He's back
MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
He's back
By Dobbin
December 3 2009
So now we know the recipe for righteous indignation: three parts earth, two parts rain, and one part pizza. They say you're never too old to learn, but who could ever have expected to find out that Italian foodstuffs were central to the abandonment of rugby matches? Life at Benetton Treviso must be harder than we thought – a constant battle against the deleterious effects of mozzarella and tomato.
He's back
December 3 2009
So now we know the recipe for righteous indignation: three parts earth, two parts rain, and one part pizza. They say you're never too old to learn, but who could ever have expected to find out that Italian foodstuffs were central to the abandonment of rugby matches? Life at Benetton Treviso must be harder than we thought – a constant battle against the deleterious effects of mozzarella and tomato.
It hasn't been just another week for Wasps, that's for sure. Too much has been written (much of it hysterical) about the postponement of last weekend's game against Sale, so I won't rake over that old ground again. Suffice it to say than when I read comments from fans of other teams (not Sale) that they “hate” Wasps, I wonder what the game is coming to. Yes, Wasps may have been in the wrong – but if you're the sort of person who really thinks hatred has any place in the act of supporting a team, do us all a favour and find another sport to vent your spleen on. And that's the end of my own burst of righteous indignation.
Let us hope that the Adams Park pitch is in perfect working order for the visit of Leicester this weekend. Last week's shenanigans resulted in Tigers overtaking us in the Guinness Premiership table – while we were being provocative with anchovies and peperoni, they were doubling their GP try count for the season with a bonus point victory over Leeds. Leicester have moved up to fourth in the table while Wasps have slipped down to fifth (and may slip further if PRL decide to impose a points reduction).
Prior to last week, it's probably fair to say that Leicester had been playing a game reminiscent of the good old days: a big pack of forwards, a well-drilled set piece, an accurate place kicker and a defence good enough to snuff out most opposition. Were it not for the fact that he has a luxuriant head of hair instead of a gleaming bald pate, ex-Wasp Jeremy Staunton could almost have been Les Cusworth or John Liley, picking off the points that letters A-H had set up for him. However, with key players like Toby Flood and Aaron Mauger trickling back into the team after injury, you'd expect the Tigers to start finding a bit more of a cutting edge behind the pack – indeed, Leeds last week might have been the start of a more expansive approach. No doubt their game will still be based on power – wings like Lote Tuquiri, Scott Hamilton and Alesana Tuilagi are hardly built for gazelle like speed and elusiveness - but the guile of Flood and Mauger, as well as former Gloucester man Anthony Allen, will ask serious questions of any opposition in midfield.
In fact it's hard to see any weakness in this Leicester team. While Jordan Crane and Louis Deacon might not have impressed many non-Leicester fans in England colours, they are more than capable club men. Martin Castrogiovanni will probably return to the team after his recent exertions for Italy, anchoring a formidable scrum, and England's only real performer in the autumn internationals, Lewis Moody, will contest ball all day. And in the absence of Harry Ellis, Ben Youngs, one of the stand-out young scrum-halves in the country, will relish a battle with another young pretender in Joe Simpson. One man who won't be on view, however, either on the pitch or on the sidelines, is Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill. He is serving a four-week matchday ban for abuse of officials during their LV= Cup game against Newport Gwent Dragons last month.
For Wasps, the first task is to secure enough ball to compete. Early season statistics suggested that Wasps were winning games with a minority share of possession, although it is worth bearing in mind that this doesn't necessarily mean that the forwards were less competitive than their opposition counterparts - teams grinding through the phases and making ten metres in five minutes may win on the time-in-possession pie-chart, but find themselves losing on the scoreboard to a team with strike-runners and quick thinkers. As the ground becomes heavier, however, it becomes more important to be able to go through the phases – the strike-runners are less effective and the team has to create space by working the opposition around. It is this facet of the game that Wasps haven't really demonstrated convincingly as yet.
The returns of Simon Shaw and Tim Payne should help. Rob Webber has recovered from his ligament tear and Ben Broster will likely complete the front row. In the back row, Serge Betsen can expect a tough afternoon against Moody, and (probable) colleagues Dan Ward-Smith and John Hart have a big role to play in securing ball – of whatever quality – in the face of the Leicester set-piece. Behind the scrum, it should be as you were for the Sale match – with the possible exception of David Lemi taking the place of Sackey or Varndell.
Leicester are familiar foes, and these two teams have had some entertaining tussles over the last decade or so. In the Premiership, Tigers are ahead 15-9, with two draws. Indeed, it wasn't until 2007/8 that Wasps finally broke their league duck at Welford Road. Last season, a relatively poor one for Wasps, was ironically the first season in which Wasps had ever done the league double over Leicester, the eventual champions. Every cloud and all that...
As reigning GP champions, of course, Leicester are in the Heineken Cup this year. In the next two weekends, while we are playing Bayonne in the Amlin Challenge Cup, they will be playing our old friends Clermont-Auvergne in pursuit of the biggest prize of all. Next year Wasps want to be back in the top-flight European competition. Beating Tigers this weekend would be another step towards achieving that aim. Win or lose, however, let's hope that it's talk of the game that fills these messageboards come Monday morning.
Prediction: Natural pessimism leads me towards Leicester, but it could equally be Wasps. Impossible to predict.
Let us hope that the Adams Park pitch is in perfect working order for the visit of Leicester this weekend. Last week's shenanigans resulted in Tigers overtaking us in the Guinness Premiership table – while we were being provocative with anchovies and peperoni, they were doubling their GP try count for the season with a bonus point victory over Leeds. Leicester have moved up to fourth in the table while Wasps have slipped down to fifth (and may slip further if PRL decide to impose a points reduction).
Prior to last week, it's probably fair to say that Leicester had been playing a game reminiscent of the good old days: a big pack of forwards, a well-drilled set piece, an accurate place kicker and a defence good enough to snuff out most opposition. Were it not for the fact that he has a luxuriant head of hair instead of a gleaming bald pate, ex-Wasp Jeremy Staunton could almost have been Les Cusworth or John Liley, picking off the points that letters A-H had set up for him. However, with key players like Toby Flood and Aaron Mauger trickling back into the team after injury, you'd expect the Tigers to start finding a bit more of a cutting edge behind the pack – indeed, Leeds last week might have been the start of a more expansive approach. No doubt their game will still be based on power – wings like Lote Tuquiri, Scott Hamilton and Alesana Tuilagi are hardly built for gazelle like speed and elusiveness - but the guile of Flood and Mauger, as well as former Gloucester man Anthony Allen, will ask serious questions of any opposition in midfield.
In fact it's hard to see any weakness in this Leicester team. While Jordan Crane and Louis Deacon might not have impressed many non-Leicester fans in England colours, they are more than capable club men. Martin Castrogiovanni will probably return to the team after his recent exertions for Italy, anchoring a formidable scrum, and England's only real performer in the autumn internationals, Lewis Moody, will contest ball all day. And in the absence of Harry Ellis, Ben Youngs, one of the stand-out young scrum-halves in the country, will relish a battle with another young pretender in Joe Simpson. One man who won't be on view, however, either on the pitch or on the sidelines, is Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill. He is serving a four-week matchday ban for abuse of officials during their LV= Cup game against Newport Gwent Dragons last month.
For Wasps, the first task is to secure enough ball to compete. Early season statistics suggested that Wasps were winning games with a minority share of possession, although it is worth bearing in mind that this doesn't necessarily mean that the forwards were less competitive than their opposition counterparts - teams grinding through the phases and making ten metres in five minutes may win on the time-in-possession pie-chart, but find themselves losing on the scoreboard to a team with strike-runners and quick thinkers. As the ground becomes heavier, however, it becomes more important to be able to go through the phases – the strike-runners are less effective and the team has to create space by working the opposition around. It is this facet of the game that Wasps haven't really demonstrated convincingly as yet.
The returns of Simon Shaw and Tim Payne should help. Rob Webber has recovered from his ligament tear and Ben Broster will likely complete the front row. In the back row, Serge Betsen can expect a tough afternoon against Moody, and (probable) colleagues Dan Ward-Smith and John Hart have a big role to play in securing ball – of whatever quality – in the face of the Leicester set-piece. Behind the scrum, it should be as you were for the Sale match – with the possible exception of David Lemi taking the place of Sackey or Varndell.
Leicester are familiar foes, and these two teams have had some entertaining tussles over the last decade or so. In the Premiership, Tigers are ahead 15-9, with two draws. Indeed, it wasn't until 2007/8 that Wasps finally broke their league duck at Welford Road. Last season, a relatively poor one for Wasps, was ironically the first season in which Wasps had ever done the league double over Leicester, the eventual champions. Every cloud and all that...
As reigning GP champions, of course, Leicester are in the Heineken Cup this year. In the next two weekends, while we are playing Bayonne in the Amlin Challenge Cup, they will be playing our old friends Clermont-Auvergne in pursuit of the biggest prize of all. Next year Wasps want to be back in the top-flight European competition. Beating Tigers this weekend would be another step towards achieving that aim. Win or lose, however, let's hope that it's talk of the game that fills these messageboards come Monday morning.
Prediction: Natural pessimism leads me towards Leicester, but it could equally be Wasps. Impossible to predict.
Bookmark or share this story with:
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
StumbleuponRelated Articles:
MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: DrunkenWasps.com (IP Logged)
Date: 03/12/2009 15:40
What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: KevinTheB (IP Logged)
Date: 03/12/2009 17:46
Nice one, Dobbin.
Wait for Shark Bites!
KevinTheB
Wait for Shark Bites!
KevinTheB
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: Stopsy (IP Logged)
Date: 03/12/2009 17:47
Thanks Dobbin, very well written.
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: the gaffa (IP Logged)
Date: 03/12/2009 18:02
The PI duo of Tuqiri and Tuilagi v Varndell may be interesting
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: Everpresent (IP Logged)
Date: 03/12/2009 20:49
Top preview Dobbin one of the best and most balanced I have come across on this or any other forum.
Particulalry empathise with your view of all the rhetoric written regarding the cancellation.
My natural pessimism and Tigers indifferent form away from welford road suggests a home win, although lets hope its down to the players on the pitch and not the 'pools panel' that decide the outcome this weekend![[:wor kid:]](/phorum-5.1.15/mods/smileys/images/13.gif "[:wor kid:]")
Particulalry empathise with your view of all the rhetoric written regarding the cancellation.
My natural pessimism and Tigers indifferent form away from welford road suggests a home win, although lets hope its down to the players on the pitch and not the 'pools panel' that decide the outcome this weekend
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: Rucky (IP Logged)
Date: 03/12/2009 23:29
Dobbin,
I'm a Tigers fan who just wanted to say what a very well-written preview this is - knowledgeable, well balanced, carefully written and entertaining. If only more people on the sportsnetwork boards wrote so eloquently. As far as I'm concerned, your piece has raised the bar for others in terms of match reporting/previews. Well done.
I Would wish your boys good luck for Sunday, but I wouldn't mean it, so I'll just say enjoy the game (wish I could be there).
Rucky.
Rucky knows it ain't over 'til it's over.
I'm a Tigers fan who just wanted to say what a very well-written preview this is - knowledgeable, well balanced, carefully written and entertaining. If only more people on the sportsnetwork boards wrote so eloquently. As far as I'm concerned, your piece has raised the bar for others in terms of match reporting/previews. Well done.
I Would wish your boys good luck for Sunday, but I wouldn't mean it, so I'll just say enjoy the game (wish I could be there).
Rucky.
Rucky knows it ain't over 'til it's over.
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: salsawasp (IP Logged)
Date: 04/12/2009 10:07
Dobbin
Your reviews are a must read for me now. They epitomise what this game should be about, a desire to win tempered with respect for your opponents and a realistic view of their strengths.It has given me a lift after the sinking feeling I got at the pictures of Sales pitch on rugby club last night.
This is one of the fixtures that should be the highlight of any GP season.
Your reviews are a must read for me now. They epitomise what this game should be about, a desire to win tempered with respect for your opponents and a realistic view of their strengths.It has given me a lift after the sinking feeling I got at the pictures of Sales pitch on rugby club last night.
This is one of the fixtures that should be the highlight of any GP season.
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: Petros (IP Logged)
Date: 04/12/2009 13:19
It's regrettable that the weather forecast for Sunday is grim, which won;t help the rugby even if the god pitch drainage ensures it stays playable
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: Nigel Med (IP Logged)
Date: 04/12/2009 13:20
Dobbin,
Excelled yourself once again and the praise from opposition supporters goes to show how balanced your previews always are. Superb job.
As for the prediction, I feel that Everpresent is being extremely pessemistic to describe Tigers away form as "indifferent". They appear to be coming into real form and I fear a heck of a battle if we are to come away with anything from the match. Both teams do tend to raise their game for fixtures between the club's so who knows?
Excelled yourself once again and the praise from opposition supporters goes to show how balanced your previews always are. Superb job.
As for the prediction, I feel that Everpresent is being extremely pessemistic to describe Tigers away form as "indifferent". They appear to be coming into real form and I fear a heck of a battle if we are to come away with anything from the match. Both teams do tend to raise their game for fixtures between the club's so who knows?
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: St Bruno (IP Logged)
Date: 04/12/2009 16:36
Dobbin,
Great read.
I particularly liked the line "rake over old ground again".
If only Sale's groundsmen had done this, perhaps the pitch might have been playable!
Great read.
I particularly liked the line "rake over old ground again".
If only Sale's groundsmen had done this, perhaps the pitch might have been playable!
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: dom (IP Logged)
Date: 04/12/2009 20:35
Very crafty! Just like a Wasp, eh? 
Re: MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v LEICESTER
Posted by: waspymatt (IP Logged)
Date: 05/12/2009 10:41
Very good Dobbin!
More London Wasps headlines
London Wasps latest threads
- New stadium press conference tomorrow
- Brian Moore tells it like it is
- Movement North <-> South - must be good for the game
- Council advertises for Stadium Project Officer
- Sale on Friday...
- OT: EA Rugby 08 PC??
- Parks : Thom's pre-England pep talk
- SARU : on-pitch logos will be removed for soccer - then digitally restored for TV
- more ST.G goodies
- Where can I buy?