GP Preview: Geech brings Champions home to Leeds

SILENT ASSASSIN
By Peter Snow's Swingometer
September 18 2005

Leeds Tykes welcome Ian McGeechan home to Headingley as London Wasps look to continue an unbeaten start. Tykes, on the other hand, have paired their game down to the basics and struggled to two defeats so far.

 

London Wasps followers may have caught Leeds disintegrate badly at the London Double Header a fortnight ago. They started brightly but some promising moves went begging. Irish capitalised to the tune of a rare bonus point as Mike Catt pulled the strings.

London Wasps should have had two wins under our belts but some indiscpline and poor execution handed Leicester Tigers a hatful of points and a draw last weekend. Tykes will no doubt seek to emulate such smash and grab tactics, as well as spinning the ball swiftly beyond Wasps' onrushing defence.

The pundits are buying Phil Davies' optimism, predicting a home win. The Tykes Director of Rugby said: "Some of the skill levels shown by our players, at times, have been fantastic in both games and gives us real encouragement that we are not far away from the finished article. The sharpness and precision is certainly there in training, but we have to be able to execute that in the pressure situation of a game."

He will have taken heart from Wasps' lack of scoring precision so far. Wasps are winning points without finishing as clinically as Shaun Edwards would like. It is round three, and both squads are coming to terms with new ideas. If Leeds live with Wasps in the first half, the scores will be close come the death. If not, Wasps by ten. The old Swingometer suspects the former will be the case.

Leeds have all to play for, but may come a few points short.

London Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen; 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Stuart Abbott, 11 Tom Voyce; 10 Alex King, 9 Matt Dawson; 1 Tim Payne, 2 Ben Gotting, 3 Jon Dawson, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 John Hart (Capt.), 7 Jonny O’Connor, 8 Joe Worsley

Bench: 16 Raphael Ibanez, 17 Peter Bracken, 18 Martin Purdy, 19 Mark Lock, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 James Brooks, 22 Ayoola Erinle

Leeds Tykes: 15 Iain Balshaw (Capt.); 14 Tom Biggs, 13 Chris Jones, 12 Andre Snyman, 11 David Doherty; 10 Roland De Marigny, 9 Justin Marshall; 1 Mike Shelley, 2 Rob Rawlinson, 3 Gavin Kerr, 4 Chris Murphy, 5 Tom Palmer, 6 Jon Dunbar, 7 Richard Parks, 8 Jordan Crane

Bench: 16 Michael Cusack, 17 Gordon Bulloch, 18 Stuart Hooper, 19 Scott Morgan, 20 Danny Care, 21 Gordon Ross, 22 Tim Stimpson