Dai sees an extra edge in training
WASPS boss Dai Young has sensed an extra edge in training as his side prepare for tomorrow’s showdown with Exeter Chiefs at the Ricoh Arena.
While the black-and-golds stuttered to a 21-20 away win at relegation favourites Worcester Warriors, Rob Baxter’s Chiefs put Leicester Tigers to the sword in a comprehensive 40-6 win at Sandy Park.
Tigers chief Matt O’Connor left the club in the aftermath of the heavy loss and Young knows his troops will have to be at their best if they are to stop the irrepressible Chiefs.
“We love playing at the Ricoh and our record shows we’re pretty formidable at home,” said Young.
“We like to think we’re very strong, we want to turn it into a bit of a fortress and it’s a massive game for us. I am looking forward to it.
“You can sense a bit of an edge in training. You know we’re going to have to be good. Everybody talks about the way Exeter play. We know what they’re going to bring but we’ve still go to stop it.
“They’re a quality team who do not have too many weaknesses but we’ve shown in the past, if we get our game going we’re more than a handful for anybody.
“We’re under no illusions and we know we’re going to have to play our best rugby and if we don’t play our best rugby, it could be a hard day at the office.”
Wasps were forced to come from behind at Sixways as the hosts raced into a 13-point lead that was cut to seven points at half-time courtesy of two Billy Searle penalties on debut.
Tries from Joe Launchbury and Tommy Taylor plus two further successful Searle place kicks saw Wasps go the final 25 minutes of the game without conceding a point – and only one penalty along the way.
“It was a bit of an Achilles heel for us last season,” added Young. “Traditionally we start very well and then the last 20 minutes wasn’t good enough and we became consistently bad in that period and it was a real factor that we thought wasn’t good enough.
“We talked about it last season but I saw a lot of positives in that last 20 minutes when we were up against it. At one stage they had 20 phases over four minutes with the ball in our 22. We didn’t give away penalties and we kept them out. Whereas last season, our defending in the red zone wasn’t good enough.
“It’s only one game but we thought it was a step forward. There was a couple of lapses throughout the game that hurt us badly, but we did feel we are going in the right direction.”
Wasps will announce their team at 12pm today, see www.coventrytelegraph.net/ all-about/wasps-rfc for the announcement and analysis ahead of the clash with Exeter Chiefs. FORMER Cornish Pirates halfback Tom Kessell believes his Coventry Rugby side are relishing the challenge of their first away day back in the Championship.
Rowland Winter’s side will make the 300-mile trip tomorrow to Penzance ahead of Sunday’s showdown at Mennaye Field, with a former Pirate in their ranks.
The 28-year-old played more than 50 times for the club before joining Northampton Saints in 2015.
“It’s a long way away.” said Kessell, who joined Coventry this summer after three years at Franklin’s Gardens.
“I know a lot of teams will go down there and struggle and find it hard. But for us, coming up from National One, getting a great result at home, what better a challenge than going away to Pirates to try and stamp our mark on it if we can?
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s going to be a very hard challenge but it is one we’re looking forward to as a club.”
Kessell featured on loan for Coventry during their promotion-winning season joined permanently in the summer to bolster Winter’s squad.
He didn’t have to look far down the fixture list to find the match-up most prominent in his mind.
“I played a lot of games for Cornwall so when I came here so it was the first game I looked for,” said Kesell, who grew up in Hayle, less than ten miles from Cornish Pirates’ home ground.
“I still know quite a few people down there so it is really exciting to go down there and play there again, it should be fun.
“A lot of people have moved on from when I played there but a few people are still there, Gavin Kettle I played with, he’s coaching now.
“It’s going to be interesting, hopefully we will be having a nice chat afterwards.”