – a “Must win”.

So what of Saints? The result of a two week layoff can be binary. Either the R&R will have done the team good, or momentum is impaired. (True, I suppose for both sides). Having met one of our favourite second towers in Waitrose last week, I asked him how he was enjoying the 2 weeks off, he laughed and vouchsafed that the family had managed a couple of days away, and it was good to let some of the niggling hurts heal (fingers and aching bones). But they were back at the end of last week with one of the toughest schedules he had experienced. That bodes well.

To the teams. I must confess that the minutiae of the Wasps personnel has not been uppermost in my thoughts for a while, but director of rugby Dai Young says it will be all hands to the pump from now until the end of the season., including their returning 6N players “It’s fourth versus sixth as the black and golds return to action after two weeks off, and they may need a week off but they’re not going to get one – we’re at the business end of the season.  We expect them to be a little bit tired but that’s part and parcel of professional sport. “ From the Wasps board a team of Southwell, Varndell, Daly, Bell, Wade, Robinson, Simpson, Taulafo, Rys Thomas, Swainston, Cannon, Wentzel, Johnson, Haskwit, Vunipola, is suggested. I am sure Masi will feature at some stage too.

 

Hmmm. No mean team that.!

Difficult to call the saints team, but I am inclined to go with:

Tonga’Uhia, Hartley, Mujati, Manoa, Day, Dowson, Nutley, van Velze, Dickson, Myler, Elliott, Pisi, Wilson, Foden 

Bench to include Wood, Lawes and the Waller and McMillan show.

Wood was absolutely shattered when he came off on Saturday – so I would not be surprised if he was not in the squad.

The moving of the match to Saturday, and then again to 3:15 completely confused the BBC, so let’s hope it does the same for the Wasps team, but this match, with snow forecast for Friday, could well be a quagmire, in which case (and even if not) our pack should get the upper hand. At all costs we must not allow their backs to run the riot they can. The time/date confusion may even affect the Supporters and stop them breaking into riotous applause after their chant of “oggy, oggy, oggy, Wasps Wasps Wasps”. (They would have the public believe it is Allez, Allez Allex – but that because the average supporter regards “A year in Provence” as some kind of lifestyle handbook” 

Saints by 8.

St Marlowe