I first visited Adams Park in December 2003. Sarries lost 40-0 (remember that scoreline), I had my hubcaps nicked (I ask you, plastic hubcaps from a Fiat Punto but there we are) and there were no kites.. I returned in April 2005 for the 45-24 defeat. I hadn’t checked my  tickets only to discover they were for the wrong match (but fortunately it was an error at the Wasps Ticket office so we got in) but the kites started coming. I was back at Easter 2007 for the 27-26 victory we turned into defeat (remember 26-13 up!) and got showered in Guinness from the guy behind (he was very apologetic) but the Kites were more plentiful. Last year I counted 19 kites while watching Sarries loose 33-24. And this year? Well I’ve never seen so many kites!

The talk among the Wasps supporters nearby was threefold, Cips or Walder? (Definitely Walder). Who would replace Sackey? And how many would they loose by. The Wasps PA introduced us to 400 members of Tring Rugby Club (worrying, didn’t they used to come to Vicarage Road?) There was also a change in referee as Chris White appeared instead of Sean Davey (surely a good thing?)

My notes for the first half are full of words like “poor kick”, “resulting melee” ,“poor pass”,  “Sarries knock on”. You get the picture. Sarries knocked on from the kick off, conceded a scrum and a penalty and Cipriani put Wasps 3-0 ahead after 2 minutes. After 10 minutes a second penalty from Cipriani put Wasps 6-0 ahead. Virtually all of the first half play was up the other end and as Wasps have helpfully sited their large screen TV in the East corner where the setting sun shining on it made it almost impossible to see anything, my view of the events wasn’t great.

Other “highlights” of the first half included the inevitable failed drop goal attempt from Hougaard (who had a very poor game), Varndell running round Cato, de Kock and another Sarries player who just stood and watched him (and only scrabbling defence from Goode I think saved the day) and numerous aimless kicks from Hougaard straight back to the Wasps back three (and lets face it why would you deliberately give the ball to the likes of Varndell, Sackey & Van Gisbergen). I counted 7 Wasp’s scrums from Sarries’ knock ons in the first half and considering we were struggling somewhat at the set piece, that wasn’t wise. (Nice to see old boy Ben Broster doing well).Then there was the Hougaard penalty from half way which didn’t appear to be an attempt at goal or a kick for touch. It just bounced over the deadball line giving Wasps yet another scrum back on halfway. We did enjoy the view of a Wasp buttock when one of his team makes bound too hard on his shorts and pulled them down but that was just a small diversion. The one ray of light in all this was Alex Goode. He dropped nothing, his kicks found long touches or landed in space and he tackled for his life.

The half ended in a scene very reminiscent of the Worcester match the previous week. Wasps won a 5m scrum after the inevitable knock on. Mr White then awarded them a penalty. Having obviously watched what happened last week they went for another scrum. Mr White awarded a second penalty, Wasps went for another scrum and we all knew what was coming. A third offence resulted in a yellow card for Richard Skuse but Mr White gave Sarries one more chance. Mercey replaced Skuse and Saull headed for the touchline but Sarries had learned something from last week – ie that if you can’t defend a scrum with 8 you sure as hell can’t do it with 7 and Saull was sent back on with Cato, who had been completely innocuous for the entire first half, coming off instead. At the 4^th scrum somehow Sarries got the ball (as I said, far corner away from me so can’t be more specific) and cleared their lines.

I felt quite optimistic at half time. Sure we were abysmal in the first half but we were only 6-0 down and had survived a possible penalty try for the 2^nd week running. A few choice wards from Dr V and the team might just buck their ideas up a bit. For all the possession Wasps had had they had little to show for it. The sun went in long enough to read the statistic on the Wasp’s board that they score 65% of their tries in the 1^st half. I don’t know what the Sarries’ figure is but I get the impression we are a 2^nd half team. There was a reason to be cheerful.

The second half started with Alex Goode bouncing up and down like Tigger. Sarries survived the remainder of the sinbin conceding just a single penalty at the line out which Cipriani kicked for a 9-0 lead. Skuse did not reappear and Tagicakibau replaced the out of sorts Cato. Virtually the entire 2^nd half was played in the Wasps half of the pitch (definitely chose the wrong end didn’t I). Cipriani had 2 long kicks at goal, hitting the post with 1 and Wasps butchered a golden chance to score a try when they had a clear 3 on 1 but Sackey passed the ball into touch. Other than that it was all Saracens. Brits and Gill came on for Reynecke and Aguero and the scrum looked a little more solid. Burger replaced Van Heerden and for the 15 minutes he was on the field made a huge difference including an almighty tackle on Varndell. Wyles and Tagicakibau looked threatening but the side continued to be plagued by knock ons. Wasps won another 7 scrums from knock ons in the 2^nd half.

De Kock picked up an ankle injury and was replaced by Marshall who despite his warm up (which consisted of a saunter round the pitch) injected some urgency into the play. Hougaard had another drop goal attempt which was more danger to the circling kites than the goal posts. He then got a bang on the head and was eventually replaced (not before time) by Jackson but with only 10 minutes to go it was too little too late.

And through it all Goode stood firm. The main attacking intent came from him but he couldn’t do it alone. Any ground he made was negated by handling errors. His kicking (unlike Hougaard’s) was purposeful and accurate. The biggest cheer of the afternoon came when Walder replaced Cipriani (and it was very clear who the favoured son at Adams Park is now). But in truth Sarries didn’t look like scoring. The only true opportunity throughout a 2^nd half of Sarries’ pressure was a 5m scrum which resulted when a kick from Alex Goode into space forced a Varndell knock on in the tackle near his own try line. The scrum was reset twice. It was in the far right hand corner and the sun was still shining so I don’t exactly know what happened – but Wasps came away with the ball!

Wasps defended superbly. They didn’t concede a single kickable penalty in the first half. Dr V said afterwards “We didn’t get a single penalty, I found that amazing..” Maybe. I was in no position to comment.

The last time we failed to score a point in a Guinness Premiership match was, you guessed it, against Wasps in December 2003. This was the first match this season we haven’t even got a bonus point and has resulted in us slipping to 3^rd place. 3 losses now in our last 4 Guinness Premiership Games. Even worse it has let Wasps back into the mix as they are ahead of Irish in 4^th and it looks like 5 teams pushing for 4 play-off places. We are desperately missing the leadership of Borthwick

Next week’s game against Bath takes on new significance. We HAVE to win and win well to get our season back on track. Dr V states that Alex Goode is “definitely a fly half and we will glide him into it over the rest of the season”. Maybe Bath would be a good time to start.

One wheel on my wagon

And I’m still rolling along

Them Cherokees after me

I’m all in flames, at the reins

But I’m singing a happy song

I’m singing higgidty haggity hoggety high,

Pioneers they never say die.

Right around the bend there’s a hidden cave

And we can watch those Cherokees

Go galloping by.

Wasps
Van Gisbergen, Sackey, Jacobs, Kefu, Varndell (Lemi), Cipriani (Walder), Fury (Robinson), Taulafo, Webber, Broster, Veale, Skivington, Worsley, Betsen (Matthews), Ward-Smith

Saracens

Goode, Cato (Mercey, Tagicakibau), Ratuvou, Barritt, Wyles, Hougaard (Jackson), De Kock (Marshall), Aguero (Gill), Reynecke (Brits) Skuse (sin bin Mercey), Smith, Ryder (Botha), Van Heerden (Burger) Saull, Joubert.

Scores (Wasps first)

3-0, 6-0, 9-0

Scorers:  Wasps (Cipriani 3 pens)

Att:  8,530

Referee:  Chris White

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