The Wasps Blog

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Teams:

London Wasps A Squad:

Lewis Thiede, Jeremy Castex, Nathan Morris, Bob Baker, Joe Burton, Sam Jones, James Harris, Charlie Davies, Alex Cheesman, Elliot Daly, Charlie Ingall, Will Robinson, Ryan Davis, Henry Purdy (Wasps EPDG), Chris Bishay(Unattached), Tom Yellowlees (London Scottish), Federico Rodriguez (London Scottish), Jamie Stevenson (London Scottish), Will Bigley (Henley), Stuart McLaren (Henley), James Cobden (Henley), Markus Bircham (Barking), Sam Reynolds (Barking), James Doherty (Esher), David Shotton (Tring)

Bath United team:

Jack Cuthbert, Nick Scott, Brad Barnes, Ben Mosses, Alex Brown, Paul Roberts (Capt), Mark McMillan, Nathan Catt, Mark Lilley, Kane Palma-Newport, Will Spencer, Jamie Collins, Sam Weir, James Stephenson, Will Skuse

Replacements: Will Tanner, Max Ashcroft, Duncan Bell, Nick Morris, James Tyas, Chris Cook, Olly Barkley, Freddie Gabbitass

Can Riki Flutey score in back to back weeks?

Wasps begin their European campaign in the South of France tonight against the recently promoted Bordeaux Begles. The French side are currently tenth in the Top 14, a solid start to the season by the promoted side, and enter this match on the back of beating the high-flying Clermont 24-9 in their last league match. A huge result considering the differences in the stature of players in both squads. However, tonight Bordeaux have named a slightly weakened side, former Saint Bruce Reihana amongst those rested, an indication the league is more of a priority for them. One player Wasps will be familiar tonight with is former second row Dan Leo who takes his place on the bench for this one. Wasps last played Bordeaux nine seasons ago, Richard Birkett the only player in tonight’s squad that played in those matches.

Wasps enter on the back of the 13-24 to Northampton Saints but had deserved a losing bonus point.Dai Young makes four changes to squad that started at Adams Park last week. Zak Taulafo, Tom Lindsay, Chris Mayor and Richard Haughton all come into the squad. Bell, Payne and Southwell are all rested, Rob Webber picked up an injury. Bob Baker, Nathan Morris and Dom Waldouck are all brought onto the bench. Waldouck, having come through a full 80 mins captaining the ‘A’ side against London Irish ‘A’ on Monday.

Two years ago Wasps were in the Challenge Cup in a very similar looking group of two French sides and an Italian (Bayonne, Racing Metro and Roma) and were able to win the group and progress to the semi-finals where they lost to Dai Young’s Cardiff Blues. Wasps will hope to continue in the same vein tonight as they did in this competition last time by getting their European campaign off to a good winning start.

My prediction: Another difficult match for Wasps as they travel to Bordeaux. Playing away in France is always a difficult prospect. But I can see Wasps stealing a good away win in France if the scrum can continue improving with the strong side that Dai Young has put out.

The full squads and Dai Young’s views follow below…

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Rob Webber returns to the starting line-up against Saints after Thompson's withdrawal due to injury

I think anyone connected with Wasps will tell you this week has not been the best, despite an uplifting win up at Sixways last Friday it was the news that after years at the club both Shaun Edwards and Simon Shaw wanted out that has dominated the back pages. It was a big blow for Wasps to find out this week that Steve Thompson will miss this and possibly more matches with a shoulder injury.

However, Wasps will be chasing a third win on the bounce after good wins at home to Bath and away to Worcester. In the place of the injured Thompson is Rob Webber who comes in off the bench as he did late on at Sixways. The Wasps scrum is improving but it goes up against one of the very best in Europe. Wasps lineout has improved beyond all recognition and Marco Wentzel will be hoping he can causes Dylan Hartley some problems by stealing some Saints ball as he has done all season. The ther hope for Wasps is that they can get to Ryan Lamb and disrupt him. He is either brilliant or awful and often can be both in the same match. We have to hope that Poff can get in his face and disrupt his rhythm. It will be interesting to see how well he kicks, Adams Park is a tough stadium to kick in with the wind blowing off surrounding hills.

Out wide both sides have real pace in TV and Wadey for Wasps and Ashton and new Russian speedster Vasily Artemyev. It will be interesting to see which midfield can get the best ball out to their speed merchants. Will the wingers come infield to look for ball? Ashton does this brilliantly, can Wade and TV mirror it? The backs look really even with Joe Simpson getting his second start of the season and the Flutey-Bell partnership back once again in the centres. Wasps will continue to miss the excellent Joe Launchbury and the other raft of absentees in the back row but let’s hope Poff, Hart and Birkett can hold their own.

Click here if you want to see how Wasps got on last season against a very powerful, skilful Saints side that reached the Heineken Cup final. These were the two sides that got trounced last season:

Lost at home 10-37: Van Gisbergen; Varndell, Waldouck, Flutey, Lemi; Walder, Simpson; Payne, Webber, Taulafo; Cannon, Ward-Smith; Worsley, Rees (capt), Powell.
Lost away 39-3: Haughton, Simpson, Kefu, Flutey, Lemi, Walder, Berry, Payne, Webber, Taulafo, Shaw, Birkett, Hart, Worsley, Ward-Smith.

I’d say the Wasps side this season is slightly stronger, it has a better balance to it and the boys look energised and are really playing for each other. The first game against Saints last season came out of nowhere. Wasps were simply smashed off the park. The second game up in Northants Wasps did not look interested. The only real highlight There’s so much to talk about this game, it’s time to see how Wasps measure up against one of the Premiership’s best sides. How has Dai Young and Paul Turner evolved the side that got smacked last season? Only one way to find out. Allez! Hope Shaun Edwards gets the huge applause he deserves today.

My prediction: My heart says Wasps win it with a late score but my head says Saints have a little bit too much for us up front and we give away a few too many pens in the scrum. It will be closer than the matches last year and if Wasps can play well, entertain the home crowd and secure a bonus point I think Dai Young might just take it against one of Europe’s premier sides.

The full squads and Director’s views follow below…

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Thompson's injury is the latest bit of bad news for Wasps this week

The Bucks Free Press are reporting that England hooker Steve Thompson who had his Wasps debut at Worcester last week picked up a shoulder injury in the second half of that match. He would big a big blow to the front row that has struggled in recent seasons against top scrums. The trio of Tonga’uih, Hartley and Mujati are one of the best in Europe. It will be interesting to see how Payne, Webber and Broster get on after an improved display last week at Sixways if those three get the nod to start on Sunday.

Dai Young on Thomo’s injury:

“Steve Thompson came off [at Worcester] with a bang on his shoulder.

“He’s not ruled himself out 100 per cent yet, but it could be a fortnight. I’d be very surprised if he is fit.

“Steve is a big help off the field. I’d be stupid not to tap into his experience.

“And he’s certainly shown what he can do on the field. He hasn’t come here to retire. He wants to make a big impact.”

Source: BFP