Wasps "A" Storm Through to Final Against Tigers

Boys done good
By Barney Burnham
March 29 2005

A hat-trick of tries for winger Thom Evans helped Wasps to a 41-24 win over Saracens, to clinch top spot in the Zurich A League Southern division and a place in the two-legged final against Leicester.

It took just over a minute for Wasps to open their account, in perfect conditions at the Old Albanians ground. From the first lineout of the game, on their own 22, the forwards launched a powerful drive, before releasing the ball to the backs. Fly-half James Brooks split the Sarries defence, to send Peter Richards clear on a thirty metre run to the line. The fly-half missed the conversion, but Wasps had made a clear declaration of intent.

For the next few minutes, it was the turn of the Wasps defence to show its mettle. Sarries went through phase after phase, only to be knocked back by a series of thunderous tackles across the field.

Once that siege was lifted, Wasps regained the ascendancy, and twice came close to a second try. First, Richards burst through the defence, to send Rob Laird through to the line, but the referee ruled that the final pass had been forward. Then, from a lineout, Mike Roberts came in from the blindside with a typically powerful burst, which was stopped just short of the line. The winger was then penalised for not releasing, and another chance had gone begging.

The pressure was finally rewarded with points when, on 12 minutes, Brooks landed a simple penalty to make it 8-0.

Shortly afterwards came the low point of an otherwise triumphant night. Flanker Garth Chamberlain fell awkwardly, when trying to gather a loose ball. After several minutes of treatment, he was stretchered off, with what turned out to be damaged ankle ligaments. His season is almost certainly over.

Almost immediately after he was replaced, by Matt Corker, Wasps scored try number 2. When Sarries tried to run the ball from their own 22, a pass went astray. Evans hacked the ball towards the line, before outpacing the defence to touch down for a try, which Brooks converted.

Five minutes before halftime, a long pass by Joe Mbu sent the former boy band member over for his second try, again converted by Brooks. And it was Brooks himself who secured the bonus point, deep into injury time, when he danced through a gap to score by the posts. His conversion made the halftime score 29-0 - a fair reflection of a half in which Wasps had dominated, both in terms of possession and territory.

Wasps made one substitution at the start of the second half, with Ben Gotting replacing Trevor Leota, who'd put in a characteristically powerful first half performance.

It was the home side who registered the first score of the half, when a turnover sent winger Richard Haughton clear for a 50 metre sprint to the line. Fijian international Nicky Little missed the conversion.

Wasps struck back within minutes. A powerful handoff by Laird gave him the space to send Roberts over in the corner, for his tenth try of the season. Nick Defty, who had replaced Brooks, missed the difficult conversion.

Undeterred, Sarries then added their second try, from a powerful forward drive. When they finally crossed the line, it was Canadian scrum-half Morgan Williams - a halftime replacement - who got the touchdown. Little added the extra two points, with a superb kick from the touchline.

34-12 ahead, Wasps needed another score to make the game safe, and it came from quick ruck ball in the Sarries 22. Harvey Biljon's blindside pass gave Evans the chance to show his speed and burst through for a well-deserved hat-trick try, under the posts. Defty's conversion was a formality, and Wasps were now out of sight, at 41-12.

With nothing to play for but pride, and a bonus point, Sarries ran the ball at every opportunity. They were rewarded with two more tries from Haughton. The first came when the England sevens flier finished off a spectacular counterattack, which began deep in their own 22.

His hat-trick score, to secure a well-deserved bonus point, came with the last move of the game, after a charged down kick by flyhalf Ben Russell bounced obligingly into his arms, 40 metres out. He raced away and rounded Laird to touch down under the posts. Russell's conversion made the final score 41-24.

Jubilant coach Shaun Edwards said:"That was a very strong performance - particularly in the first half, when our defence was outstanding. Our aim at the start of the season was to have a second team squad of players who are all capable of pushing for first team places. We've achieved that, and the players have been rewarded with a place in the final."

The first leg of that final, against Leicester, will be played at the Causeway Stadium, on April the 11th. The second leg, two weeks later, will be at Welford Road.

It's an exciting end to the season, and just reward for a talented, dedicated group of players who have produced some spectacular rugby to deservedly win the southern division.