Wasps 4 out of 4, with a 43-29 defeat of Falcons

Joe - MOTM yet again
By Barney Burnham
October 10 2004

In front of the first full house of the season at the Causeway Stadium , Wasps made it four wins on the trot, with an exhilarating 43-29 victory over Newcastle Falcons, clinching their first try bonus point in the bargain

Traffic problems on the M25 forced Wasps to make one change to their starting lineup. Ali McKenzie's late arrival meant he changed places with replacement prop Henry Nwume, the man recently described as having a brain like Einstein.

Newcastle opened strongly, with new England captain Jonny Wilkinson showing a willingness to run and pass right from the start. Nearly two minutes had passed before Wasps secured any possession. A Wasps attack won them a scrum near the Newcastle 22, but the ball ricocheted off a front row leg, to give the visitors an unlikely strike against the head. Wilkinson found a gap and set off on an incisive run which took him all the way into the Wasps 22. His pass failed to find the
supporting Tom May, but Newcastle won a penalty at the ensuing breakdown. To the surprise of many, they opted to kick to the corner. They were rewarded a minute later, when they won scrummage ball and Wilkinson and Jamie Noon combined to make a gap for Epi Taione, who went over unopposed under the points. Wilkinson's conversion was a formality, and the visitors led 7-0.

Wasps were on level terms within 5 minutes. Mark Van Gisbergen fielded a kick just outside his 22, and set off on a run which saw him beat several defenders, before being tackled on the Newcastle ten metres line, Wasps recyled the ball quickly, and centres Peter Richards and Rob Hoadley combined to send Richard Birkett galloping over for a fine try, converted by Alex King.

Van Gisbergen continued to threaten on the counterattack, before making his first mistake of the game after 15 minutes, kicking dead from inside his own 22 - a sign of the strength of the gusting wind favouring Wasps.

A King dropped goal was followed by a penalty, to make it 13-6, before the double champions added their second try. After sustained pressure, the ball was spun out left, and a flicked pass by Van Gisbergen gave Tom Voyce the chance to run round under the posts.

The try came at a price. In the movement leading up to it, Alex King suffered a blow to the head and was forced to leave the field, to be replaced by James Brookes. Van Gisbergen took the conversion, but his kick drifted to the left of the posts.

A third Wasps try came 7 minutes later. With Jamie Noon receiving treatment inside his own 22, Wasps again moved the ball out left, and Joe Worsley powered over. Ed Thrower converted with a fine kick and Wasps looked almost out of sight.

To their credit, the visitors responded strongly. Michael Stephenson nearly went over, before they closed the half with their second try.

With a scrum about to go down on the Wasps 22, the touch judge called the referee's attention to a fracas involving Phil Greening. The Wasps hooker was penalised, and Newcastle again turned down the chance to go for three points. After their first catch and drive was stopped illegally, they won a second lineout. Again Wasps kept the forwards out, but the ball was released to the backs, and a delightful offload from Taione sent Noon in under the posts. Wilkinson's conversion made the halftime score 25-14 to Wasps.

Within minutes of the restart, Wasps had stretched their lead. Jonny O'Connor stole the ball on the Newcastle 22. Brookes kicked to the corner, and the defence narrowly beat Voyce to the touchdown, before the referee called play back for a penalty in front of the posts. Thrower was on target, to make it 28-14.

Within minutes, Wilkinson had responded in kind, to cut the lead to 11 points. That penalty came while Matt Dawson was receiving treatment for a hamstring injury, which saw him replaced by Harvey Biljon.

Four minutes later, Newcastle again turned down a kickable penalty to set up another attacking lineout, from which Colin Charvis went over to make it 28-22. Wilkinson's touchline conversion went wide, but Wasps supporters were now beginning to feel anxious.

They need not have worried, as the home side regained some momentum. One attack saw John Hart pulled down by the most of blatant of high tackles by Noon, which went unnoticed by the touch judge, who was just a few yards away.

Thrower narrowly missed the chance to reopen a nine points lead, when his long range penalty drifted just to the right of the posts, but the winger was on target minutes later.

Brookes and Voyce made inroads into the Newcastle defence, before number 8 Semo Sititi was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul, and the penalty, from in front of the posts, made it 31-22.

The biggest cheer of the day came when Trevor Leota replaced Phil Greening, to make his first home appearance since his long-awaited (and much publicised) trip to New Zealand, on personal matters.

He immediately hit his jumper at the lineout, before steering a powerful drive deep into the Newcastle 22. When the ball was moved out to the left , Van Gisbergen came into the line to dive over in the corner. Thrower's touchline conversion was narrowly wide, but his next kick was from under the posts, after a typically eyecatching try by "supersub" Ayoola Erinle.

It again came from good lineout ball, and a Leota-led drive. When the ball was released, Erinle's power took him through the first tackle. He then displayed superb footwork and balance to sidestep Matt Burke and go over for a magnificent try.

43-22 to the good, Wasps could afford to bring off Worsley, deservedly named man of the match, and Lawrence Dallaglio. With five minutes left, sustained Newcastle pressure saw Stephenson cross for their fourth try, after a neat offload from lock Stuart Grimes. Wilkinson converted, to bring the visitors to within 14 points, and another converted try away from a second bonus point.

It was Wasps who came closest to scoring in the last few minutes. First, Brookes couldn't hang on to an attempted interception which would have given him a clear run-in. Then, Voyce was halfway to the line, after successfully intercepting, only for Wasps to be penalised for offside.

This was a thoroughly deserved win, in a higly entertaining match, from which both teams can draw positives. There were defensive frailties on both sides, but they will have worried the coaches more than the spectators, who relished seeing nine tries scored.

This win keep Wasps in fourth place, now just four points behind Zurich Premiership leaders Leicester. Last time we had an injury crisis like this season's, we spent several depressing months at the bottom of the table. Our current position is a testimony to the greater depth of the squad, and the quality of the young players who've come in to replace star names.

With some of those stars now expected back within the next few weeks, there's every reason for optimism. It may be asking a lot to match the triumphs of last season, but the double champions are looking in good shape.

A win at Bath, next Saturday, would send us into our Heineken Cup defence with great confidence.