Magnificent 7 not enough for Cov star
WASPS ended their seven-game winless run with a bonus-point victory over Bristol Bears on Saturday. Our rugby correspondent BOBBY BRIDGE reported on the 32-28 victory and here he shares his verdict... FISTS clenched and leaping towards the supporters after forcing the error that drew the game’s conclusion, Rob Miller embodied the passion that drove Wasps to victory against Bristol Bears.
Backs were against the wall. The cupboard was bare. The odds were stacked against a side with 20 senior players unavailable.
While on the face of it defeating a newly-promoted club by just four points isn’t one to roll out the red carpet for, the importance of this victory in the context of the week of preparation leading into it is hard to overstate.
Inspiration was needed to help shake the gloom of a seven-game winless run. Some hoped it would come in the form of Nathan Hughes as his suspension came to an end midweek.
Inevitably, Eddie Jones swooped to pluck the big forward and drop him straight back into the England squad to face Australia.
It was the first of a series of ludicrous blows to an already-beleaguered squad as Joe Simpson’s knee injury and Kieran Brookes’ groin issue forced Dai Young into calling upon Academy youngsters Will Porter and David Langley to cover at scrum-half and tighthead prop respectively.
Wind back the clock 12 months to the final weekend of the autumn internationals in 2017, Wasps could name Danny Cipriani and Dan Robson among the substitutes to face London Irish and a starting XV boasting Willie le Roux, Nizaam Carr, Jimmy Gopperth, Christian Wade and James Haskell.
This time around while Hughes, Elliot Daly and Brad Shields were busy ensuring there was no late turnaround in fortunes in Australia’s annus horribilis, Wasps had no choice but to place faith in their remaining senior players to shine through and for their fringe players to put up a hand.
The performance may not have been perfect and many flaws still remain, those at the Ricoh Arena saw a Wasps team fighting for their shirt, each other, and to end this rotten run.
Rather than a big-name international providing inspiration, it was the strong cast of understudies who breathed life into this Wasps side.
Ben Morris rampaged from the bench in a performance that made it hard to believe he had played under two hours of top-flight rugby before coming on in place of Ashley Johnson in the first half.
Teenager Tom Willis was an example of one of many areas of the pitch where Wasps were down to a third or fourth choice selection but once more highlighted his incredible potential.
The position might not be as pressing as other areas of the pitch but the winger berths were ones that required somebody to ‘do a shift’ and Ross Neal did just that with two tries and an assist in a debut that will live long in the memory.