Armitage: Every game is massive
GUY Armitage has said he is relieved to have come through Wasps’ AngloWelsh Cup opening day defeat to Newcastle Falcons unscathed and is now keen to force his way into Dai Young’s plans.
25-year-old Armitage, pictured, joined the black-and-golds in 2016 but has been something of a fringe player ever since, only making regular appearances in the ‘A’ League and Anglo-Welsh.
“It was quite a relief to get through the game injury free,” he said, “that was my main concern going into the weekend.
“I was actually feeling a lot better than I thought I would, the physios prepared me pretty well. My opportunities have been limited so picking up injuries doesn’t help.
“I’ve managed to pick up some fitness ahead of the Anglo-Welsh, so hopefully I can string a couple of games and pick up some form to really put my hand up.”
The former London Irish man scored a brace during the 41-53 loss to Falcons and affirmed his committment to the club.
“Even when you’re not playing, you’re helping to prepare the team and you’re emotionally invested so you really have to be focused week after week,” Armitage said.
“It was definitely nice to cross the whitewash, it doesn’t happen all too often so it’s always a pleasure.
“It wasn’t really how either team would have wanted it. But both attacks were looking sharp and exploited quite a lot of the space on both sides.
“We had a bit of a mix and match team with a few new faces coming in and we were just getting the ball rolling with a new group.
“Aaron O’Sullivan couldn’t make training because he was at school on Thursday and it was things like that that we had to get over.”
Wasps make the trip to South Wales to face Ospreys tomorrow night and Armitage is determined to take his chance.
“Every game is massive because opportunities are few and far between,” he said, “so I can’t let any of them slip away. We’ve got a highquality group so I just have to bide my time, make sure I know what I’m doing and when the opportunity comes make sure I take it.
“One of the toughest parts is keeping focused and switched on. I have to stay on top of my fitness, it is unfortunate but injuries do occur as they did for me, but I have to be ready and waiting.
“My personal aim is just to keep playing and try to put my hand up. That’s my job, I’m here to play rugby so whenever I can do that I’ll try to.” Rugby Writer WASPS travel to the Liberty Stadium tomorrow evening, seeking to break their competitive duck against Swansea-based Ospreys.
The men-in-black followed up a 2011 home win over Wasps with a 31-22 Ricoh Arena success in February, and in the process also ended the black-and-golds’ 15-month unbeaten home run.
The visitors are set to field a similar-strength line-up to that which lost an entertaining match to Newcastle last Saturday.
According to academy manager Jonathan Pendlebury, this means Wasps will combine fringe players with academy talent, while also giving game time and match-fitness to a handful of more senior performers.
“We looked at it a few weeks ago to decide what’s right for individual players at this moment in time,” he said.
“We have to consider what’s right for first-team players, factoring in the momentum they’ve started building in the last few weeks and those who are looking to regain form and fitness after injury.
“So it’s about getting a balance, maybe by playing a set amount of minutes, or a full half, or as much of a full game as they can.
“We need a number of players to be able to swap and interchange at different times across the season, so we’ll sit down, have a look and there’ll be a good balance to the team again.”
Last weekend’s Anglo-Welsh Cup opener saw James Haskell play a prominent role alongside fellow first-team regulars Rob Miller and James Gaskell, and Pendlebury believes the 14 academy players involved all gained plenty from being part of a side that included the 75-cap England flanker.
“It was a fantastic experience for all the guys,” he said.
“Several were making debuts or first starts, while a number gained a little exposure last season, and playing with members of the first team at the Ricoh is exactly how you want to do it.
“James is a great character to have around the club and along with the other senior guys he went out of his way to go straight over to the young players to shake their hands.
“I wouldn’t say they were starstruck, they’ve met senior players a number of times and even the under-18s will have seen the senior players around the club when they come in for training on a Monday evening.”
The younger contingent was headed by flying winger Aaron O’Sullivan, an Ireland under 18 who fulfilled every schoolboy’s dream by skipping lessons in Henley-on-Thames to play alongside an international.
“Dai said: ‘I’ve been hearing good things about this young man, we want to see how he goes in a first-team jersey,” Pendlebury recounted.
“By getting ahead with his school work on the Monday and catching back up on a Wednesday, Aaron was able to train with us on Tuesday and also to do the team run on Friday morning.
“It was a great feeling for him to get that try early on – it settled any nerves or butterflies that he might have had.
“We get some great support from the schools across our regional areas, and trying to work with them to get that balance right is massively important so these guys continue their development for their schools, clubs and while playing for their counties.”