No room for errors if Wasps want home comforts
DESPITE being five points clear at the top of the Premiership table with only four games remaining, Wasps have almost no room for manoeuvre against Northampton on Sunday.
The current form of nearest rivals Exeter and Saracens, who are respectively five and six points behind Dai Young’s team, means every point is crucial in the battle for a top two finish that unlocks a home semi-final.
Lest anyone needs reminding, Wasps’ pursuers are also last season’s finalists.
Wasps are still looking for their first win at Sandy Park, while a final four clash at the home of the defending double winners is a far from welcoming prospect, so bringing one of them – or better still fourth-placed Leicester – to the Ricoh in the semi-finals is by far the best available option.
With a difficult trip to Harlequins, whose home record is outstanding this season, awaiting in round 21, then the small matter of Sarries at the SUNDAY’S local derby between Wasps and Northampton Saints is expected to draw a crowd of more than 20,000 to the Ricoh Arena.
With good weather forecast, fans of both clubs have snapped up advanced tickets for the round 19 Aviva Premiership clash.
The club have designated the match as the annual “Stinger,” with the focus this year being on the Armed Forces. Ricoh on the final day of the season, it is therefore essential that Wasps collect ten points from this weekend’s clash with seventh-placed Saints and their trip to nearlyrelegated Bristol seven days later.
Rugby director Dai Young is very aware of the Saints’ strengths, which are based around a big pack featuring England trio Tom Wood, Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes plus outstanding French No.8 Louis Picamoles.
“We know Northampton
Wasps currently lie third in the top flight’s attendance table, with 154,063 having witnessed the nine home matches played so far this season.
This table is topped by Harlequins, but is distorted by the 77,567 who saw them beat Gloucester at Twickenham over Christmas.
Wasps’ biggest home crowd so far this season was the 27,930 who saw them win the Midlands derby with Leicester in January. have the capability of coming to the Ricoh and beating us,” he says, “so we have that fear factor of facing a team who are on positive streak at the current time.
“We’ve worked very hard to be sitting at the top with four games to go, so it’s important now that we keep on pushing to give ourselves a real chance of achieving something.
“Saints’ strengths have been much the same for the last two seasons. They pride themselves on the scrum, and that’s a big points
This came 13 days after 26,292 saw Christian Wade’s hat-trick see off Bath on Christmas Eve.
Wasps have won their last three matches against Jim Mallinder’s Saints – but with only four rounds remaining this match is pivotal to both clubs’ play-off hopes so will be no walkover.
Tickets are available via Wasps website, from the Ricoh Arena ticket office, by phone at 02476 786411 or at www.ticketmaste machine for them as well as providing field position.
“When things are not working for them, they go to their driving lineout, again looking for easy points or field position, and they are very direct and physical.
“They come round the corner at you, and you know they’re coming, but you also know they’re coming through the front door not the back one.
“That means you have to front up in that area, and it’s hugely important to domi- nate the gain line against them, but also we have to play the game we’re capable of playing.”
Young says he took 48 hours to get over the disappointment of Wasps’ failure to deliver a performance consistent with their ability in Dublin last weekend. And having now analysed the match, he believes the players must use the experience gained in a big match environment to ensure they cope better next time.
“I was pleased with our physicality, but we just weren’t accurate enough in the first 25 minutes, when we panicked every time we had possession,” he says.
“It then ended up with Leinster having all the ball, simply because we kept giving it up, in fact it took us 30 minutes to keep it through three phases.
“We were far better in the second half, but the try before half-time killed us, it was a major nail in the coffin.
“We then did well to make it an eight-point game with 15 minutes to go, but we have to ensure we learn from it and don’t get flustered in the big games that are coming up.”