By Roger
April 29 2007

Wasps have never won at Welford Road in the professional era. If they were going to make the pay-offs that would have to change. Roger reports on the final league game of the Guinness premiership. So it all came down to this. Last league game of the season, Tigers vs Wasps and winner take all. Or it might have done if the league really counted for anything any more.

Truth was, the final round of league games meant that any one of four teams could finish top of the table, and any two of five could earn a home draw for the pay off semi finals. Or at least I think that was the case. I’d long given up trying to understand the mathematical machinations. All I was bothered about was our beating Wasps. That would keep them out of the top four and thus out of the pay offs, which, from a fans point of view, only seem to have been truly accepted by their supporters.

A win for us guaranteed a home draw. A bonus-point win (and Gloucester failing to match that five point haul at ‘home’ to Bristol) meant we could still claim top spot in the league and justify my going to Twickenham three times in one season.
Oh, and at the other end of the table there was an interesting battle involving Stains and Wuss to see who’d be playing in the Heineken Cup next season. To the loser the spoils.


Officials
The Premiership was forced into a rethink when Lawrence Dallaglio wasn’t named in Wasps 22. The original referee, Tony Spreadbury deemed himself unqualified to officiate without Lol’s assistance and bowed out. Wayne Barnes took up the mantle and both sides prepared themselves for a novel interpretation of the laws of the game.

Darryl Gibson and Castro were the Tigers’ only first choice absentees. The former recovering from a slight knee injury sustained in the game against Scarlets, and Pat had named Sam Vesty at inside centre. It’s a position that the great and the good believe Sam will lay claim to in the coming seasons and, judging by his few outings at 12 this season, they’re probably right.

In the absence of Lawrence, Wasps had handed the captain’s armband to Joe Worsley who packed down alongside James Haskell and Tom Rees to retain an all-English back row. This was one area where the two sides – on paper at least – were very evenly matched. On paper’s one thing. But how could three Wasps hope to cope with Cozza, Madeye and Shane Jennings on the Welford Road turf?

Proceedings got underway on the stroke of 3.05pm and within the first minute Wasps number 10, Danny Cipriani found himself bundled into touch for a Tigers lineout. It wasn’t the manner with which he was dumped over the touchline that illustrated how fired up the two teams were, it was the afters. Less that 60 seconds on the clock and players were already being pulled apart.

Clean ball for Tigers saw them move quickly from their own 10 metre line towards Wasps 22 and Shane Jennings burst through Wasps defence but he somehow failed to see Lewis Moody on his left shoulder. Shane was hauled down and the try chance went begging. However, Tigers signalled their ambition when an easy (for Goodey) penalty chance was kicked to the corner. Unfortunately, that decision only put off the inevitable and when Tigers rolling maul from the resulting lineout was pulled down in line with the posts, Goodey took the three. Four minutes on the clock and three-nil Tigers.

Three minutes later Wasps strayed offside and Goodey took another chance for three points, six-nil.

Marcos Ayerza tried to even things up by going offside himself three minutes later but Mark Van Gisbergen managed to slice the kick well wide of the left post. He was on target two minutes later though; three points on the board and Wasps were getting into their stride.

My vote for tackle of the match arrived on 13 minutes when Paul Sackey, Wasps flying winger, met up with his opposite number – Alesana Tuilagi. Alex has been a revelation this season, he moves like a gazelle but packs a punch like a rhino and unlike many South Sea Islanders, is quite happy to properly wrap up his man while putting him into the advertising hoardings. The official tackle of the match came within a minute as Seru Rabeni executed a similar hit on Joe Worsley.

Tigers had started where they’d left off against Scarlets, big hits going in and disrupting opposition ball. That said, every time Wasps moved forward, they looked very dangerous.

On 15 minutes Madeye played the ball while off his feet and the referee reached for a yellow card. Tigers were down to 14 men and when Van Gisbergen slotted the penalty, the scores were all square. The penalty was justified, the card was an over reaction, but then a couple of minutes later Wayne evened up matters by giving Wasps scrum half, Eoin Reddan an undeserved yellow card of his own. Goodey slotted the three points and Tigers were back in front by nine points to six.


Try Time
Tigers' lead didn’t last long though. Whenever they’d had the ball Wasps had looked dangerous and when Josh Lewsey picked up from the base of a ruck, his pass to James Haskell put the number eight in for the first try of the game. Van Gisbergen missed the conversion but a couple of minutes later a penalty chance went straight between the posts to put Wasps five points in front – 9-14.

Then came one of the passages of play that makes a game – the sight of Alex Tuilagi, ball in hand, in full flight down the wing. Taking the ball deep in his own half, Alex bounced aside tacklers making it almost to the opposition 22 before finally being dragged down. Quick ball flowed right across the pitch and back to the left where Seru tried to make it to the try line alone. Sadly he knocked on but the resulting scrum, right under the Wasps posts hinted at things to come. Wasps collapsed the scrum, the referee awarded the penalty and the three points were a ‘gimmee’ for Andy Goode. 12-14.

With Moody back on, Tigers should have been able to make the extra man count but Wasps were still asking most of the questions and Van Gisbergen looked certain to score had he been able to hang on to a good floated pass from Danny Cipriani. Thankfully, Wasps troubles at the scrum continued and Andy Goode struck a beautiful penalty straight down the line to put Tigers line out deep into the opposition half. From the rolling maul rumbling towards the right hand corner, quick ball passed through several pairs of hands switching the play across to the left and allowing Alex Tuilagi to dance through for Tigers’ first try of the afternoon.
Andy Goode struck a sweet conversion from out wide to take Tigers into a 19-14 halftime lead.


Slipping Away and Sipping Away
The news from Ashton Gate – Gloucester’s home while Kingsholm is redeveloped – wasn’t good. They were 21-8 up on Bristol with two tries in the bag. The news from the Tigers Bar was better. There was some real ale left and thanks to some slick handling by my terrace mates, a third pint of the afternoon arrived before the second half got underway. Hopefully the club will judge the real ale experiment to have been a success.

If Wasps had looked dangerous in the early part of the game, their creaking scrum was going to cause them trouble in the second half.
Failing to field Goodey’s restart, the Wasps defence could only watch as the ball bounced out almost on the five-metre line for a lineout. Wasps took the ball cleanly enough on their own throw but subsequently knocked on giving the scrum to Tigers five metres out. That was my reading of events anyway. Some reports, probably from people with a better view than mine, reckon that Wasps infringed and Cozza opted to scrum when awarded the penalty.
Whatever the reason, the ensuing scrum set the tone for the rest of the game. Wasps’ tighthead, Peter Bracken wasn’t able to cope with Marcos Ayerza and after being ragged several times, was yellow-carded by Wayne Barnes. Replacement prop Nick Adams fared little better and after another collapsed scrum, Barnes jogged under the posts to signal a penalty try.

Goode’s conversion took the score to 26-14 and Tigers were halfway towards a bonus point win.

Taking the restart cleanly, Tigers were in the mood for more and gaps were beginning to appear. Goodey made a lovely break out of his own 22 and waited for Harry Ellis to loom up before popping a clean pass that should have seen the Tigers scrum half making a trademark gallop to the line. Unfortunately, Hazza slipped and the resulting knock on gave Wasps the scrum and the chance to clear. That’s the theory anyway. Truth is their scrum was in such trouble that it was beginning to be irrelevant whose put in it was. Tigers’ pack shoved them off their ball and earned their own put in.

Forwards became backs as Jennings, then Cozza and then Ben Kay thundered towards the clubhouse end before putting Dan Hipkiss in to record Tigers’ third try. A straightforward conversion (I must stop taking Andy Goode for granted) and at 33-14 it looked all over for Wasps.


Who Wants A Game?
Pat Howard obviously thought so as the next few minutes saw a flurry of Tigers replacements. Big Jock McHamilton replaced Louis Deacon, Ollie Smith came on for Hipkiss and shortly afterwards Tom Varndell replaced Alex Tuilagi. Unfortunately, the next substitution was enforced. Hoofing a penalty into touch from his own 22, Andy Goode’s standing leg seemed to buckle and he was forced to retire. Frank Murphy came on as a replacement, Sam Vesty moved to 10 and Harry Ellis found himself on the wing.

The changes continued as the match approached the final 10 minutes. Cabbage came on to replace Chuter and Brett Deacon made his second appearance of the afternoon (he’d been a blood replacement while Shane Jennings went to see the nurse in the first half) to replace Cozza.

When it came, Tigers fourth try was a classic counter from inside their own half. Some great handling from a move started by Tom Varndell saw the ball switched through several pairs of hands before Shane Jennings made the final pass to Lewis Moody to storm in from 15 metres. That’s the fourth try, that’s the bonus point! A quick look at Orange Internet and… Bugger! Gloucester scored their fourth try 10 minutes ago.

Once I knew that I kind of lost interest and I don’t know if the players knew too because Tigers certainly took their collective feet off the gas.
Ayoola Erinle, on as a Wasps replacement, raced in for his side’s second try (converted by Dave Walder) and the thought that he’ll be doing it for us soon was small consolation. Then, minutes later, Wasps replacement scrum half, Mark McMillan, snaffled a loose ball and scooted in for their third. The conversion was missed and at 40-26, the scoreboard operator’s work was done for the day.


Conclusions?
Cozza leaving the pitch led to a loss of direction. Without Daryl Gibson or Leo Cullen to stand in for him we lacked leadership for the final 10 minutes. It’s a role I’ve often thought Ben Kay should relish but he doesn’t seem a natural leader.
Our front row is awesome. And while I appreciate that Wasps are a much better scrummaging unit with the injured Tim Payne at the coalface, I’ll see your Tim Payne and raise you a Castro.

Moan of the match? Why oh why won’t Tom Varndell tackle? He’s a big lad, he should be able to look after himself and when he’s got the ball he’s amazing. But if he wants to reach his potential he’s got to start defending. Many more displays like that and he’ll be starting next season at Bedford.

The club gave Julian White the man of the match award and truth be known it could have gone to any of our props. I don’t begrudge him his champers. But I think I’d have given it to Madeye. He’s back to his best and that bodes well for Tigers and, providing we let them borrow him occasionally, England.

So Wasps are out of the pay-offs, Gloucester won the league and Northampton will probably be playing in the Heineken Cup next season. Two weeks off now, next game the Heineken Cup final.

The pay-offs? You can stick ‘em.
(I'll second that, Inky)