Bath and Gloucester responded in fine style, recording much needed victories against teams above them in the table, Bath thrashing Irish at the Madejski Stadium and Gloucester dispatching Quins with a six try blitz at Kingsholm.

Closer to home, Wasps supporters watched a team at Adams Park dominating the scrums. For a change, however, it was Wasps doing the dominating. Okay, so some sloppy handling and a host of unforced errors kept Sale in the match, but you can't ask for everything at once, can you? Contrary to popular belief, we have had some good scrummaging matches this season. The Big Game against Harlequins at Twickenham was one; I also remember us putting one over the Northampton scrum in our match against them in October.

On the other hand, there was the game against Saracens at the end of November. It wasn't so much that the Wasps tight five came off second best that day. They were a distant third behind the Saracens Sensations, who demonstrated a cohesion and togetherness in their performance at half time that the visiting pack could only dream of (and if you've seen the Sensations in all their glory, you'll realise how appalling Wasps must have been).

The thought in the immediate aftermath of that Saracens match was that Wasps couldn't possibly play so badly again. In truth, I'm not sure that they have, although in an inconsistent middle part of the season they must have come close on a couple of occasions. Interspersed with the poor moments, however, have been numerous signs of encouragement. Sale last weekend was like a microcosm of the season to date – some really good play at times, and some abject howlers at others. Still, I remain hopeful that one of these days the team are going to put it all together and hammer decent opposition, like Gloucester and Bath did last week.

It would be nice to think that we might do it this coming Sunday. For a start, it would serve as some sort of redemption for the Vicarage Road debacle. It would also keep intact Wasps' one hundred percent record against Sarries at Adams Park. Last season that record looked in danger of being toppled. Trailing 9-17 with just over ten minutes to go, and with no sign of being anywhere near scoring a try in the previous sixty-eight, up stepped Dave Walder. In one of the finest match turning performances by a single Wasps player for many a year, he proceeded to terrorise the (up to that point) steadfast Saracens defence, and twelve minutes later Noah Cato was touching down for a consolation try that didn't even garner Sarries a bonus point. Final score, 33-24.

You can't expect that sort of thing every season, of course, and especially not against this year's Saracens vintage. Dull, boring, negative, one-dimensional – these are adjectives that flow like water off a duck's back when you're second in the league and trailing the leaders, with a game in hand, by a single point. The criticism directed towards Saracens' style of play continues, but the same thing holds true now as held true in October – winning rugby is winning rugby. Who amongst Wasps fans wouldn't gladly substitute the losses against Leeds and Newcastle for boring, one-dimensional, penalty soaked victories?

The trick is overcoming Saracens' game-plan. Leicester managed it at the beginning of January by out-muscling them. London Irish did it a week earlier, and Toulon secured victory in early October by running Sarries off the park. Last week at Wembley, even lowly Worcester almost managed to pull off a win. So what do Wasps have to do? Well, despite the pack performance against Sale last week, it's difficult to see Wasps out-muscling Sarries as Leicester did. The Toulon blueprint is better suited to our strengths. Play a high tempo, attacking game, don't get sucked into a rucking and kicking contest, and above all don't give away needless penalties. Added to that, be clinical in execution in the back three (waiting for the high ball to bounce before attempting to secure it is probably not a good idea), detail Joe Worsley to fell Schalk Brits as soon as he touches the ball, and be wary whenever Alex Goode is in possession. As the full-back cum fly-half demonstrated in the Saxons match against Ireland a couple of weeks ago, ball-in-hand he's a very skilful player. It would be just like those treacherous Watfordians to come to our place and start running with the thing.

It's all very easy to say of course – that's why I'm here pontificating on a fan site and not out in a field coaching rugby players. A game-plan is nothing without team work, solid skills and the ability to execute accurately. That's what Saracens have been doing for most of the season. We'll find out on Sunday if Wasps can do the same.

Prediction: Wasps to win, as long as they don't leave it until the last ten minutes.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• MATCH PREVIEW: WASPS v SALE