DEBRIEFING: Paul Smith looks back at Wasps’ 31-22 Anglo-Welsh defeat against Ospreys
A role reversal
THE need to win quick ball to feed a talented backline, which then proceeds to cut the opposition to ribbons, is a concept with which Wasps followers, coaches and players are very familiar.
The challenge for Dai Young’s team, on occasions, has been securing this quality possession. The likes of Toulouse and (with half an eye on next weekend) Exeter, have in the past targeted Wasps scrum, and sought to use their driving maul to frustrate Wasps’ ambition.
Sunday’s Ospreys clash was very much a case of the boot being on the other foot, since Wasps’ dominant front row twice shunted the visitors off their own ball in the early stages.
Conventional wisdom suggests that the impact of a front row being under this amount of pressure eventually spreads through the team, which then ends up well beaten. It was therefore much to Ospreys’ credit that they not only survived this early onslaught, but found a way to secure enough ball to match their hosts score for score, and eventually finish as the stronger side.
Concentration is key
WASPS scored three tries through centres Brendan Macken, who crossed twice, and Guy Armitage.
These scores gave themm leads of seven, five and five points,ts, and on any of those three occasions, ions, another score would have ve probably have seen Wasps ps go on to win comfortably. y.
However, through a combination of poor concentration, individual mistakes and good finishing from the visitors, on each occasion Ospreys hit back within three minutes.
Luke Price’s conversionn of Kieron Fonotia’s 71st minutenute try, which sounded the Lastast Post on Wasps hopes, resulted directly from their failure to secure the kick off. This was also the last in a sequence of avoidable basic errors, as skipper James Gaskell’s post-match frustration revealed.
Premiership watch
WASPS fielded a much stronger side against Ospreys than took the field eight days earlier at Sandy Park.
In addition to giving a few injury returnees the chance to stretch their legs, this also offered some insight into Dai Young’s options when his team resumes Premiership action at Exeter next week.we Simon McIntyre,M who was the best playerp on the pitch during his 404 minutes of action, willwi doubtless replace England’sE Matt Mullan at loose head, while fellow front-rowers Jake Cooper-Woolley and Carlo Festuccia will also feature prominently in Young’s thoughts.t One of James Gaskell and Kearnan Myall, who enjoyedenjoy a 35 minute cameo from theth bench, are set to partner MattMat Symons in the second
row. The back row has more variables, since Thomas Young’s availability will not be known until Thursday and Guy Thompson remains a fitness doubt, which means Ashley Johnson, Gaskell and Alex Rieder all enter the equation.
The only question to be resolved behind the scrum is in the centre, where Brendan Macken did his chances no harm should Dai Young prefer not to move Kyle Eastmond to No.13.
A question of depth
TAKING a slightly wider view, Wasps have won only two of seven A League and Anglo-Welsh Cup games this season.
While some perspective has to be retained here – since these competitions are not given equal priority by every club - it does suggest that the likes of Exeter, Saracens, Leicester and Northampton currently have bigger squads, and a more even spread of similar standard players.
Wasps have used a range of loan players across these seven games, and also on occasions drawn from their under 18’s.
While having the best 2nd and 3rd XV in English rugby is probably a long way down Dai Young’s priority list, as his club becomes established in Coventry, it seems logical that this kind of strength in depth will naturally develop.
Thanks for the memories
THIS result meant Wasps’ impressive unbeaten run at the Ricoh came to an end after 14 months and 20 games.
In that time we’ve enjoyed the elation of Jimmy Gopperth’s last-kick inspired European Cup win, the demolition of Leinster, packed houses against Leicester, Northampton and Bath and the thrashings of Zebre, Bristol and Worcester.
A minimum of five more home games remain this season, and if Wasps can make it 25 wins from 26 starts, a day at Twickenham would provide another memorable occasion.