DALY BACK FOR LEINSTER TEST
ELLIOT Daly makes his return to the Wasps starting line-up to face Leinster in tomorrow’s Heineken Champions Cup clash at the Ricoh Arena.
The England international enjoyed a mandatory week off for his autumn international exertions but starts on the wing against the competition holders as Wasps seek to secure a Pool One victory at the sixth, and final, attempt.
South Africans Juan de Jongh and Willie le Roux are missing but fellow countrymen Nizaam Carr and Ashley Johnson are in Dai Young’s 23-man squad. Thomas Young, recalled for Wales in midweek, misses out with a shoulder issue.
Robbie Henshaw returns from a hamstring injury to take his place in the Leinster centres alongside Garry Ringrose, it will be the Irish international’s first game since late October for Leinster.
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young admitted the challenge tomorrow will be a tough one against “effectively the Irish national team”.
“It’s certainly a tough prospect, facing what is effectively the Irish national team just before the Six Nations. They’ll all be vying to impress to earn the green jersey in the coming weeks and they’ll want to do the job for Leinster,” Young said.
“We need to make sure we’re somewhere near our best or else it could be a tough day and we certainly don’t want that at home against any opposition.
Leinster are a quality team as we’ve seen out there in Dublin. We were in that game for 45 minutes but then they changed gear and we couldn’t live with that.
“We certainly don’t want a repeat of that. You’ve got to keep hold of the ball and you can’t switch off as they’ve got guys that can hurt you from anywhere on the field.
“You don’t want them getting an early lead and getting momentum as they’re very hard to turn around.”
TELEGRAPH TALKING POINTS
Where is Willie le Roux? WE were told he missed out last week with a neck injury. There was no mention of the Springbok in the team announcement.
One presumes that the neck issue is ongoing and that has ruled him out of action. His departure from Wasps at the end of the season was confirmed on Tuesday. It’s a shame he will not be out there trying to recapture his form tomorrow.
Welcome back Watson
INJURY-prone winger Marcus Watson hasn’t booted up for Wasps since limping off at Franklin’s Gardens against Northampton Saints on November 17. He takes his place on the bench having made a tryscoring return for the A team before 2018 closed. Watson has the ability to cover at wing and full back and when fit and firing, is a real attacking threat for Wasps. His return is a welcome one.
No excuses
ONCE more this Wasps selection looks far from weak. All five of Wasps’ England international call-ups – Dan Robson, Elliot Daly, Joe Launchbury, Brad Shields and Nathan Hughes – are all in the starting line-up.
Willie le Roux and Juan de Jongh are big misses but Josh Bassett and Daly provide plenty of firepower out wide, but will Gaby Lovobalavu and Michele Campagnaro fire to provide them with service to threaten Leinster?
You’ve got to keep hold of the ball and you can’t switch off as they’ve got guys that can hurt you from anywhere on the field Dai Young
WASPS: 15 Rob Miller; 14 Josh Bassett, 13 Michele Campagnaro; 12 Gaby Lovobalavu, 11 Elliot Daly; 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Dan Robson; 1 Zurabi Zhvania, 2 Tom Cruse, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4 Joe Launchbury (c), 5 Will Rowlands, 6 Brad Shields, 7 Nizaam Carr, 8 Nathan Hughes
Subs: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 Ben Harris, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Ben Morris, 21 Craig Hampson, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Marcus Watson
LEINSTER: 15. Jordan Larmour; 14. Adam Byrne,
13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. Dave Kearney; 10. Ross Byrne, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park; 1. Jack McGrath, 2. Seán Cronin, 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Devin Toner, 5. James Ryan, 6. Rhys Ruddock, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Jack Conan.
Subs: 16. James Tracy, 17. Cian Healy, 18. Andrew Porter, 19. Scott Fardy, 20. Seán O’Brien, 21. Hugh O’Sullvan, 22. Noel Reid, 23. Rory O’Loughlin