Young rings changes as Wasps renew oldest rivalry
DAI Young has made three changes, including a positional switch, to the side which beat Bristol last time out for tonight’s visit to Harlequins.
Thomas Young, who played nearly an hour as an early replacement for the concussed Nathan Hughes, returns to the openside flank, while Guy Thompson retains the No.8 role he moved into following Hughes’ departure.
This means the England No.8 will make his appearance at the Stoop from the bench.
Phil Swainston retains the tighthead prop shirt ahead of fit-again Jake CooperWoolley, in an unchanged front five.
The only change behind the scrum sees Dan Robson start ahead of Joe Simpson in a continuation of the scrumhalf rotation which has been Young’s preferred modus operandi throughout the campaign.
Without quite resorting to “we’re taking it one game at a time”, Young is not looking beyond tonight’s clash to either the round 22 visit of Saracens or the semi-finals.
“It’s just about the next game,” he says. “We want to keep momentum going, so we’re never in a position where we’re looking beyond the next game.
“If we can get the result, hopefully that will put us where we want to be. The idea of ‘win this and get a home draw’ is just not something we talk about.”
Matters are complicated from a Wasps perspective by their oldest rivals – the clubs were once a single entity – needing a win to ensure qualification for next season’s European C h a mpi - ons Cup.
Quins’ top-four prospects were sunk by a series of bad bounces in the closing stages of their lasttime-out defeat by Exeter, but despite this Young is expecting a tricky assignment at a venue where Wasps have, at best, an average record.
“We’ve got our agenda and Quins have got theirs, so it’ll be a tough game – we know that,” Young says. “Watching them p lay against Exeter, for big parts of the game they were probably the better team and were disappointed they didn’t come away with what they feel they probably deserved.” Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler, fresh from British & Irish Lions call-ups, take their places in the Quins front row.
England internationals Mike Brown, Marland Yarde, Danny Care, Luke Wallace and Chris Robshaw are also included in John Kingston’s line-up.
Much attention will focus on the head-to-heads between Robshaw and his international teammate James Haskell, while Robson against Care also promises much.
England’s No.1 referee Wayne Barnes takes charge of a Wasps match for the first time in 18 months. EVEN the man who would be a strong contender for the title “world’s most laid-back rugby player” sometimes feels the hurt of rejection, says Dai Young.
However, Wasps’ boss has no doubt leading Premiership try-scorer Christian Wade will put his failure to win a place on England’s summer tour to Argentina to one side, and play a big part in a four-week spell which could end with Wasps lifting a trophy at Twickenham.
“People ask me if Wadey needs picking up, and in truth he’s such a chilled out character he needs picking up most days! But although he doesn’t show it, he wouldn’t be human if he wasn’t disappointed, as he wants to play at the highest level.”
Wade plus his England Saxons team-mates from last summer’s successful South Africa tour, Tommy Taylor and Dan Robson, were widely
We’ve got our agenda and Quins have got theirs, so it’ll be a tough game – we know that.