Wasps missing a killer sting – Josh
WINGER Josh Bassett stressed Wasps must rediscover their clinical edge entering the final four games of the Aviva Premiership season.
A series of gilt-edged chances went begging against Leicester Tigers allowing England fly-half George Ford to kick three-second half penalties to land a 16-15 victory.
It was the fourth consecutive game when the league’s top try scorers Wasps failed to land a four-try bonus point – despite Elliot Daly scoring two tries inside the first 25 minutes.
“Looking back on the game now, we’re gutted to have lost, having been ahead for so long,” said Bassett, who arrived as a first-half substitute for the injured Daly.
“But for us it wasn’t that we played badly but that we didn’t take our opportunities.
“We certainly created them but we have to be a bit more clinical when we get into those positions, especially moving into this part of the season.
“But there were definite positives there, defensively and attacking wise, so we’re going to take them and keep moving forward.”
Wasps averaged a shade under four tries per game (3.86) from their first 14 Premiership rounds, but in their last four matches against Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester, London Irish and Tigers – only nine tries have been registered at an average of 2.25 per
game.
It wasn’t for the lack of trying on Sunday. Wasps made 19 clean breaks to Tigers’ four, and beat almost twice as many defenders without finding the elusive third try.
“I think the lads attacked really well at the weekend, got ourselves into some good, strong positions.
“Obviously, Elliot capitalised twice with some great play, just unfortunately for us in that secondhalf and towards the end of the first, we didn’t capitalise on our other opportunities.
“But for us there’s a lot of positives to take from that game so we’re going to look at that and keep moving forward.”
Bassett’s run in the starting 15 since returning from injury came to an end as he was named as a replacement at Welford Road. But his benching for the crunch encounter is not something the 26-year-old is dwelling on. “As a player, you want to be involved and starting but if you have to be in that capacity on the bench then you welcome it with open arms and try to have some impact,” he said. “I can only control what I can control, that’s how I perform out on the field and in training and the coaches do the rest so you’ve just got to trust them, speak to them. “Ask them what they want to see you do and how they want you to get better so that’s all I’m trying to do at the moment, keep progressing, keep getting better and control what I can control.” COVENTRY get their 2018 season underway when they visit neighbours Birmingham in an opening Challenge fixture tonight (7.30pm).
It’s an opportunity for the Europress Bees to blow away the winter cobwebs with their first National League match coming up less than 48 hours later at Belle Vue on Good Friday.
Practice has been severely limited over the winter due to the adverse weather conditions, and track-time at Perry Barr will therefore be a major help to the new-look Bees team.
They include three members of last year’s Mildenhall side, with skipper Jon Armstrong joined by Luke Ruddick and new No.1 Connor Mountain, who was signed last week to replace Jack Parkinson-Blackburn.
Meanwhile, Danny Phillips races his first meeting since suffering season-ending injuries last May.
The Brummies, who have been big-hitters in the National League for the last three years, are under new promotion this season and are expected to challenge strongly for honours once again.
They include plenty of Coventry connections as both Mitchell Davey and Callum Walker rode for the club during their days as the Storm – and new Birmingham manager Laurence Rogers had five years at Brandon.
The Bees themselves have a debutant boss with Martyn Macdonald taking charge for the first time.
He said: “We’ll be getting there early and having a good catch-up and getting everyone relaxed and ready for a meeting which will be really useful as a bedding-in process.
“There’s no league points or anything like that on the line, but of course it would be nice to kick the season off with a good performance.
“There are going to be cobwebs for everyone to blow out, I’ve been through it myself, but if we can show people that Coventry can go to Birmingham and give them a run for their money then that would set things up well for us.”
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We certainly created them but we have to be a bit more clinical when we get into those positions.