ZP Preview: Just Another Sorry Sunday?
Once a DWasp...
By Peter Snow's Swingometer
December 20 2003
London Wasps begin the winter festival fixtures by entertaining our old foes, Saracens. Waspies who witnessed the Watford-based ones' woeful cameo in October must have thought Christmas had come early. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Sarries belated reaction was to sack two players.
Two Andies, messrs. Goode and Kershaw (once briefly at Wasps) were shown the door as Sarries wielded the axe. The poor attitude of both players (much shaking of heads) against London Wasps clearly had not improved. The end of the World Cup and the return of Nicky Little and Emiliano Bergamaschi along with other squad members signalled a change.
Whether the changes in personnel will help the hapless north Londoners remains to be seen. Sorry Sarries have just about the worst record of any team against Wasps. They go into this match holding an unenviable eight-match losing streak against us.
But let's not get them too down! Do they show any signs of some green shoots of recovery? On paper, their team looks strong enough. Granted it is shorn of Richard Hill, Kyran Bracken and Taine Randell who are required to turn out in the RFU's contractual-obligation-jolly-cum-roof-fund game. Once again the crowd misses out on the chance to see Richard Hill against Lawrence Dallaglio.
Deano's right, World Cup win or not, the clubs have endured enough enforced absenteeism this season already. Even Wayward agrees with the chief Tigger. And, bearing in mind that no All Black is allowed to train for 30 days during their close season (the bare necessities) then the game smacks of misty-eyed grandeeism. Who'd have thought it in the professional era!
But I digress, back to Sorries. They do possess a classy backline but it never seems to blaze a trail against London Wasps. Whether their forwards can pilfer enough ball for them to fire under the directorship of Napo Castaignède is moot. It has got to happen one day...the cheeky pocket-general does have a habit of breaking Wasps' backline. I expect Castanets will have pored over the video from Calvisano during the week. It may be why Kenny (4-3) Logan was originally given the weekend off.
Up front, Sarries are bolstered by five internationals with plenty of brawn and brains between them. Alex Codling was the pick of the lineout locks in the ZP last season. This season he has struggled through injury and has yet to complete a game since his comeback. Richard Birkett will be under pressure in this tussle.
Their loose forwards are Sarries-men old and new. Watch out for their young openside Ben Russell who is from the same mould as Paul Volley. We shall see how well Volls has passed on his knowledge to our new loosie Jonny O'Connor whilst the old lag keeps our blindside tight.
Monday's run out for Wasps 2nds against a Marlow President's XV on a crisp Thames-side pitch gave us a glimpse of Paul Sampson at last. All in all it was a useful workout with no quarter spared against the junior clubmen. I am sure Bath 2nds would have been preferrable but ZP's top dogs only cancelled by fax at 1pm having curiously lost the power of speech on the telephone.
Marlow turned around a 31-0 deficit from the first half into a 38-14 final score with some dogged defending. As for Sammo, he scored the second try of the night and converted several others. However, his knee jinx has struck again, so 4-3 Top Chat (KL) gets splinters instead.
And for the record, Denzil opened the scoring and looked sharp despite having played most of the game against Calvisano two days beforehand. He looked like he loved every minute, even when he passed to Oogie on his outside (not once but, well, I lost count)!
Erinle looks fit, too, after testing his rib injury whilst tackling back to save a try in the second half. Apparently he doesn't surf, so no problem there then. Phylis, straining at the leash from the sidelines egged the lads on with neither Chuckles nor Smiler in obvious attendance. I think Greening will enjoy a Sorry Sunday.
The old swingometer is still indicating a Wasps win but it won't be another 39-point high. Wasps' strength in depth should see us through by a 14-points plus margin. The win bonus depends on our concentration which still needs to improve...
London Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen; 14 Josh Lewsey*, 13 Fraser Waters*, 12 Mark Denney, 11 Tom Voyce*; 10 Alex King*, 9 Rob Howley*; 1 Craig Dowd*, 2 Phil Greening*, 3 Will Green*, 4 Martin Purdy, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Paul Volley*, 7 Jonny O’Connor, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio* (Capt.)
Bench: 16 Trevor Leota*, 17 Tim Payne, 18 Ian Clarke, 19 George Skivington, 20 Peter Richards, 21 Ayoola Erinle, 22 Paul Sampson*.
Saracens: 15 Adryan Winnan; 14 Richard Haughton, 13 Denis Cech, 12 Ben Johnston*, 11 Darragh O'Mahony*; 10 Thomas Castaignede*, 9 Morgan Williams*; 1 Emiliano Bergamaschi*, 2 Robbie Russell*, 3 Cobus Visagie*, 4 Simon Raiwalui* (Capt.), 5 Alex Codling*, 6 Kris Chesney, 7 Ben Russell, 8 Ben Skirving.
Bench; 16 Raphael Ibanez*, 17 Steven Sparks, 18 Ben Broster, 19 Tony Roques, 20 Dan Kirton, 21 Nicky Little*, 22 Daniel Legge.
Previous Premiership Meetings Pl21 W16 D1 L4
26 Oct 2003 1 42- 3 Vicarage Road
16 Mar 2003 1 42-31 Vicarage Road
22 Sep 2002 1 51-23 Causeway Stadium
14 Apr 2002 1 20-14 Vicarage Road
2 Sep 2001 1 12- 8 Loftus Road
23 Dec 2000 1 25- 6 Loftus Road
6 Sep 2000 1 30-24 Vicarage Road
13 Feb 2000 1 41-17 Loftus Road
7 Nov 1999 1 26-27 Vicarage Road
6 Jan 1999 1 15-15 Loftus Road
25 Oct 1998 1 31-17 Vicarage Rd
8 Mar 1998 1 27-33 Vicarage Rd
19 Oct 1997 1 15-19 Loftus Rd
12 Apr 1997 1 28-15 Enfield
8 Sep 1996 1 36-21 Loftus Rd
6 Jan 1996 1 24-20 Bramley Rd
23 Sep 1995 1 38-16 Repton Ave
9 Jan 1993 1 13- 9 Bramley Rd
22 Feb 1992 1 6-12 Repton Ave
12 Jan 1991 1 15- 6 Bramley Rd
28 Apr 1990 1 24- 6 Repton Ave
Cup
Apr 1998 PCF 28-48 Twickenham